- Feb 2 Baseball's National League forms at the Grand Central Hotel, NYC with teams in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Hartford, Louisville, New York, Philadelphia and St Louis
- Feb 3 Albert Spalding invests $800 to start sporting goods company, manufacturing first official baseball, tennis ball, basketball, golf ball and football
- Mar 11 English FA Cup Final, Kennington Oval, London: Wanderers and Old Etonians draw, 1-1; Wanderers win replay, 3-0 for 3rd title
- Mar 16 Nelly Saunders & Rose Harland fight 1st female boxing match (NY)
- Mar 17 British high jump champion Marshall Jones Brooks clears 1.83m at Oxford, England for unofficial world record; thought to be first leap over 6'
- Mar 18 English FA Cup Final Replay, Kennington Oval, London: Wanderers beat Old Etonians, 3-0 after initial 1-1 draw; Wanderers 3rd title
- Mar 24 38th Grand National: Joe Cannon aboard 25/1 chance Regal wins by a neck from Congress
- Mar 25 Glasgow 1st soccer match Scotland defeat Wales (4-0)
- Apr 22 1st official National League baseball game is played; Boston Red Caps beat Philadelphia Athletics, 6-5 at the Jefferson Street Grounds, Philadelphia
- Apr 22 Philadelphia native Tim McGinley of the Boston Red Caps scores baseball National League's 1st run, in Philadelphia
- Apr 25 Chicago Cubs 1st NL game, beats Louisville 4-0 (1st NL shutout)
- May 2 Ross Barnes hit 1st home run in National League
- May 15 2nd Kentucky Derby: Bobby Swim aboard Vagrant wins in 2:38.25
- May 25 4th Preakness: G. Barbee aboard Shirley wins in 2:44.75
- Jun 10 10th Belmont: William Donohue aboard Algerine wins in 2:40.5
- Jul 15 Baseball's first official no-hitter: George Bradley of the St Louis Brown Stockings no-hits the Hartford Dark Blues, 2-0
- Aug 12 Madeline (US) beats Countess Dufferin (Canada) in 4th America's Cup
- Sep 19 Talks begin to set up a football club in Ottawa
- Sep 20 Ottawa Football Club forms
- Oct 2 British Open Men's Golf, St Andrews: Bob Martin wins when fellow Scot Davie Strath refuses to take part in a playoff after pair finish on 176
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions