Events in Sport
- Jan 5 1st steamboat the North Star sails up the northern Red River, America
- Feb 26 Paul Morphy's chess match vs Augustus Mongredien begins; Morphy wins
- Mar 2 21st Grand National: Chris Green aboard 7/1 Half Caste wins by only a short neck from Jean Du Quesne
- 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
- Jul 22 Underarm slow right arm bowler V E Walker takes 10-74 in 1st innings for an All-England Cricket XI v Surrey CCC at The Oval in London
Sports Stars Born in 1859
- Jan 30 Tony Mullane, Irish-American baseball player, born in Cork, Ireland (d. 1944)
- Feb 22 Joey Palmer, Australian cricket medium pace/spin bowler (17 Tests, 78 wickets, BB 7/65; Victoria CA), born in Corowa, Australia (d. 1910)
- Mar 13 Ivo Bligh, British noble (8th Earl of Darnley) and cricket batsman (4 Tests; first England captain v Australia 1882-83), born in London, England (d. 1927)
- Mar 19 Edward J. McKeever, American baseball executive (co-owner Brooklyn Dodgers), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1925)
- Mar 27 George Giffen, Australian cricket all-rounder (31 Tests, 1 x 100, 6 x 50, HS 161, 103 wickets, BB 7/117; SA CA), born in Adelaide, Australia (d. 1927)
More Birthdays in Sport
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions