1951 in sports
Encyclopedia : 1 : 19 : 195 : 1951 in sports
See also: 1950 in sports, other events of 1951, 1952 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.
- NASCAR Championship - Herb Thomas
- AAA Racing:
- *Tony Bettenhausen won the series championship
- *Lee Wallard won the Indianapolis 500
- Formula One Championship - Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina
- 24 hours of Le Mans:
- *Louis Rosier / Jean-Louis Rosier won driving a Talbot-Lago
- Rally racing:
- *Marcel Becquart / H. Secret won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Hotchkiss
- Drag racing - NHRA founded by Wally Parks
- January 26: Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- January 29: Baseball signs a six-year All-Star game pact for TV-radio rights for $6 million. A number of owners criticize lame-duck Commissioner Happy Chandler, believing that in a couple of years, the broadcast rights would be worth much more than $1 million per annum.
- April 17: Mickey Mantle makes his Major League debut.
- May 7: Johnny Vander Meer pitches in his final Major League game.
- May 25: The New York Giants rookie Willie Mays, goes 0-for-5 in his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.
- July 10: Alfonso "Chico" Carrasquel became the first Latin American player to participate in an All-Star game, beating out reigning MVP Phil Rizzuto as the American League's starting shortstop. Carrasquel would go on to be selected to the All-Star team a total of four times.
- July 14 - St. Louis Browns sign Satchel Paige as a free agent.
- August 11: The New York Giants fall 13 games behind in the National League standings. Following this nadir, the Giants go 37-8 over their last 45 games in one of baseball's most famous comebacks. This enables them to tie their crosstown rivals Brooklyn Dodgers for first place and forces a playoff series.
- August 19: 3' 7" Eddie Gaedel becomes the only midget to play in a major league game, pinch-hitting and drawing a walk in his lone plate appearance.
- August 29 - The New York Yankees trade Lew Burdette and $50,000 cash to the Boston Braves for Johnny Sain.
- September 7 - Bobby Doerr plays in his final career game.
- September 30 - Joe DiMaggio plays in his final career regular season game.
- October 4: National League Playoff: The New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers finished the season tied for first place. The Giants then won a playoff series, 2 games to 1. In the final game, when all seemed lost for the Giants, Bobby Thomson hit a dramatic three run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Giants a 5 to 4 victory and the National League pennant.
- World Series: New York Yankees win 4 games to 2 over the New York Giants.
- MVP Awards: Roy Campanella (NL) and Yogi Berra (AL)
- Rookie of the Year Awards: Willie Mays (NL) and Gil McDougald (AL)
- Babe Ruth Award: Phil Rizzuto
- Sporting News Major League Player of the Year: Stan Musial
- Sporting News Pitcher of the Year: Preacher Roe (NL) and Bob Feller (AL)
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- *Kentucky wins 68-58 over Kansas State University.
- NBA Finals:
- *Rochester Royals won 4 games to 3 over the New York Knicks
- Amateur Basketball Association:
- *Basketball Jones single handedly beats the Harlem Globetrotters
- The seventh European basketball championship, Eurobasket 1951, is won by the Soviet Union.
- July 10 - Randy Turpin becomes the middleweight boxing champion after defeating Sugar Ray Robinson.
- July 18, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Jersey Joe Walcott knocks out Ezzard Charles in round 7.
- Giro d'Italia won by Fiorenzo Magni of Italy
- Tour de France - Hugo Koblet of Switzerland
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- *Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- *Women's champion: Jeanette Altwegg, Great Britain
- *Pairs champions: Ria Baran & Paul Falk, Germany
- January 14 - The National Football League has its first Pro Bowl Game (Los Angeles, California).
- NFL Championship: Los Angeles Rams won 24-17 over the Cleveland Browns
- Victorian Football League
- * Geelong wins the 55th VFL Premiership (Geelong 11.15 (81) d Essendon 10.10 (70))
- * Brownlow Medal awarded to Bernie Smith (Geelong)
- Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders won 21-14 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
England
- First Division - Tottenham Hotspur win the 1950-51 title.
- FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Blackpool 2-0.
Men's Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- #May - The Masters - Ben Hogan
- #June - US Open - Ben Hogan
- #July - British Open - Max Faulkner
- #August - PGA Championship - Sam Snead
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Lloyd Mangrum - $26,089
- Ryder Cup: United States team wins 9 1/2 to 2 1/2 over the British team in world golf.
Women's Golf
- July 14 - Citation won his 32nd race, the Hollywood Gold Cup, becoming the first equine millionaire.
