Events in Sport
Events 1 - 100 of 115
- Jan 1 37th Rose Bowl: #9 Michigan beats #5 California, 14-6
- Jan 1 17th Sugar Bowl: #7 Kentucky beats #1 Oklahoma, 13-7
- Jan 1 17th Orange Bowl: #10 Clemson beats #15 Miami (FL), 15-14
- Jan 3 Fred Wilt wins AAU Sullivan Memorial Trophy (US athlete of 1950)
- Jan 6 Indianapolis beats Rochester 75-73 in NBA-record 6 overtimes
- Jan 9 Washington Capitals NBA club folds
Boxing Title Fight
Jan 12 Ezzard Charles TKOs Lee Oma in 10 for heavyweight boxing title
Ezzard Charles
- Jan 14 NFL Pro Bowl: 1st since 1942, Americans beat Nationals 28-27
- Jan 18 NFL rules tackles, guards & centers ineligible for forward pass
- Jan 18 NFL takes control of failing Baltimore Colts
- Jan 18 1951 NFL Draft: Kyle Rote from SMU first pick by New York Giants
- Jan 26 Mel Ott & Jimmie Foxx elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
- Jan 31 39th Women's Australian Championships: Nancye Wynne Bolton beats Thelma Coyne Long (6-1, 7-5)
- Jan 31 39th Men's Australian Championships: Dick Savitt beats Ken McGregor (6-3, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1)
- Feb 3 Largest purse to date in horse racing, $144,323, won by Great Circle
- Feb 9 St Louis Browns sign pitcher Satchel Paige, 45
Event of Interest
Feb 14 Sugar Ray Robinson defeats Jake LaMotta & takes middleweight title
Sugar Ray Robinson
- Feb 18 3 City College of NY basketball players admit to accepting bribes
- Feb 25 Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins Orlando Florida 2 Ball Golf Tournament
- Mar 2 1st NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 111-94 at Boston
- Mar 3 Bill Mikvy (Temple) scores NCAA basketball record 73 pts
- Mar 7 Ezzard Charles beats Jersey Joe Walcott in 15 for 2nd time to win National Boxing Association world heavyweight title
- Mar 17 Test Cricket debut of Brian Statham, England v NZ at Christchurch
- Mar 18 Pat O'Sullivan wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship
- Mar 27 13th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Kentucky beats Kansas 68-58
- Apr 7 105th Grand National: John Bullock aboard Nickel Coin wins
Event of Interest
Apr 17 NY Yankee Mickey Mantle's 1st game, he goes 1 for 4
Mickey Mantle
- Apr 19 55th Boston Marathon won by Shigeki Tanaka of Japan in 2:27:45
- Apr 21 5th NBA Championship: Rochester Royals beat NY Knicks, 4 games to 3
- Apr 21 Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens, 4 games to 1
- May 1 Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Mickey Mantle hits his first career home run, on Mothers' Day
- May 1 Cuban MLB outfielder Minnie Minoso, the first black player in Chicago White Sox franchise history - homers on debut
- May 3 Gil McDougald ties major league record with 6 RBIs in 1 inning
- May 3 NY Yankee Gil McDougald is 5th to get 6 RBIs in an inning (9th)
- May 5 77th Kentucky Derby: Conn McCreary aboard Count Turf wins in 2:02.6
- May 6 Pitts Pirate Cliff Chambers no-hits Boston Brave, 3-0
- May 7 International Olympic committee allows Russia to participate in 1952 Olympics
- May 19 76th Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Bold wins in 1:56.4
Event of Interest
May 25 NY Giant Willie Mays 1st major league game (goes 0 for 5)
Willie Mays
- May 28 After going 0-for-12, Willie Mays connects for his 1st major league home run
- May 30 Ezzard Charles beats Joey Maxim in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
