Birthdays in Sport in 1956

Birthdays in Sport

Birthdays 1 - 200 of 201

• Jan 3 Willy T. Ribbs, American race car driver, born in San Jose, California
• Jan 7 Rosalyn Bryant, American 4x400m runner (Olympic silver 1976), born in Chicago, Illinois
• Jan 9 David Smith, English cricketer (England lefty batsman in 2 Tests v WI 1986), born in Balham, London
• Jan 15 Paul Parker, English cricketer (one Test England v Australia 1981), born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
• Jan 15 Vera Sosulya, Soviet tobogganist (Olympic gold 1980)
• Jan 16 Wayne Daniel, cricketer (WI fast bowler 1976-84)
• Jan 16 Martin Jol, Dutch football manager
• Jan 20 John McNally, American rapid fire pistol sport shooter (Olympics 1984, 88, 92, 96), born in Naha, Okinawa
• Jan 20 John Phillips Naber, American swimmer (Olympic-4 gold/silver-76), born in Evanston, Illinois
• Jan 30 Keiichi Tsuchiya, Japanese racing driver, born in Tomi, Japan
• Feb 1 Mike Kitchen, Canadian ice hockey player & coach, born in Newmarket, Canada
• Feb 3 John Jefferson, American football player
• Feb 5 Hector Rebaque, Mexican racing driver, born in Mexico City, Mexico
• Feb 9 Philip Jackson Ford Jr, NC, basketball player (Olympic gold 1976)
• Feb 13 Liam Brady, Irish footballer, born in Dublin, Ireland
• Feb 13 Yiannis Kouros, Greek-Australian runner, born in Tripoli, Greece


• Feb 14 Dave Dravecky, US pitcher & amputee (SF Giants), born in Youngstown, Ohio
• Feb 14 Howard Edward Davis Jr., boxer (Olympic silver 1976), born in Glen Cove, New York (d. 2015)
• Feb 15 Desmond Haynes, cricket (WI opener-greatest batsman in 1-day history)
• Feb 15 Hitoshi Ogawa, Japanese racing driver (d. 1992)
• Feb 19 Steve Randell, Tasmanian cricket Test umpire (international panel)
• Feb 22 Amy Alcott, American golfer (5-time major title winner; US Open 1980), born in Kansas City, Missouri

• Feb 25 Davie Cooper, soccer star
• Feb 28 Jimmy Nicholl, Canadian-born Northern Irish footballer
• Mar 1 Balwinder Singh Sandhu, cricketer (Sikh pace bowler 1983 World Cup)
• Mar 1 Mark Todd, UK, NZ equestrian 3 day event (Olympics 1996)
• Mar 2 Eusebio Pedroza, Panamanian boxer (WBA featherweight champion 1978-85), born in Panama City, Panama (d. 2019)
• Mar 3 Jim Barton, American sailor (1996 Olympic bronze in Soling class), born in Lincoln, Nebraska
• Mar 3 John F Reid, cricketer (New Zealand batsman of 70's/80's)
• Mar 3 Zbigniew Boniek, Polish footballer
• Mar 6 Peter Roebuck, English cricketer and journalist, born in Oddington, Oxfordshire, England (d. 2011)
• Mar 8 Laurie Cunningham, English former footballer (d. 1989)
• Mar 9 Mark Dantonio, American football coach for Michigan State University, born in El Paso, Texas
• Mar 10 Janet Alex-Anderson, American golfer (US Open 1982), born in West Sunbury, Pennsylvania
• Mar 12 Dale Murphy, slugger (Atlanta Braves, 2 time NL MVP), born in Portland, Oregon
• Mar 14 Tessa Sanderson, British javelin thrower (Olympic gold 1984), born in Kingston, Jamaica
• Mar 14 Colin Ayre, British football player (Newcastle United), born in Ashington, Northumberland
• Mar 15 Clay Matthews, NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons)
• Mar 16 Ozzie Newsome, NFL tight end (Cleveland Browns)
• Mar 18 Ingemar Stenmark, Swedish alpine skier (2 Olympic gold 1980), born in Joesjö, Sweden


