Year 1961 in Sports History

• Jan 1 Briggs Stadium, home of baseball's Detroit Tigers is officially renamed Tigers Stadium
• Jan 2 47th Rose Bowl: #6 Washington beats #1 Minnesota, 17-7

• Jan 2 27th Sugar Bowl: #2 Mississippi beats Rice, 14-6
• Jan 2 27th Orange Bowl: #5 Missouri beats #4 Navy, 21-14
• Jan 7 1st NFL Playoff Bowl (runner-up bowl)-Detroit beats Cleveland 17-16
• Jan 14 Chic Bear Willard Dewveall becomes 1st NFLer to join AFL

• Jan 27 Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Margaret Court retains title; repeat of previous year's final beating Jan Lehane O'Neill 6-1, 6-4

• Jan 31 West Indian cricket batsman Rohan Kanhai scores back-to-back centuries in the drawn 4th Test against Australia in Adelaide; follows 1st innings 117 with 115 in 2nd knock
• Feb 1 Australian cricket tail-enders Ken Mackay (62no) and Lindsay Kline (15no) hang on for 100 minutes to earn a famous draw on the final day vs West Indies in 4th Test in Adelaide
• Feb 10 AFL's LA Chargers move to San Diego

• Feb 12 Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Mohammad scores his 1st test cricket century for Pakistan at 17 years of age


• Feb 15 Australia beat West Indies 2-1 in one of best Test Cricket series ever
• Feb 18 Henk van der Grift becomes world champion skater
• Feb 19 Henk van der Grift (Neth) becomes world champ all-round skater
• Feb 25 Niagara ends St Bonaventura's 99-game home basketball win streak
• Feb 26 3rd Daytona 500: Marvin Panch wins in a 1960 Pontiac owned by Smokey Yunick when race leader Fireball Roberts' car suffered a blown engine with 13 laps remaining
• Mar 4 8th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: Wake Forest beats Duke, 96-81

• Mar 11 Then NHL record 40 penalties, Black Hawks & Maple Leafs (20 each)

• Mar 14 George Weiss becomes President of NY Mets
• Mar 21 Art Modell purchases Cleveland Browns for then record ($3,925,000)
• Mar 24 NY Senate approves $55M for a baseball stadium at Flushing Meadows

• Mar 25 3rd place game is one of the wildest contests in NCAA Tournament history as St Joseph's defeats Utah, 127-120 in quadruple overtime
• Mar 25 115th Grand National: Bobby Beasley wins aboard Nicolaus Silver, 5 lengths ahead of defending champion Merryman II; first grey winner for 90 years

• Apr 11 15th NBA Championship: Bos Celtics beat St Louis Hawks, 4 games to 1

• Apr 15 France wins it’s 2nd outright Five Nations Rugby Championship with an 15-3 victory over Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin


• Apr 16 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Chicago Blackhawks beat Detroit Red Wings, 4-1 for a 4-2 series victory
• Apr 17 65th Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:23:39; his 2nd event title

• Apr 27 NFL officially recognizes Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio
• Apr 28 Warren Spahn pitches 2nd no hitter at 41 beats SF Giants, 1-0
• Apr 29 ABC's "Wide World of Sports" debuts

• May 6 87th Kentucky Derby: John Sellers aboard Carry Back wins in 2:04
• May 9 Baltimore Oriole Jim Gentile hits 2 grand slams (9 RBIs) vs Minnesota Twins
• May 12 Russian Mikhail Botvinnik wins world chess championship for 3rd time
• May 14 Stirling Moss wins the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix
• May 20 86th Preakness: Johnny Sellers aboard Carry Back wins in 1:57.6
• May 27 Fiorentina of Italy win 1st European Cup Winner's Cup against Glasgow Rangers 4-2 in Florence (2nd leg)
• May 27 Ralph Boston of US, sets then long jump record at 27' ½"
• May 27 60th Men's French Championships: Manuel Santana beats Nicola Pietrangeli (4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2)
• May 27 60th Women's French Championships: Ann Haydon beats Yola Ramirez (6-2, 6-1)

• May 31 European Cup Final, Wankdorf Stadium, Bern: Benfica beats Barcelona 3-2; first Portuguese team to reach final and win the tournament
• Jun 3 93rd Belmont: Braulio Baeza aboard Sherluck wins in 2:29.2

