- Mar 25 1st Test Cricket match played at Newlands, Cape Town v England
- Mar 26 English cricketer Johnny Briggs takes 15-26 (7-17 & 8-11) at Newlands as South Africa are all out for 47 with Bernard Tancred not out on 26, then follow-on and are again all out for 43
- Mar 29 51st Grand National: Jockey Tommy Beasley wins his third GN aboard Irish 2-time runner-up Frigate at 8/1
- May 9 15th Kentucky Derby: Thomas Kiley aboard Spokane wins in 2:34.50
- May 10 17th Preakness: W Anderson aboard Buddhist wins in 2:17.5
- Jun 4 Boston Beaneaters MLB pitcher John Clarkson is first to throw an "immaculate inning" (strikes out 3 batters on 9 pitches) in a 4-2 win over Philadelphia Quakers at South End Grounds
- Jun 13 23rd Belmont: W Hayward aboard Eric wins in 2:47.25
- Jun 15 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Philadelphia Cricket Club: Defending champion Bertha Townsend beats Lida Voorhees 7-5, 6-2
- Jun 22 Louisville Colonels set ML baseball record with 26th consecutive loss
Wimbledon Women's Tennis
Jul 6 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Blanche Bingley-Hillyard beats Lena Rice 4-6, 8-6, 6-4
Sullivan vs. Kilrain
Jul 8 John L. Sullivan successfully defends last officially sanctioned, bare-knuckle world heavyweight prizefighting championship; Jake Kilrain's trainer throws in towel after 75 x 1-minute rounds near Hattiesburg, Mississippi
- Jul 8 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: William Renshaw wins his 7th Wimbledon singles title; beats twin brother Ernest Renshaw 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0
- Aug 29 1st American International professional lawn tennis contest (Newport, Rhode Island)
- Sep 3 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Newport R.I.: Defending champion Henry Slocum defeats Quincy Shaw 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
- Oct 1 Dutch soccer club HFC Haarlem is founded; National champions 1946; bankrupt in 2010; merge with HFC Kennemerland, new club Haarlem Kennemerland
- Oct 18 First all-NYC "World Championship" Baseball Series; New York Giants (NL) play Brooklyn Bridegrooms (AA); Giants go on to win series, 6-3
- Oct 24 Softball rules adopted by Mid Winter Indoor Baseball League
- Oct 29 "World Championship" Baseball Series, Polo Grounds, NYC: defending champion NY Giants (NL) beat Brooklyn Bridegrooms (AA), 3-2 in Game 9 to claim series, 6-3
- Nov 4 Players League begins, declaring independence from baseball's NL
- Nov 11 British Open Men's Golf, Musselburgh Links: Willie Park Jr wins his second Open title; beats Andrew Kirkaldy by 5 in 36-hole playoff
- Dec 24 Daniel Stover & William Hance patent bicycle with back pedal brake