• Mar 21 Ingrid Kristiansen, Norwegian marathoner (Olympic-4th-1984, Bost-86, 89)
• Mar 24 Ijaz Faqih, cricketer (Pakistan off-spin all-rounder in 5 Tests 80-88)
• Mar 25 Sonia M Lannaman, England, 4X100m relayer (Olympic bronze 1980)
• Mar 26 Tatyana Kochergina, USSR, team handball (Olympic gold 1976, 80)
• Mar 27 Brian Kelly, American CFL wide receiver (Edmonton Eskimos), born in Arcadia, California
• Mar 27 Thomas Wassberg, Swedish cross country skier (4 Olympic gold 1980, 84, 88), born in Lennartsfors, Värmland, Sweden
• Mar 28 Asoka De Silva, Sri Lankan cricket leg-spinner (Sri Lanka in 10 Tests 1985-91), born in Kalutara, Sri Lanka
• Mar 28 Evelin Jahl, German discus thrower (Olympic-2 gold-1976), born in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany
• Mar 28 T A Sekar, Indian cricket pace-bowler (2 Tests 1982-83 little impact), born in Chennai, India
• Mar 29 Kurt Thomas, American gymnast (Olympics), actor (Gymkata), born in Miami, Florida
• Apr 2 Farrukh Zaman, Pakistani cricket spinner (bowled 10 overs Pak v NZ 1976), born in Peshawar, Pakistan
• Apr 4 Tom Herr, American baseball player, born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Apr 6 Dilip Vengsarkar, cricketer (prolific Indian batsman 1976-92)
• Apr 6 Mudassar Nazar, cricketer (son of Nazar Mohammad Pakistani batsman)
• Apr 9 Miguel Ángel Russo, Argentine footballer, born in Lanús Partido, Argentina
• Apr 13 Michael Nikolay, German gymnast (Olympics silver 1980), born in Berlin, Germany
• Apr 13 Peter "Possum" Bourne, New Zealand race car driver, born in New Zealand (d. 2003)
• Apr 15 Michael Cooper, American NBA star (LA Lakers), born in Los Angeles, California
• Apr 18 David Edwards, American golfer (US Masters 1984 3rd; 4 PGA Tour titles), born in Neosho, Missouri
• Apr 19 Sue Barker, British tennis player (French Open 1976), born in Paignton, England
• Apr 21 Rick DeMont, American 400m swimmer, drug disqualification (1972 Olympics)
• Apr 27 Dennie Shupryt-Knoop, American beach volleyballer (Olympics 1996), born in Chicago, Illinois
• May 3 Gillian Rolton, Australian equestrian (Summer Olympics 1992, 1996- gold), born in Adelaide, South Australia (d. 2017)
• May 4 Ulrike Meyfarth, German high jumper (Olympic gold 1972), born in Frankfurt, Germany
• May 4 Ken Oberkfell, American baseball player, born in Highland, Illinois
• May 6 Tim Simpson, American golfer (4 PGA Tour titles, born in Atlanta, Georgia
• May 8 Jeff Madrigali, soling sailor (Olymp-bronze-96), born in Walnut Creek, California
• May 12 Bernie Federko, Canadian ice hockey player
• May 15 Alice Miller, American golfer (Nabisco Dinah Shore 1985), born in Marysville, CA
• May 15 Dan Patrick, American sportscaster
• May 17 Sugar Ray [Charles] Leonard, American boxer (Olympic gold 1976), born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
• May 18 Naomichi 'Joe' Ozaki, Japanese golfer (32 Japan Tour titles), born in Tekushima, Japan
• May 20 Andrew Hilditch, cricketer (Australian opening bat 1979-85)
• May 20 Tomas Smid, Czech, tennis star
• May 23 Mark Shaw, New Zealand rugby footballer
• May 23 Buck Showalter, American baseball player and manager
• May 27 Nick Lowery, NFL kicker (NY Jets)
• May 27 Steve Pagano, horse trainer
• May 28 Jeff Dujon, cricket wicket-keeper (WI 1981-91, their most successful)
• May 28 Markus Höttinger, Austrian racing driver (d. 1980)
• Jun 3 Suren Nalbandyan, USSR, lightweight (Olympic gold 1976)
• Jun 3 George Burley, Scottish football player and manager
• Jun 4 John Treacy, Irish marathoner (Olympic silver 1984), born in Villierstown, County Waterford
• Jun 4 Terry Kennedy, American baseball player, born in Euclid, Ohio
• Jun 4 Martin Adams, English darts player, born in Sutton, Surrey, England
• Jun 6 Andy Pycroft, cricketer (Zimbabwe Test batsman)

• Jun 7 Robert Dover, American equestrian dressage (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Chicago, Illinois

