Events in Sport
- Feb 26 Paul Morphy's chess match vs Augustus Mongredien begins; Morphy wins
- Mar 2 21st Grand National: Chris Green aboard Half Caste IRE wins
- Apr 30 Paul Morphy returns from 10-month chess tour of Europe, retires
- May 31 Philadelphia A's organize to play "town ball" became baseball 20 years later
- Jul 1 1st intercollegiate baseball game, Amherst beats Williams 66-32 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Birthdays in Sport
- Jan 30 Tony Mullane, Irish-American baseball player, born in Cork, Ireland (d. 1944)
- Mar 13 Ivo Bligh, British noble (8th Earl of Darnley) and cricketer (Lord Darnley England capt v Australia 1882-83), born in Westminster, London (d. 1927)
- Mar 27 George Giffen, Australian cricketer (one of Australia's greatest all-rounders), born in Norwood, South Australia (d. 1927)
- Apr 7 Walter Camp, father of American football (Yale), born in New Britain, Connecticut (d. 1925)
- Jul 8 Hank O'Day, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher/umpire/manager (umpire 10 World Series), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1935)
- Aug 19 Charles Comiskey, 1st basemen/manager (Chicago White Sox)
- Oct 17 William "Buck" Ewing, hall of fame catcher (NY Giants, Cincinnati Reds)
- Oct 20 G B Studd, cricketer (brother of C T, 4 Tests for England)
- Dec 12 Edward R. Bradley, American businessman and horse owner (1st to own 4 Kentucky Derby winners), born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania (d. 1946)