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Delat
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Major Factor
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Tantième
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Fraise du Bois
- English Triple Crown Races:
- #Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Ki Ming
- #Epsom Derby - Arctic Prince
- #St. Leger Stakes - Talma
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- #Kentucky Derby - Count Turf
- #Preakness Stakes - Bold
- #Belmont Stakes - Counterpoint
- Tar Heel, a standardbred horse driven by Del Cameron, produced the first two-minute mile in harness racing history.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Tar Heel
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Mainliner
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- *Pacers: Vedette
- *Trotters: Gay Belwin
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- * Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
- January 26: Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- January 29: Baseball signs a six-year All-Star game pact for TV-radio rights for $6 million. A number of owners criticize lame-duck Commissioner Happy Chandler, believing that in a couple of years, the broadcast rights would be worth much more than $1 million per annum.
- April 17: Mickey Mantle makes his Major League debut.
- May 7: Johnny Vander Meer pitches in his final Major League game.
- May 25: The New York Giants rookie Willie Mays, goes 0-for-5 in his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.
- July 10: Alfonso "Chico" Carrasquel became the first Latin American player to participate in an All-Star game, beating out reigning MVP Phil Rizzuto as the American League's starting shortstop. Carrasquel would go on to be selected to the All-Star team a total of four times.
- July 14 - St. Louis Browns sign Satchel Paige as a free agent.
- August 11: The New York Giants fall 13 games behind in the National League standings. Following this nadir, the Giants go 37-8 over their last 45 games in one of baseball's most famous comebacks. This enables them to tie their crosstown rivals Brooklyn Dodgers for first place and forces a playoff series.
- August 19: 3' 7" Eddie Gaedel becomes the only midget to play in a major league game, pinch-hitting and drawing a walk in his lone plate appearance.
- August 29 - The New York Yankees trade Lew Burdette and $50,000 cash to the Boston Braves for Johnny Sain.
- September 7 - Bobby Doerr plays in his final career game.
- September 30 - Joe DiMaggio plays in his final career regular season game.
- October 4: National League Playoff: The New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers finished the season tied for first place. The Giants then won a playoff series, 2 games to 1. In the final game, when all seemed lost for the Giants, Bobby Thomson hit a dramatic three run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Giants a 5 to 4 victory and the National League pennant.
- World Series: New York Yankees win 4 games to 2 over the New York Giants.
- MVP Awards: Roy Campanella (NL) and Yogi Berra (AL)
- Rookie of the Year Awards: Willie Mays (NL) and Gil McDougald (AL)
- Babe Ruth Award: Phil Rizzuto
- Sporting News Major League Player of the Year: Stan Musial
- Sporting News Pitcher of the Year: Preacher Roe (NL) and Bob Feller (AL)
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- *Kentucky wins 68-58 over Kansas State University.
- NBA Finals:
- *Rochester Royals won 4 games to 3 over the New York Knicks
- Amateur Basketball Association:
- *Basketball Jones single handedly beats the Harlem Globetrotters
- The seventh European basketball championship, Eurobasket 1951, is won by the Soviet Union.
- July 10 - Randy Turpin becomes the middleweight boxing champion after defeating Sugar Ray Robinson.
- July 18, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Jersey Joe Walcott knocks out Ezzard Charles in round 7.
- Giro d'Italia won by Fiorenzo Magni of Italy
- Tour de France - Hugo Koblet of Switzerland
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- *Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- *Women's champion: Jeanette Altwegg, Great Britain
- *Pairs champions: Ria Baran & Paul Falk, Germany
- January 14 - The National Football League has its first Pro Bowl Game (Los Angeles, California).
- NFL Championship: Los Angeles Rams won 24-17 over the Cleveland Browns
- Victorian Football League
- * Geelong wins the 55th VFL Premiership (Geelong 11.15 (81) d Essendon 10.10 (70))
- * Brownlow Medal awarded to Bernie Smith (Geelong)
- Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders won 21-14 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
England
- First Division - Tottenham Hotspur win the 1950-51 title.
- FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Blackpool 2-0.
Men's Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- #May - The Masters - Ben Hogan
- #June - US Open - Ben Hogan
- #July - British Open - Max Faulkner
- #August - PGA Championship - Sam Snead
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Lloyd Mangrum - $26,089
- Ryder Cup: United States team wins 9 1/2 to 2 1/2 over the British team in world golf.
Women's Golf
- July 14 - Citation won his 32nd race, the Hollywood Gold Cup, becoming the first equine millionaire.
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Delat
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Major Factor
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Tantième
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Fraise du Bois
- English Triple Crown Races:
- #Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Ki Ming
- #Epsom Derby - Arctic Prince
- #St. Leger Stakes - Talma
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- #Kentucky Derby - Count Turf
- #Preakness Stakes - Bold
- #Belmont Stakes - Counterpoint
- Tar Heel, a standardbred horse driven by Del Cameron, produced the first two-minute mile in harness racing history.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Tar Heel
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Mainliner
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- *Pacers: Vedette
- *Trotters: Gay Belwin
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- * Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
- July 10 - Randy Turpin becomes the middleweight boxing champion after defeating Sugar Ray Robinson.