- May 30 Indianapolis 500: Lee Wallard wins in 3:57:38.103 (203.170 km/h)
- Jun 3 50th Men's French Championships: Jaroslav Drobny beats Eric Sturgess (6-3, 6-3, 6-3)
- Jun 3 50th Women's French Championships: Shirley Fry beats Doris Hart (6-3, 3-6, 6-3)
- Jun 4 Pirate's' Gus Bell hits for cycle helps beat Phillies 12-4
- Jun 16 51st US Golf Open: Ben Hogan shoots a 287 at Oakland Hills CC, Michigan
- Jun 16 83rd Belmont: David Gorman aboard Counterpoint wins in 2:29
- Jun 20 Cleveland Indian Bobby Avila hits 3 HRs, double & single vs Red Sox
- Jun 21 Patty Berg wins LPGA Women's Western Golf Open
- Jul 1 Cleveland Indians veteran hurler Bob Feller pitches his 3rd career no-hitter beating Detroit Tigers, 2-1
- Jul 2 Bill Veeck buys St Louis Browns from Bill & Charlie DeWitt; after 1953 season sells franchise to Clarence Miles, team moves to Baltimore (Orioles)
- Jul 2 Worcestershire cricket wicketkeeper Hugo Yarnold makes a record 6 stumpings in an innings in a 1st-class match vs Scotland at Dundee
- Jul 6 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: American Dick Savitt wins his only Wimbledon title beating Ken McGregor of Australia 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
- Jul 6 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Doris Hart outclasses fellow American Shirley Fry 6-1, 6-0 for her only Wimbledon singles title
- Jul 6 British Open Golf, Royal Portrush GC: Englishman Max Faulkner wins by 2 from Antonio Cerdá of Argentina
- Jul 10 18th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 8-3 at Briggs Stadium, Detroit
- Jul 12 NY Yankees Allie Reynolds no-hits Cleveland Indians, 8-0
- Jul 14 1st color telecast of a sporting event (CBS-horse race)
Historic Publication
Jul 16 Novel "Catcher in Rye" by J. D. Salinger published by Little Brown and Company
J. D. Salinger
Event of Interest
Jul 18 Jersey Joe Walcott at 37 becomes oldest to win heavyweight champion
Jersey Joe
- Jul 29 38th Tour de France won by Hugo Koblet of Switzerland
- Aug 11 1st televised baseball game in color, on WCBS in New York City (Boston Braves beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 8-1)
- Aug 11 NY Giants (NFL) beat Ottawa Roughriders (CFL) 38-6 in Ottawa
- Aug 11 NY Giants lose to go 13½ games behind Bkln Dodgers, later win the pennant
- Aug 12 Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA World Golf Championship
- Aug 17 18th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Cleveland 33, All-Stars 0 (92,180)
- Aug 18 Cricket 1st-class debut of Raymond Illingworth
- Aug 19 Bill Veeck (Cleveland Indians) sends Eddie Gaedel, a 3'7" little person, to pinch-hit
- Aug 22 Harlem Globetrotters play in Olympic Stadium, Berlin before 75,052
- Aug 25 Cleveland Indians win 16th straight home game
- Aug 28 Braves sell pitcher Johnny Sain to the Yankees for $50,000
- Aug 28 Pirates snap NY Giants 16 game win streak
Tennis Open
Sep 5 US National Men's Tennis Championship: Australian Frank Sedgman beats Vic Seixas of the United States 6-4, 6-1, 6-1
Vic Seixas
Golf Major
Sep 16 6th US Women's Open Golf Championship won by Betsy Rawls
Betsy Rawls
- Sep 16 US National League umpire Frank Dascoli clears the Dodgers bench, ejecting 15 players
- Sep 28 Norm Van Brocklin of Rams passes for NFL record 554 yards
- Oct 1 1st Giant-Dodgers playoff game, Giants win 3-1
- Oct 2 Dodgers beat Giants 10-0, in 2nd game of play-offs