• Jun 12 Terry Alderman, Australian cricketer (prolific Australian medium-pacer 1981-91), born in Subiaco, Perth, Australia
• Jun 14 Fred Funk, American golfer (The Tradition 2008, 10; US Senior Open 2009), born in Takoma Park, Maryland
• Jun 15 Lance Parrish, baseball player
• Jun 17 Nick Cook, English cricketer (left arm slow bowler in 15 Tests 1983-89), born in Leicester
• Jun 20 Peter Reid, English former footballer
• Jun 21 Mikhail Burtsev, Soviet sabre fencer (Olympic gold 1976, 1980), born in Moscow (d. 2015)
• Jun 21 Rick Sutcliffe, American baseball pitcher (LA Dodgers, Chicago Cubs), born in Independence, Missouri
• Jun 22 Alfons De Wolf, Belgian cyclist
• Jun 23 Tony Hill, American football player
• Jun 27 Jeff Odintz, American horse trainer, born in Brooklyn, New York
• Jun 27 Brad Childress, American football coach, born in Aurora, Illinois
• Jun 29 Pedro Guerrero, Dominican MLB player (LA Dodgers), born in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
• Jul 1 Brian Sabean, American MLB executive (SF Giants World Series 2010, 12, 14), born in Concord, New Hampshire
• Jul 2 Leslie Reid, equestrian dressage (Olympics 1996), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
• Jul 3 Eddie Edwards, South Africa, tennis star
• Jul 5 James Lofton, NFL wide receiver (Bills, Packers, Raiders)
• Jul 6 Matt Bahr, NFL kicker (NE Patriots, NY Giants)
• Jul 8 Millard Frank Hampton, 4x100m runner (Olympic gold 1976), born in Fresno, California
• Jul 12 Mario Soto, Dominican baseball player
• Jul 13 Bill Caudill, American MLB reliever (All Star 1984), born in Santa Monica, California
• Jul 15 Kathy Kreiner, Canadian giant slalom (Olympic gold 1976)


• Jul 15 Toshihiko Seko, Japanese runner (world record 25/30 km)

• Jul 18 Razor Shines, American baseball player, manager and coach
• Jul 20 Charlie Magri, world champ flyweight boxer (1983)

• Jul 22 Michael Spinks, American middleweight boxer (Olympic gold 1976)
• Jul 26 Dorothy Hamill, American figure skater (Olympic gold 1976), born in Chicago, Illinois
• Jul 29 Teddy Atlas, American boxing trainer and commentator
• Jul 31 Bill Callahan, American football coach, born in Chicago, Illinois
• Aug 3 Todd Christensen, NFL player (Oakland) and sportscaster, born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (d. 2013)
• Aug 10 Dianne Fromhottz, Balestrat Australia, tennis star
• Aug 12 Sidath Wettimuny, Sri Lanka cricket opener (190 v England Lords 1984)
• Aug 14 Rusty Wallace, American race car driver
• Aug 16 Colleen Walker, American golfer (du Maurier Classic 1997), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2012)
• Aug 16 Dominic Erban, French rugby international player
• Aug 16 Daniel Willems, Belgian cyclist
• Aug 17 Álvaro Pino, Spanish cyclist
• Aug 18 Sandeep Patil, cricketer (Indian batsman Great 174 v Adelaide 1981)
• Aug 19 Cindy Nelson, American skier (Olympic bronze 1976)
• Aug 20 Alvin Greenidge, cricketer (WI opener, no relation to Gordon or Geoff)
• Aug 22 Jeffrey Lloyd, South African jockey based in Australia, born in Durban, South Africa
• Aug 22 Paul Molitor, infielder (Mn Twins, 1993 World Series MVP), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota
• Aug 22 Peter Taylor, Australian cricketer (Australian off-spinner 1987-92), born in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
• Aug 24 Gerry Cooney, heavyweight boxer (US Olympics team 1980)
• Aug 25 Henri Toivonen, Finnish rally driver, born in Jyväskylä, Finland (d. 1986)
• Aug 26 Mark Mangino, American football coach
• Aug 28 Beverley Goddard-Callender, English track and field athelete (Olympic bronze 1980, 84), born in Barbados
• Sep 2 Mario Tremblay, Canadian hockey player and coach
• Sep 3 Hans-Georg Beyer, German DR, team handball player (Olympic gold 1980)
• Sep 4 Shane Gould, freestyle swimmer (Olympics 3 Gold-1972)
• Sep 5 Steve Denton, tennis player (world's fastest tennis serve-138 mph), born in Kingsville, Texas
• Sep 7 Byron Stevenson, British footballer (Leeds United), born in Llanelli, Wales (d. 2007)
• Sep 8 Maurice Cheeks, NBA guard (NY Knicks, Philadelphia '76ers)
• Sep 12 Chip Beck, American golfer (US Open 1986, 89, Masters 1993 runner-up; shot 59 in 1991), born in Fayetteville, North Carolina
• Sep 12 Ricky Rudd, American race car driver, born in Norfolk County, Virginia
• Sep 14 Ray Wilkins, English former footballer and captain of the National Soccer Team, born in Hillingdon, England (d. 2018)
• Sep 16 Anatoly Beloglazov, USSR, 52 kg freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold 1980)
• Sep 16 Sergei Beloglazov, USSR, 57 kg freestyle wrestler (Olympic gold 1980)
• Sep 17 Thad Bosley. American major league baseball player
• Sep 18 Peter Šťastný, Slovak ice hockey player