- July 18, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Jersey Joe Walcott knocks out Ezzard Charles in round 7.
- Giro d'Italia won by Fiorenzo Magni of Italy
- Tour de France - Hugo Koblet of Switzerland
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- *Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- *Women's champion: Jeanette Altwegg, Great Britain
- *Pairs champions: Ria Baran & Paul Falk, Germany
- January 14 - The National Football League has its first Pro Bowl Game (Los Angeles, California).
- NFL Championship: Los Angeles Rams won 24-17 over the Cleveland Browns
- Victorian Football League
- * Geelong wins the 55th VFL Premiership (Geelong 11.15 (81) d Essendon 10.10 (70))
- * Brownlow Medal awarded to Bernie Smith (Geelong)
- Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders won 21-14 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
England
- First Division - Tottenham Hotspur win the 1950-51 title.
- FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Blackpool 2-0.
Men's Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- #May - The Masters - Ben Hogan
- #June - US Open - Ben Hogan
- #July - British Open - Max Faulkner
- #August - PGA Championship - Sam Snead
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Lloyd Mangrum - $26,089
- Ryder Cup: United States team wins 9 1/2 to 2 1/2 over the British team in world golf.
Women's Golf
- July 14 - Citation won his 32nd race, the Hollywood Gold Cup, becoming the first equine millionaire.
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Delat
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Major Factor
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Tantième
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Fraise du Bois
- English Triple Crown Races:
- #Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Ki Ming
- #Epsom Derby - Arctic Prince
- #St. Leger Stakes - Talma
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- #Kentucky Derby - Count Turf
- #Preakness Stakes - Bold
- #Belmont Stakes - Counterpoint
- Tar Heel, a standardbred horse driven by Del Cameron, produced the first two-minute mile in harness racing history.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Tar Heel
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Mainliner
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- *Pacers: Vedette
- *Trotters: Gay Belwin
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- * Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- *Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- *Women's champion: Jeanette Altwegg, Great Britain
- *Pairs champions: Ria Baran & Paul Falk, Germany
- January 14 - The National Football League has its first Pro Bowl Game (Los Angeles, California).
- NFL Championship: Los Angeles Rams won 24-17 over the Cleveland Browns
- Victorian Football League
- * Geelong wins the 55th VFL Premiership (Geelong 11.15 (81) d Essendon 10.10 (70))
- * Brownlow Medal awarded to Bernie Smith (Geelong)
- Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders won 21-14 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
England
- First Division - Tottenham Hotspur win the 1950-51 title.
- FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Blackpool 2-0.
Men's Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- #May - The Masters - Ben Hogan
- #June - US Open - Ben Hogan
- #July - British Open - Max Faulkner
- #August - PGA Championship - Sam Snead
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Lloyd Mangrum - $26,089
- Ryder Cup: United States team wins 9 1/2 to 2 1/2 over the British team in world golf.
Women's Golf
- July 14 - Citation won his 32nd race, the Hollywood Gold Cup, becoming the first equine millionaire.
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Delat
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Major Factor
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Tantième
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Fraise du Bois
- English Triple Crown Races:
- #Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Ki Ming
- #Epsom Derby - Arctic Prince
- #St. Leger Stakes - Talma
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- #Kentucky Derby - Count Turf
- #Preakness Stakes - Bold
- #Belmont Stakes - Counterpoint
- Tar Heel, a standardbred horse driven by Del Cameron, produced the first two-minute mile in harness racing history.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Tar Heel
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Mainliner
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- *Pacers: Vedette
- *Trotters: Gay Belwin
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- * Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
- Victorian Football League
- * Geelong wins the 55th VFL Premiership (Geelong 11.15 (81) d Essendon 10.10 (70))
- * Brownlow Medal awarded to Bernie Smith (Geelong)
- Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders won 21-14 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
England
- First Division - Tottenham Hotspur win the 1950-51 title.
- FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Blackpool 2-0.
Men's Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- #May - The Masters - Ben Hogan
- #June - US Open - Ben Hogan
- #July - British Open - Max Faulkner
- #August - PGA Championship - Sam Snead
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Lloyd Mangrum - $26,089
- Ryder Cup: United States team wins 9 1/2 to 2 1/2 over the British team in world golf.
Women's Golf
- July 14 - Citation won his 32nd race, the Hollywood Gold Cup, becoming the first equine millionaire.
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Delat
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Major Factor
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Tantième
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Fraise du Bois
- English Triple Crown Races:
- #Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Ki Ming
- #Epsom Derby - Arctic Prince
- #St. Leger Stakes - Talma
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- #Kentucky Derby - Count Turf
- #Preakness Stakes - Bold
- #Belmont Stakes - Counterpoint
- Tar Heel, a standardbred horse driven by Del Cameron, produced the first two-minute mile in harness racing history.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Tar Heel
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Mainliner
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- *Pacers: Vedette
- *Trotters: Gay Belwin
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- * Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
England
- First Division - Tottenham Hotspur win the 1950-51 title.
- FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Blackpool 2-0.
Men's Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- #May - The Masters - Ben Hogan
- #June - US Open - Ben Hogan
- #July - British Open - Max Faulkner
- #August - PGA Championship - Sam Snead
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Lloyd Mangrum - $26,089
- Ryder Cup: United States team wins 9 1/2 to 2 1/2 over the British team in world golf.
Women's Golf
- July 14 - Citation won his 32nd race, the Hollywood Gold Cup, becoming the first equine millionaire.
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Delat
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Major Factor
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Tantième
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Fraise du Bois
- English Triple Crown Races:
- #Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Ki Ming
- #Epsom Derby - Arctic Prince
- #St. Leger Stakes - Talma
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- #Kentucky Derby - Count Turf
- #Preakness Stakes - Bold
- #Belmont Stakes - Counterpoint
- Tar Heel, a standardbred horse driven by Del Cameron, produced the first two-minute mile in harness racing history.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Tar Heel
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Mainliner
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- *Pacers: Vedette
- *Trotters: Gay Belwin
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- * Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
- July 14 - Citation won his 32nd race, the Hollywood Gold Cup, becoming the first equine millionaire.
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Delat
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Major Factor
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Tantième
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Fraise du Bois
- English Triple Crown Races:
- #Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Ki Ming
- #Epsom Derby - Arctic Prince
- #St. Leger Stakes - Talma
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- #Kentucky Derby - Count Turf
- #Preakness Stakes - Bold
- #Belmont Stakes - Counterpoint
- Tar Heel, a standardbred horse driven by Del Cameron, produced the first two-minute mile in harness racing history.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Tar Heel
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Mainliner
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- *Pacers: Vedette
- *Trotters: Gay Belwin
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- * Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- * Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58-39.
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- #Australian Open - Dick Savitt
- #French Open - Jaroslav Drobny
- #Wimbledon championships - Dick Savitt
- #US Open - Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- #Australian Open - Nancy Wynne Bolton
- #French Open - Shirley Fry
- #Wimbledon championships - Doris Hart
- #US Open - Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3-2 over the United States in world tennis.
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
- First Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Asian Games held in New Delhi, India
- First Mediterranean Games held in Alexandria, Egypt
Births
- January 2 — Bill Madlock, U.S. baseball player.
- January 22 — Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- January 25 — Steve Prefontaine, U.S. distance runner
- January 26 — Jarmila Kratochvílová, Czech athlete
- February 6 — Tineke Bartels, Dutch equestrian
- February 14 — Haruki Uemura, Japanese judoka
- February 14 — Graham White, Australian freestyle swimmer
- February 22 — Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer
- February 25 — Don Quarrie, Jamaican athlete
- March 4 — Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football (soccer) player and manager
- March 26 — Greg Brough, Australian freestyle swimmer
- April 6 — Bert Blyleven, U.S. baseball player
- April 29 — Dale Earnhardt, U.S. stock car racer (d. 2001)
- May 12 — Gunnar Larsson, Swedish medley swimmer
- June 2 — Larry Robinson, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- June 9 — Dave Parker, U.S. baseball player
- June 23 — Minneula Azizov, Soviet field hockey player
- June 24 — Raelene Boyle, Australian athlete
- June 26 — Clarence Hill, Bermudian boxer
- July 5 — Rich Gossage, U.S. baseball player
- July 19 — Bob Schoutsen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- July 31 — Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player
- August 1 — Jürgen Fanghänel, East German boxer
- August 7 — Gary Hall, Sr., American swimmer
- August 13 — Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- August 17 — Alan Minter, British boxer
- August 27 — Buddy Bell, U.S. baseball player
- September 6 — Samiullah Khan, Pakistani field hockey player
- September 16 — René and Willy van de Kerkhof, Dutch football (soccer) players and twins
- September 20 — Guy Lafleur, Canadian hockey player
- September 21 — Bruce Arena, American soccer coach
- September 29 — Hennie Penterman, Dutch medley swimmer
- October 3 — Dave Winfield, US baseball player
- October 6 — Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- October 15 — Roscoe Tanner, American tennis player
- November 3 — Dwight Evans, US baseball player
- November 13 — Beth Anders, US field hockey player
- November 25 — Johnny Rep, Dutch football (soccer) striker
- December 31 — Andranik Eskandarian, Iranian-American soccer player of Armenian descent
Deaths
- February 25 - Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 - Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106-1930)
- July 9 - Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914-1932)
- August 26 - Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 - Joe Jackson, U.S. baseball player
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