- Oct 3 Bobby Thomson HR-Giants win pennant defeating Dodgers
- Oct 4 In opening World Series game, Giant Monte Irvin steals home in 1st inn
- Oct 8 Ford C Frick replaces Happy Chandler as 3rd commissioner of baseball Warren C Giles becomes president of baseball's National League
- Oct 9 5th NHL All-Star Game: 1st Team ties 2nd Team 2-2 at Toronto
- Oct 9 Gil McDougald's World Series grand slam helps Yanks beat Giants 13-1
- Oct 10 Yanks beat Giants 4 games to 2 in World Series, DiMaggio's final game
- Oct 14 Det Lion Jack Christiansen returns 2 punts for touchdowns vs LA Rams
Event of Interest
Oct 26 Rocky Marciano defeats Joe Louis at Madison Square Garden
Rocky Marciano
Joe Louis
- Oct 28 2nd Formula One WDC: Juan Manuel Fangio wins by six points
Event of Interest
Nov 1 Brooklyn Dodger catcher Roy Campanella wins the 1st of his 3 NL MVPs
Roy Campanella
Event of Interest
Nov 8 NY Yankee Catcher Yogi Berra wins 1st of his 3 MVP awards
Yogi Berra
Birthdays in Sport
Birthdays 1 - 100 of 165
- Jan 1 Hans-Joachim Stuck, German race car driver
- Jan 4 Barbara Ann Cochran, Claremont NH, slalom skier (Olympic gold 1972)
- Jan 5 Steve Arnold, English footballer
- Jan 6 Don Gullett, American baseball player
- Jan 11 Willie Maddren, English former footballer (d. 2000)
- Jan 12 Bill Madlock, 4X NL batting champ (Chicago Cubs)
- Jan 12 Drew Pearson, former NFL all-pro receiver
- Jan 14 Gil Pak Jong, Korea PR, judo (Olympic-1976)
- Jan 17 Rolando Thoeni, Italian slalom (Olympic bronze 1972)
- Jan 18 Bob Latchford, English footballer
- Jan 22 Ondrej Nepela, Slovak figure skater (d. 1989)
- Jan 23 Margaret Johnson Bailes, 4X100 runner (Olympic gold 1968), born in The Bronx, New York
- Jan 23 Michael Matz, equestrian show jumper (Olympic silver 1996)
- Jan 25 Steve Prefontaine, American runner (5K 1972 Olympic 4th), born in Coos Bay, Oregon (d. 1975)
- Jan 26 Jarmila Kratochvilova, Czech, 400m/800m runner (Olympic silver 1980)
- Jan 29 Andy Roberts, cricketer (brilliant WI quickie with 202 wickets 74-84)
- Jan 30 Bobby Stokes, footballer
- Jan 30 Trevor Laughlin, cricketer (Australian all-rounder 1978-79)
- Jan 31 Juan de Dios Castillo, Mexican soccer coach (coach Honduras 2011 Copa Centroamericana), born in Mexico City, Mexico (d. 2014)
- Feb 3 Felipe Munoz, Mexican 200m backstroke swimmer (Olympic gold 1968)
- Feb 3 Eugenijus Riabovas, Lithuanian football manager
- Feb 4 Stan Papi, American baseball player
- Feb 6 Marco Antônio, Brazilian footballer
- Feb 7 Benny Ayala, baseball player
- Feb 7 Manfred Schumann, German FR, bobsled (Olympic-silver/bronze-1976)
- Feb 8 Camille LaPierre, NHLer
- Feb 14 Kevin Keegan, British soccer player/manager (Newcastle United)
- Feb 14 JoJo Starbuck, American ice skater, born in Birmingham, Alabama
- Feb 20 Bonnie Lauer, LPGA golfer
- Feb 20 Phil Neal, English soccer player
- Feb 21 John Parker, New Zealand cricketer (NZ batsman of 70s), born in Dannevirke, New Zealand
- Feb 22 Elaine Tanner, Canadian swimmer (1966 Commonwealth Games, 1968 Olympics), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Feb 23 Ed "Too Tall" Jones, NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys)
- Feb 24 Derek Randall, cricketer (England batsman & animated cover fieldsman)
- Feb 25 Don Quarrie, Jamaican runner
- Feb 25 James Brown, American sportscaster (CBS News, The NFL Today), born in Washington, D.C.