• Jun 8 Test Cricket debut of William Morris Lawry, v England at Edgbaston, 57

• Jun 9 Ryne Duren sets AL record with 7 straight strikeouts against Red Sox
• Jun 11 Roger Maris hits 19th & 20th of 61 HRs
• Jun 12 An ailing Bill Veeck sells his interest in White Sox to Arthur Allyn
• Jun 17 US Open Men's Golf, Oakland Hills CC: Gene Littler wins his sole major title, 1 stroke ahead of runners-up Bob Goalby and Doug Sanders
• Jun 19 NY Yankee Roger Maris hits his 25th of 61 HRs

• Jun 23 Phillies overcome 9-0, losing 11-2 they score 4 in 8th & 6 in 9th
• Jun 25 Baltimore and California use a record 16 pitchers in a game (8 each) in 14 inns
• Jun 29 Willie Mays is 4th major leaguer with 3 or more HRs twice in a season
• Jul 1 US Open Women's Golf, Baltusrol GC: Mickey Wright wins her 3rd Open by 6 strokes, despite a 2nd round 8-over par 80
• Jul 2 Amidst 5 NY Yankee homers v Washington, Roger Maris hits 29th and 30th en route to 61 for the season
• Jul 5 St Louis Cardinals first baseman Bill White smashes 3 HRs & a double in 9-1 rout of LA Dodgers

• Jul 8 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: In an all-British final Angela Mortimer wins her 3rd Grand Slam singles title; beats Christine Truman 4–6, 6–4, 7–5
• Jul 11 30th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 5-4 in 10 at Candlestick Park, San Francisco
• Jul 14 Astro's Eddie Matthews hits HR #500

• Jul 16 Ralph Boston of US, sets then long jump record at 27' 2"
• Jul 16 48th Tour de France: Jacques Anquetil of France scores his second Tour general classification category title
• Jul 17 Roger Maris loses a HR (of his 61) due to a rain-out in 5th
• Jul 24 Roger Maris hits 4 home runs, in a doubleheader
• Jul 25 Roger Maris hits home runs 37, 38, 39 & 40 in a doubleheader
• Jul 29 Phillies lose 1st of 23 straight games
• Jul 31 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Olympia Fields CC: Jerry Barber wins his only major title in a Monday 18-hole playoff with Don January (67-68)
• Jul 31 31st MLB All Star Game (2nd), Fenway Park, Boston: First tie in history; called due to rain after 9 innings with the score, 1–1

• Aug 2 St Louis Cardinals (NFL) beat Toronto Argonauts (CFL) 36-7 in an exhibition game in Toronto, Canada
• Aug 3 Pittsburgh Pirates rout the St. Louis Cardinals, 19-0, the largest lopsided shutout in NL history
• Aug 4 28th NFL Chicago College All-Star Game: Philadelphia 28, All-Stars 14, 66,000 at Soldier Field
• Aug 5 Chicago Bears (NFL) beat Montreal Alouettes (CFL), 34-16 in a pre-season exhibition at Molson Stadium in Montreal
• Aug 6 British auto racer Sterling Moss scores his 16th and final Formula 1 victory in the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring
• Aug 8 Ham Tigercats (CFL) beat Buff Bills (NFL) 38-21 in Hamilton, Ontario
• Aug 11 Warren Spahn records victory #300, beats Cubs 2-1
• Aug 14 Philadelphia Phillies lose 17th straight game
• Aug 20 Phillies set then dubious record of 23 straight loses, beat Braves

• Sep 10 Italian Grand Prix, a crash causes the death of German driver Wolfgang von Trips and 13 spectators hit by his Ferrari
• Sep 10 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: In an all-Australian final Roy Emerson beats Rod Laver 7-5, 6-3, 6-2; Emerson's second Grand Slam title

• Sep 10 American Ferrari driver Phil Hill wins Italian Grand Prix at Monza to clinch F1 World Drivers Championship; first American F1 world champion

