Events in Sport
Event of Interest
Dec 1 In first cricket Test match between the 2 nations, India is dismissed for 58 by Australia in Brisbane; fast bowler Ernie Toshack takes 5 for 2 off 2.3 overs; Don Bradman scores 185 as Australia wins by an innings & 226 runs
Donald Bradman
- Dec 2 13th Heisman Trophy Award: Johnny Lujack, Notre Dame (QB)
- Dec 4 In the first cricket Test match between the 2 nations, India is dismissed for 98 by Australia in Brisbane to lose by an innings & 226 runs; fast bowler Ernie Toshack takes 6 for 29 for match figures of 11 for 31
Boxing Title Fight
Dec 5 Joe Louis beats Jersey Joe Walcott in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
Joe Louis
Jersey Joe
- Dec 11 Pacific Coast League application for major league status rejected
- Dec 14 Cleveland Browns beat NY Yankees 14-3 in AAFC championship game
- Dec 14 The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is founded in Daytona Beach, Florida
- Dec 19 1948 NFL Draft: Harry Gilmer from University of Alabama first pick by Washington Redskins
- Dec 28 Chic Cards beat Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 in NFL championship game
- Dec 28 National Football League Championship, Comiskey Park, Chicago: Chicago Cardinals beat Philadelphia Eagles, 28-21; Cardinals' only title victory
Birthdays in Sport
- Dec 1 Bob Fulton, Australian rugby league five eighth, coach and broadcaster (35 Tests; coach Australia 39 Tests; RL Immortal), born in Warrington, England
- Dec 1 Andy Ripley OBE, English rugby union #8 (24 caps; British Lions 1974), born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England (d. 2010)
- Dec 2 Dhiraj Parsana, Indian cricket all-rounder (2 Tests), born in Rajkot, Gujarat, India
- Dec 2 Andy Rouse, British auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1981; British Saloon Car C'ship 1975, 83-85; Britcar 1985), born in Dymock, Gloucestershire, England
- Dec 5 Jim Plunkett, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 1970, Stanford; Super Bowl 1980, 84 LA/Oakland Raiders), born in San Jose, California
Johnny Bench
Dec 7 Johnny Bench, American MLB catcher (Reds), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Johnny Bench
- Dec 9 Steve Owens, American College Football Hall of Fame running back (Heisman Trophy 1969, U of Oklahoma; Pro Bowl, All Pro 1971, Detroit Lions), born in Gore, Oklahoma
- Dec 10 Zinaida Voronina, Russian and Soviet gymnast (1968 Olympics: 4 medals including 1 gold), born in Yoshkar-Ola, Russia (d. 2001)
- Dec 13 Les Joslin, Australian cricketer (Test as batsman for Australia 1968, made 7 & 2), born in Yarraville, Victoria
- Dec 16 Vincent Matthews, American 400m dash (Olympic gold 1972)
- Dec 22 Dilip Doshi, Indian cricketer (India's main slow lefty post-Bedi), born in Rajkot, India
- Dec 23 Bill Rodgers, American marathon runner (Boston, NY), born in Hartford, Connecticut
- Dec 25 Connie Petracek, Chambersburg PA, pistol shooter (Olympics 92, 96)
- Dec 26 Carlton Fisk, Vermont, all star catcher (Red Sox, White Sox)
- Dec 27 Willy Polleunis, Belgian athlete
- Dec 28 Aurelio Rodriguez, baseball player