- Feb 25 César Cedeño, Dominican baseball player
- Feb 28 Gustavo Thoeni, Italian giant slalom (Olympic gold 1972)
- Feb 28 Karsan Ghavri, cricketer (Indian lefty medium pacer early 80s)
- Mar 4 Kenny Dalglish, Scottish football player (100+ goals) and manager
- Mar 5 Rodney Hogg, cricketer (prolific Australian wicket-taker 1978-84)
- Mar 6 Gerrie Knetemann, Dutch cyclist (d. 2004)
- Mar 8 Philippe Henri Edmonds, cricketer (in Zambia England slow left-arm)
- Mar 20 Madan Lal, cricketer (Indian medium pacer in the 70's)
- Mar 23 Dick Mast, American professional golfer, born in Bluffton, Ohio
- Mar 24 Earl Williams, American-Israeli NBA player, born in Levittown, Pennsylvania
Pat Bradley
Mar 24 Pat Bradley, American golfer (6 LPGA major titles), born in Westford, Massachusetts
Pat Bradley
- Mar 27 Bobby Lalonde, NHLer (Boston Bruins), born in Montreal
- Mar 29 Geoff Howarth, New Zealand cricketer (NZ captain early 80's), born in Auckland
- Mar 30 John Gosden, racehorse trainer
- Apr 2 Ayako Okamoto, LPGA golfer (1990 Sara Lee), born in Hiroshima, Japan
- Apr 6 Bert Blyleven, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (2-time WS champion Twins 1979, 87), born in Zeist, Netherlands
- Apr 13 Beatrix "Trixie" Schuba, Austrian figure skater considered to be one of the best compulsory figure skaters ever (Olympic gold 1972), born in Vienna, Austria
- Apr 13 Joachim Streich, East German footballer
- Apr 18 Ricardo Fortaleza, Australian-Filipino boxer
- Apr 29 Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver (d. 2001)
- Apr 30 Danuta Rosani, Polish discus thrower (Olympic 1976) disqualified for drugs
- May 1 Gordon Greenidge, West Indies cricket opening batsman (19 Test centuries 1974-91), born in St. Peter, Barbados
- May 11 Mike Sleman, rugby player
- May 12 Gunnar Larrson, Swedish 200m/400m swimmer (Olympic gold 1972)
- May 18 Angela Voigt, German DR, long jumper (Olympic gold 1976)
- May 18 Rodger Davis, Australian golfer, born in Sydney, New South Wales
- May 18 Jim Sundberg, American baseball player
- May 23 Anatoly Karpov, Russian chess player (world champion 1975-85, 93-99), born in Zlatoust, Russia
- May 27 John Conteh, British boxer, WBC Light Heavyweight crown (1974-77), born in Liverpool
- Jun 2 Larry Clark Robinson, NHL defenseman (Montreal Canadiens, Norris-77, 80)
- Jun 3 David Ogilvie, cricketer (5 Tests for Australia 1977-78)
- Jun 6 Noritake Takahara, Japanese racing driver
- Jun 9 Dave Parker, baseball player (Pittsburgh Pirates, NL MVP 1978)
- Jun 10 Burglinde Pollak, German DR, pentathlete (Olympic bronze 1972)
- Jun 10 Dan Fouts, NFL quarterback (San Diego Chargers)
- Jun 10 Vicky Latta, equestrian 3 day event (Olympics 1996), born in Auckland, New Zealand
- Jun 11 Collis King, West Indian cricketer (WI all-rounder late 70s), born in Christ Church, Barbados
- Jun 11 Maren Seidler, American shot putter (Olympic 11th 1968), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Jun 11 Mithra Wettimuny, Sri Lankan cricketer (brother of Sidath 2 Tests for SL v NZ 1983), born in Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Jun 12 Dean Unruh, WLAF offensive line coach (Rhein Fire), born in Riverton, Wyoming
Mike Weaver
Jun 13 Mike Weaver, American WBA World Heavyweight Champion, born in Gatesville, Texas
Mike Weaver
