Events in Sport
NFL Pro Bowl
Jan 15 11th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 35-31; MVPs: Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts, QB; Sam Huff, NY Giants, LB
Johnny Unitas
NBA All-Star Game
Jan 17 11th NBA All-Star Game, Onondaga County Coliseum, Syracuse, NY: West beats East, 153-131; MVP: Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals, PG; at 22, youngest player to receive All-Star MVP honours, 23 points & 14 assists
Oscar Robertson
Event of Interest
Jan 25 Toronto left wing Frank Mahovlich scores twice, giving him 39 for the season, and making him highest single season goal scorer in Maple Leafs' history, as Toronto beats Montreal Canadiens, 5-3
Frank Mahovlich
- 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
Australian Men's Tennis Open
Jan 27 Australian Championships Men's Tennis: Roy Emerson beats fellow Australian Rod Laver 1-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 for his first Grand Slam title
Roy Emerson
Rod Laver
- 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
Event of Interest
Feb 12 Celtic Bill Russell grabs 40 rebounds to beat Warriors 136-125
Bill Russell
- 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
Event of Interest
Mar 9 Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Philadelphia Warriors scores 67 points vs NY Knicks
Wilt Chamberlain
- Mar 11 Then NHL record 40 penalties, Black Hawks & Maple Leafs (20 each)
Boxing Title Fight
Mar 13 Floyd Patterson KOs Ingemar Johansson in 6 for heavyweight boxing title
Floyd Patterson
- Mar 14 Former New York Yankees general manager George Weiss becomes first President of New York Mets after MLB expansion franchise formed
- Mar 21 Art Modell purchases Cleveland Browns for then record sum ($3,925,000)
- Mar 24 NY Senate approves $55M for a baseball stadium at Flushing Meadows
Event of Interest
Mar 25 23rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State, 70-65 (OT); Buckeyes' future Hall of Fame forward Jerry Lucas is MOP for 2nd straight year
Jerry Lucas
US Masters Golf
Apr 10 25th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: South African Gary Player beats defending champion Arnold Palmer and amateur Charles Coe by 1 stroke to become first international champion; Monday finish because of rain
Gary Player
Arnold Palmer
Event of Interest
Apr 10 Washington Senators play first game in franchise history with President John F. Kennedy in attendance; lose a 4-3 decision to the Chicago White Sox
John F. Kennedy
- Apr 11 15th NBA Championship: Bos Celtics beat St Louis Hawks, 4 games to 1
Event of Interest
Apr 12 Douglas MacArthur declines offer to become baseball commissioner
Douglas MacArthur
- 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
Baseball Record
Apr 26 Roger Maris hits 1st of 61 homers in 1961
Roger Maris
- 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
Golf Tournament
Apr 30 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Mickey Wright wins her 5th major title by 1 stroke from Patty Berg & Louise Suggs
Mickey Wright
Louise Suggs
Baseball Record
Apr 30 SF outfielder Willie Mays becomes just the 9th player in MLB history to hit 4 homers in one game in the Giants 14-4 win against the Braves in Milwaukee
Willie Mays
- May 3 Warren Spahn pitches a 2 hitter after pitching a no hitter
- 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
Event of Interest
May 14 Stirling Moss wins the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix
Stirling Moss
- 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)
Event of Interest
May 30 Indianapolis 500: A. J. Foyt wins in 3:35:37.540 (223.908 km/h)
A. J. Foyt
Event of Interest
Jun 4 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Belle Meade CC: Mary Lena Faulk wins by 6 strokes ahead of runner-up Betsy Rawls
Betsy Rawls
- Jun 8 Test Cricket debut of William Morris Lawry, v England at Edgbaston, 57
Baseball Record
Jun 8 Milwaukee sets record of 4 consecutive HRs (Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock & Frank Thomas)
Hank Aaron
- 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 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
Baseball Record
Jun 22 MLB Chicago Cubs' Ernie Banks ends 717 consecutive games played streak
Ernie Banks
- Jun 23 Cubs Ernie Banks ends his 717 consecutive-games-played streak
- Jun 23 Philadelphia Phillies overcome 9 run deficit; trailing 11-2 after 7 innings, score 4 in 8th and 6 in 9th to beat Pirates, 12-11 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh
- Jun 25 Baltimore and California use a record 16 pitchers in a game (8 each) in 14 inns
- Jun 29 SF outfielder Willie Mays becomes the 4th player in MLB history with 3 or more home runs twice in one season with a 10th inning blast in Giants 8-7 win over the Phillies in Philadelphia
- 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
Wimbledon Men's Tennis
Jul 7 75th Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Rod Laver of Australia beats American Chuck McKinley 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 for his 1st of 4 Wimbledon singles titles
Rod Laver
Chuck McKinley
British Golf Open
Jul 15 British Open Men's Golf, Royal Birkdale GC: Arnold Palmer wins the first of 2 consecutive Open Championships, a stroke ahead of Welshman Dai Rees
Arnold Palmer
- 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 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 Philadelphia Phillies lose, 4-3 to SF Giants at Connie Mack Stadium; 1st of MLB record 23 straight defeats
- 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
Event of Interest
Aug 1 Australian cricket captain Richie Benaud takes 6 for 70 in England's 2nd innings for a 54 run 4th Test win at Old Trafford
Richie Benaud
- 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 crash, 9-2 to Chicago Cubs for 17th straight defeat; 11th straight time opposing pitcher throws complete game against Phillies
- Aug 20 Philadelphia Phillies beat Milwaukee Braves, 7-4 at County Stadium; end losing streak with dubious MLB record of 23 straight loses
Baseball Record
Aug 30 Oriole Jack Fisher walks 12 LA Angels in a 9 inning game
Jack Fisher
Event of Interest
Sep 10 Mickey Mantle becomes 7th to hit HR # 400
Mickey Mantle
- 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
US Open Women's Tennis
Sep 10 75th US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Defending champion Darlene Hard beats England's Ann Jones 6-3, 6-4
Darlene Hard
- Sep 10 American Ferrari driver Phil Hill wins Italian Grand Prix at Monza to clinch F1 World Drivers Championship; first American F1 world champion
Golf Tournament
Sep 15 61st US Golf Amateur Championship won by Jack Nicklaus aged 21
Jack Nicklaus
Birthdays in Sport
Birthdays 1 - 100 of 289
- 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 cricket batsman (45 Tests @ 44.34; 7 x 100; 63 ODIs; son of Hanif Mohammad), 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, Canadian NHL goalie, 1983-98 (NY Islanders; LA Kings), and broadcaster, born Edmonton, Alberta
- Jan 13 Kent Hull, NFL center (Buffalo Bills)
- Jan 17 Maia Chiburdanidze, Soviet women's world chess champ, born in Kutaisi, USSR
Mark Messier
Jan 18 Mark Messier, Canadian NHL Center (Edmonton, NY Rangers), born in Edmonton, Alberta
Mark Messier
- 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 23 Fausto Gresini, Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer (125cc World C'ship 1985, 87) and team manager (Aprilia Racing, Gresini MotoGP), born in Imola, Italy (d. 2021)
- Jan 24 William Van Dijck, Belgian athlete, born in Leuven, Belgium
Wayne Gretzky
Jan 26 Wayne Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey hall of fame center (Stanley Cup 1984, 85, 87, 88; Hart Memorial Trophy [MVP] 1980–87, 89; Art Ross Trophy [scoring champion] 1981–87, 90, 91, 94; Edmonton Oilers, LA Kings), born in Brantford, Ontario
Wayne Gretzky
- 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 1 Jim Pace, American auto racer (24 Hours of Daytona 1996), born in Monticello, Mississippi (d. 2020)
- 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 utility (MLB All-Star 1991–1993; Philadelphia Phillies), born in Charleston, West Virginia
- 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 soccer forward (first openly gay pro footballer; first black footballer to command £1 million transfer fee), born in London, England (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
James Worthy
Feb 27 James Worthy, American NBA forward (LA Lakers, 1988 Playoff MVP), born in Gastonia, North Carolina
James Worthy
- 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, born in Stepney, London
- 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; Victoria), born in Coburg, Australia (d. 2020)
- 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 pentathlete (Olympic bronze 1988), born in Gloucester, England
Don Mattingly
Apr 20 Don Mattingly, American MLB 1st baseman (NY Yankees/MVP 1985), born in Evansville, Indiana
Don Mattingly
- 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
Isiah Thomas
Apr 30 Isiah Thomas, American NBA point guard (Detroit Pistons; 1990 NBA playoff MVP), born in Chicago, Illinois
Isiah Thomas
Weddings in Sport
Wedding of Interest
Jan 28 NFL coach Mike Ditka (21) weds Marge Dougherty
Mike Ditka
Wedding of Interest
Jun 26 NFL Middle Linebacker Ray Nitschke (24) weds Jackie Forchette
Ray Nitschke
Wedding of Interest
Sep 10 Baseball player Ted Williams marries model Lee Howard (divorced 1967)
Ted Williams
Wedding of Interest
Nov 25 Racing car driver Mario Andretti (21) weds high school sweetheart Dee Ann Hoch (19)
Mario Andretti
Deaths in Sport
Alfred Carlton Gilbert
Jan 24 Alfred Carlton Gilbert, American athlete, inventor, and businessman (invented the Erector Set), dies at 76
Alfred Carlton Gilbert
- 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 9 Oscar Egg, Swiss track and road bicycle racer (3 x world hour record), 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, English cricket spin bowler (15 Tests, 49 wickets; 10-76 Somerset v Worcestershire 1921), dies at 70
- 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
- Jun 18 Eddie Gaedel, American baseball pinch-hitter (shortest player in MLB history 3' 7"; St. Louis Browns), dies after mugging at 36
Ty Cobb
Jul 17 Ty Cobb, American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (AL MVP 1911; Triple Crown 1909; 12 × AL batting champion; Detroit Tigers) and manager (Detroit Tigers 1921-26), dies of cancer at 74
Ty Cobb
- 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