• Sep 19 Juan Manuel Fangio II, Argentine racing driver, born in Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Sep 21 Jack Givens, American basketball player
• Sep 23 Paolo Rossi, Italian footballer
• Sep 24 Ilona Briesenick-Slupianek, German DR, shot-putter (Olympic gold 1980)
• Sep 26 Steve Butler, American racing driver
• Sep 29 Sebastian Coe, British 1500m runner (Olympic gold 1980, 84), born in London, England
• Oct 1 Leslie Burr-Howard, equestrian show jumper (Olympic silver 1996)
• Oct 4 Hans van Breukelen, Dutch soccer goaltender (PSV)

• Oct 7 Julio Pezua, Pervian-American jockey
• Oct 8 Jeff Lahti, American baseball player (St. Louis Cardinals), born in Oregon City, Oregon
• Oct 13 Anura Ranasinghe, Sri Lankan cricketer (Sri Lankan batsman in 3 Tests 1982), born in Kalatura, Sri Lanka

• Oct 16 Melissa Belote, American 100m/200m swimmer (Olympics 3 gold-1972), born in Washington, D.C.
• Oct 16 Johnny Chavis, American football coach

• Oct 19 Bruce Weber, American Basketball Coach, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Oct 19 Didier Theys, Belgian racing driver
• Oct 22 Frank DiPino, American baseball player
• Oct 23 Betsy Nagelsen, tennis star, born in St Petersburg, Florida
• Oct 23 Darrell Pace, archer (Olympic 2 gold/silver-1976, 84, 88), born in Cincinnati, Ohio

• Oct 29 Wilfredo Gómez, Puerto Rican boxer
• Oct 30 Leslie Webb, equestrian dressage (Olympics 1996)
• Nov 3 Bob Welch, American MLB pitcher (Oakland), born in Seal Beach, CA, (d. 2014)
• Nov 6 Graeme Wood, Australian cricketer (Australian lefty opening batsman 1978-88), born in East Fremantle, Australia
• Nov 16 Terry Labonte, American NASCAR driver
• Nov 18 Tony Franklin, NFL kicker (Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots)
• Nov 18 Warren Moon, NFL quarterback (Houston Oilers, Seahawks, Vikings)
• Nov 18 Noel Brotherston, Northern Irish footballer (d. 1995)
• Nov 20 Mark Gastineau, NFL end (NY Jets, Pro Bowl 1981-85)
• Nov 21 Mariana Simionescu, Romanian tennis player (1st wife of Björn Borg), born in Tirgu Neamt, Romania
• Nov 23 Bruce Edgar, cricketer (NZ opener through the 80')
• Nov 23 Shane Gould, Brisbane Queensland, swimmer (Olympic-3 gold-1972)
• Nov 25 Liana Vicens, Puerto Rico, 100m breaststroke (Olympics 1968)
• Nov 26 Dale Jarrett, American race car driver
• Nov 29 Eric Laakso, American football player
• Dec 4 Bernard King, American basketball player (NY Knicks, NJ Nets), born in Brooklyn, New York
• Dec 4 Blagoi Blagoyev, Bulgarian 82.5 kg weightlifer (Olympic silver 1976), born in Veliki Preslav, Bulgaria
• Dec 5 Klaus Allofs, German footballer (1. FC Köln), born in Düsseldorf, West Germany

• Dec 12 Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist (won Young Rider Classification of Tour de France 1980), born in Rijbergen, Netherlands
• Dec 13 Dale Berra, American baseball infeilder (Pittsburgh Pirates, NY Yankees), born in Ridgewood, New Jersey
• Dec 13 Phil Hubbard, American basketball player (Olympic gold 1976), born in Canton, Ohio
• Dec 14 Hanni Wenzel, German alpine ski racer (Olympic-2 gold-1980), born in Straubing, Bavaria, West Germany
• Dec 19 Tom Lawless, American baseball player
• Dec 21 Kevin Burnham, American 470 sailor (Olympic 8th 1992, 96), born in Hollis, New York City
• Dec 23 Michele Alboretto, Italian racing driver (Ferrari), born in Milan, Italy
• Dec 25 Mansoor Akhtar, cricketer (Pakistani batsman early 80's)

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