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Birthdays 1 - 100 of 284

• Jan 2 Craig James, American NFL running back and sports commentator (Pro Bowl 1985; New England Patriots; ABC, ESPN), born in Jacksonville, Texas
• Jan 5 Curt Bader, American sprint kayaker (Olympics 1996), born in Bloomfield, Iowa
• Jan 6 Howie Long, American NFL tackle/actor/broadcaster (Broken Arrow), born in Somerville, Massachusetts
• Jan 8 Shoaib Mohammad, Pakistani cricketer (son of Hanif Patient & prolific batsman), born in Karachi, Pakistan
• Jan 8 Calvin Smith, American athlete, born in Bolton, Mississippi
• Jan 11 Paul Skansi, NFL wide receiver (Seattle Seahawk)
• Jan 12 Andrea Carnevale, Italian soccer player (Napoli), born in Monte San Biagio, Italy
• Jan 13 Kelly Hrudey, Edmonton, NHL goalie (LA Kings)
• Jan 13 Kent Hull, NFL center (Buffalo Bills)
• Jan 17 Maia Chiburdanidze, Soviet women's world chess champ, born in Kutaisi, USSR

• Jan 18 Peter Beardsley, English footballer, born in Hexham, United Kingdom
• Jan 23 Trey Junkin, American football tight end (Arizona Cardinals), born in Conway, Arkansas
• Jan 24 William Van Dijck, Belgian athlete, born in Leuven, Belgium

• Jan 27 Jean-Paul Banos, Lavelanet France, Canada sabre (Olympic 9/10-88, 92, 96)
• Jan 29 Mike Aldrete, American baseball infielder (Oakland Athletics, NY Yankees)
• Jan 30 Ranjit Madurasinghe, Sri Lankan cricketer (3 Tests for Sri Lanka 1988-92), born in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka
• Feb 1 Volker Fried, German field hockey player (Olympic gold 1992; silver 1984, 88; 290 caps), born in Osnabrück, Niedersachsen, Germany
• Feb 2 Joey Benjamin, cricket pace bowler (in St Kitts England in 1994)
• Feb 3 Jay Adams, American skateboarder
• Feb 4 Denis Savard, Canadian NHL centre (Chicago Blackhawks) named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players' in history, born in Pointe Gatineau, Canada
• Feb 5 Savvas Kofidis, Greek footballer & manager, born in Almaty, Kazakhstan
• Feb 6 Bill Lester, American racing driver, born in Washington, D.C.
• Feb 9 John Kruk, American baseball 1st baseman (Philadelphia Phillies)
• Feb 10 David Ward, British cricketer (prolific Surrey batsman), born in Croydon, United Kingdom
• Feb 10 Eva Pfaff, German tennis player (Australian Open doubles 1982 runner-up), born in Königstein im Taunus, Germany
• Feb 11 Mary Docter, American 3000m speed skater (Olympics 1980, 84, 88, 92), born in Madison, Wisconsin
• Feb 16 Brett Brown, American basketball head coach (Philadelphia 76ers 2013-19; Australian men's national team), born in South Portland, Maine
• Feb 17 Deb[ra] Richardson, beach volleyballer (Olympics 1996), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Feb 17 Guy McIntyre, NFL guard (Philadelphia Eagles)
• Feb 18 Alycia Moulton, American tennis player, born in Sacramento, California
• Feb 19 Justin Fashanu, English footballer (d. 1998)
• Feb 19 Andy Wallace, English race car driver
• Feb 20 Steve Lundquist, US swimmer (Olympics 2 gold-1984)
• Feb 21 Yobes Ondieki, Kenya, 10K runner (world record)
• Feb 21 Bertha Faye, American wrestler (d. 2001)
• Feb 22 Marla O'Hara, American WPVA volleyballer (Santa Cruz-3rd-1991), born in Gardena, California
• Feb 22 Mike Morris, American NFL center (Minnesota Vikings), born in Centerville, Iowa
• Feb 24 Ruud Really, soccer player (Feyenoord)
• Feb 25 Davey Allison, American auto racer (Daytona 500 1992), born in Hollywood, Florida (d. 1993)
• Feb 25 Todd Blackledge, American football player