- Jun 15 Tom Forzani, CFL wide receiver (Calgary Stampeders)
- Jun 16 Roberto Durán, Panamanian boxer
- Jun 19 Francesco Moser, Italian cyclist
- Jun 23 Michèle Mouton, French race car driver
- Jun 24 Ivar Formo, Norwegian 50K cross country skier (Olympic gold 1976)
- Jun 24 Raelene Boyle, Australia, sprinter (Olympic silver 1972)
- Jun 26 Gary Gilmour, Australian cricket all-rounder (1973-77), born in Waratah, New South Wales
- Jun 27 Ulf Andersson, Swedish International Chess Grandmaster (1972), born in Västerås, Sweden
Richard Hadlee
Jul 3 Sir Richard Hadlee, New Zealand cricket all-rounder (86 Tests, 3,124 runs, 431 wickets), born in Christchurch, New Zealand
Richard Hadlee
- Jul 5 Rich "Goose" Gossage, American Baseball Hall of Fame relief pitcher (9-time All Star), born in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Jul 11 Sridharan Jeganathan, cricketer (two Tests for Sri Lanka v NZ 1983)
- Jul 14 Judi Brown, E Lansing Mich, 400m hurdler (Olympic silver 1984)
- Jul 15 Jesse Ventura [James Janos], American professional wrestler, actor and politician (Governor of Minnesota 1999-2003), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Jul 18 Bruce Lietzke, American golfer (13 PGA Tour wins), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2018)
- Jul 19 Jayson Stark, American sportswriter (The Athletic), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jul 20 Larry Black, 4x100 runner (Olympic gold 1972), born in Miami, Florida
- Jul 21 Doug Collins, American basketball player (Olympic silver 1972)
- Jul 21 Slick Watts, NBA (Seattle SuperSonic)
- Jul 26 Robert Edwin Wadkins, PGA golfer (1994 Kemper Open-2nd), born in Richmond, Virginia
- Jul 29 Dan Driessen, American baseball player
- Jul 31 Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Australian tennis player (7 Grand Slam singles titles), born in Barellan, NSW
Marcel Dionne
Aug 3 Marcel Dionne, Canadian NHL center (LA Kings, NY Rangers), born in Drummondville, Quebec
Marcel Dionne
Weddings in Sport
Wedding of Interest
Dec 23 MLB centerfielder Mickey Mantle (20) weds author Merlyn Mantle (19) in Commerce, Oklahoma
Mickey Mantle
Deaths in Sport
Eddie Collins
Mar 25 Eddie Collins, Hall of Fame baseball infielder (White Sox, A's) and manager, dies of heart problems at 63
Eddie Collins
- Apr 27 Philip Albert Myburgh Hands, cricketer (7 Tests for South Africa), dies
Leo Diegel
May 5 Leo Diegel, American golfer, dies of throat and lung cancer at 52
Leo Diegel
- Jun 6 Lionel Hallam, British cricketer (England capt 1921), dies at 61
- Jun 11 Montagu Odd, cricket bat-maker (W. G. Grace), dies
- Jul 9 Harry Heilmann, American baseball hall of famer outfielder (Detroit), dies at 56
- Jul 14 Sammy Jones, Australian cricketer (last survivor of the 1882 Oval Test), dies at 89
- Aug 3 Neville Tufnell, cricket wicket keeper (Test for England 1910), dies
- Aug 22 J. P. Bickell, Canadian businessman and sports team owner (b. 1884)
- Sep 3 Arnold Warren, cricketer (only Test for England), dies
- Sep 29 Thomas Cahill, American soccer coach (b. 1864)
- Oct 13 W G (Billy) Quaife, cricketer (7 Tests for England, 228 runs), dies
- Dec 5 "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, American professional baseball player (Black Sox Scandal), dies of a heart attack at 64