• Feb 28 Barry McGuigan, Irish boxer, born in Clones, Ireland
• Feb 28 Eric Bachelart, Belgian racing driver
• Mar 1 Mike Rozier, American College Football Hall of Fame halfback (Heisman Trophy 1983, Nebraska; Pro Bowl 1987, 88, Houston Oilers), born in Camden, New Jersey
• Mar 3 Perry McCarthy, English racing driver
• Mar 4 David "Tinker" Juarez, American BMX and cross-country mountain bike racer, born in Los Angeles, California
• Mar 4 Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, American boxer (WBA lightweight champion), born in Youngstown, Ohio
• Mar 4 Sabine Everts, former German track athlete
• Mar 5 Zeke Mowatt, NFL tight end (NY Giants)
• Mar 8 Larry Murphy, Scarborough, NHL defenseman (Toronto Maple Leafs)
• Mar 9 Mike Leach, American college football coach (Washington State University), born in Susanville, California
• Mar 10 Jesse Sapolu, NFL guard (SF 49ers)
• Mar 10 Mitch Gaylord, American gymnast (Olympics 1984), actor (American Anthem), born in Van Nuys, California
• Mar 10 Bobby Petrino, American football coach
• Mar 10 Pam Oliver, American sportscaster
• Mar 13 Cor Lems, Dutch soccer player (ADO The Hague/Dordrecht '90), born in Rotterdam, Netherlansds
• Mar 14 Greg Anderson, American NHRA driver
• Mar 15 Craig Ludwig, Rhinelander, NHL defenseman (Dallas Stars)
• Mar 15 Terry Cummings, NBA forward (Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers)
• Mar 16 Mel Gray, NFL wide receiver/kick returner (Houston/Tennessee Oilers)
• Mar 18 Todd Nelson, Dalles Ore, tennis star
• Mar 18 Kevan James, English cricket all-rounder (4 wickets/4 balls + 103 Hampshire v India 1996), born in Lambeth, England
• Mar 19 Jos Lansink, Dutch-Belgian equestrian
• Mar 20 Kathy Baker-Guadagnino, American golfer (US Open 1985), born in Albany, New York
• Mar 20 Jesper Olsen, Danish footballer
• Mar 21 Wei Wang, US table tennis player (Olympics 1996), born in Beijing, China
• Mar 21 Lothar Matthäus, German footballer
• Mar 24 Dean Jones, Australian cricket batsman and broadcaster (52 Tests @ 46.55; 164 ODIs), born in Coburg, Victoria, Australia
• Mar 24 Jim Gallagher Jr, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1992 runner-up), born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
• Mar 25 Mark Brooks, American golfer (PGA Championship 1996), born in Fort Worth, Texas
• Mar 27 Ellery Hanley, British rugby league player, born in Leeds
• Mar 27 Tony Rominger, Swiss road racing cyclist, born in Vejle, Denmark
• Mar 28 Byron Scott, American NBA guard (Vancouver Grizzlies), born in Ogden, Utah
• Mar 29 Mike Kingery, American baseball outfielder (Pittsburgh Pirates), born in St. James, Minnesota
• Mar 29 Gary Brabham, Australian auto racer, (British Formula 3000 C'ship 1989), born in London, England
• Mar 30 Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1999)
• Mar 31 Ron Brown, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m 1984), born in Los Angeles, California
• Apr 1 Jim Jeffcoat, American NFL defensive end (Super Bowl 1992, 93 Dallas Cowboys) and coach (Dallas Cowboys DL 1998-2004), born in Long Branch, New Jersey
• Apr 1 Sergio Scariolo, Italian basketball coach (NBA: assistant Toronto Raptors; head coach Spain; World Cup gold 2019), born in Brescia, Italy
• Apr 7 Pascal Olmeta, French footballer
• Apr 9 Kirk McCaskill, Canadian MLB pitcher (Chicago White Sox), born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada
• Apr 12 Julius Kariuki, Kenyan 3K steeplechaser (Olympic gold 1988), born in Nyahururu, Kenya
• Apr 15 Tiina Lillak, Finnish javelin thrower (Olympic silver 1984), born in Helsinki, Finland
• Apr 17 Boomer Esiason, American NFL quarterback (NY Jets, Cincinnati Bengals), born in East Islip, New York
• Apr 17 Norman Cowans, Jamaican cricketer (England fast bowler in 19 Tests 1982-85), born in St. Mary, Jamaica
• Apr 19 Richard Phelps, British pentathelete (Olympic bronze 1988), born in Gloucester, England
• Apr 20 Don Mattingly, American MLB 1st baseman (NY Yankees/MVP 1985), born in Evansville, Indiana
• Apr 22 Jeff Hostetler, NFL quarterback (NY Giants, Raiders, Redskins/1990 Superbowl)
• Apr 22 Jimmy Key, Huntsville Alabama, pitcher (Blue Jays, NY Yanks, Orioles)
• Apr 24 Roger Mayweather, American boxer, (WBA & lineal super featherweight titles 1983-84, WBC light welterweight 1987-89; IBO light welterweight; IBO welterweight 1994-95), born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (d. 2020)
• Apr 26 Al Lawrence, Jamaican 4X100m relayer (Olympic silver 1984), born in Jamaica
• Apr 26 Nancy Scranton, American golfer (du Maurier Classic 1991), born in Centralia, Illinois
• Apr 28 Cathy Gerring, American golfer (Solheim Cup 1990), born in Fort Wayne, Indiana

• May 1 Charlie O'Brien, American MLB catcher (pioneered hockey style catcher's mask; World Series 1995 Atlanta Braves), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma
• May 1 Steven Cauthen, American Hall of Fame jockey (Triple Crown 1978-Affirmed, Epsom Derby 1985, 87; Ascot Gold Cup 1984, 87), born in Covington, Kentucky
• May 2 Peter Doohan, Australian professional tennis player, born in Newcastle, NSW (d. 2017)
• May 3 Steve McClaren, English football manager, born in Fulford, York, England

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• Jan 2 Bob Catterall, South African cricketer (1555 runs/24 Tests for South Africa 1922-31), dies at 60
• Jan 8 Lynwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe, American baseball pitcher (Detroit Tigers), dies at 50

• Jan 26 Morris Nichols, cricketer (41 wkts in 14 Tests for Eng 1930-39), dies
• Feb 9 Grigory Levenfish, Russian International chess grandmaster, dies at 70
• Feb 15 Maribel Vinson, American figure skater (9 time US National Champion), dies at 49
• Feb 23 Wilf Ferguson, West Indian cricket leg spinner (34 wickets for West Indies), dies at 43
• Feb 27 Platt Adams, American high jumper (Olympic gold 1912), dies at 75
• Mar 14 Akiba Rubinstein, Polish chess player (openings theorist), dies at 78
• Mar 23 A C Russell, cricketer (10 Tests for England 910 runs), dies
• May 2 J C White, cricketer (49 wickets in 15 Tests for England 1921-31), dies
• Jun 13 Ben A. Jones, American horse trainer (US Champion trainer by earnings 1941, 43, 44, 52; Kentucky Derby x 6 including Citation, Whirlaway), dies at 78
• Jun 15 Giulio Cabianca, Italian racing driver (b. 1923)
• Jun 16 O C Scott, cricketer (WI leg-spinner in 8 Tests), dies

• Jul 31 Jesse Harper, American College Football Hall of Fame coach (Notre Dame 57–17–7), dies at 77
• Aug 15 Willie Macfarlane, Scottish golfer (US Open 1925), dies at 72
• Aug 23 Beals Wright, American tennis player (US Nat C'ship 1905; doubles 1904-06), dies at 81
• Aug 28 Thomas Connolly, 1st baseball umpire elected to hall of fame, dies
• Sep 5 Ernest Bock, cricketer (Test for South Africa, 1935), dies
• Sep 10 Wolfgang von Trips, German racing driver, dies at 33
• Sep 16 A P F Chapman, cricketer (26 Tests for England), dies
• Oct 2 Reggie Spooner, English cricket batsman (10 Tests; dual cricket/rugby union international), dies at 80
• Oct 26 Edgar Mayne, Australian cricketer (4 Tests for Australia around WWI), dies at 79
• Nov 18 Clarence "Bud" Pinkston, American diver (Olympic gold 10m platform, silver 3m springboard 1920), dies at 61
• Nov 25 Hubert Van Innis, Belgian archer (b. 1866)
• Dec 3 Pat O'Hara Wood, Australian tennis player (Australasian C'ship 1920, 23), dies at 70
• Dec 15 William "Dummy" Hoy, professional baseball player, dies at 99
• Dec 26 Charlie Frank, cricketer (S Af Test centurion v Aust 1921-22), dies

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