- Jan 1 29th Rose Bowl: #2 Georgia beats #13 UCLA, 9-0
- Jan 1 9th Orange Bowl: #10 Alabama beats #8 Boston College, 37-21
- Jan 1 9th Sugar Bowl: #7 Tennessee beats #4 Tulsa, 14-7
- Jan 1 Chicago Black Hawks field first trio of brothers to play together in an NHL game; Max, Doug and Reggie Bentley appear for the Hawks in a 6-5 win over the New York Rangers at Chicago Stadium
Josh Gibson Hospitalized
Jan 1 Negro Baseball League star Josh Gibson suffers a nervous breakdown; admitted to hospital for rest and treatment; released in time for pre-season training
- Jan 2 University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team begins 129 home game winning streak that only ends in 1955; incorporates NCAA titles in 1948, 1949 and 1951
- Jan 3 Max and Doug Bentley assist on brother Reg's only NHL goal in Chicago Blackhawks' 3-3 tie with the Rangers in NYC; only time in NHL history trio of family members score and assist on a scoring play
- Jan 14 Montreal Canadiens' left wing Alex Smart becomes the first NHL rookie to score a hat trick in his first NHL game, a 5-1 win at home over the Chicago Black Hawks
- Jan 23 Detroit Red Wings scores NHL record 8 goals in 1 period
- Jan 28 Chic Blackhawks beats NY Rangers 10-1, Max Bentley scores 4 goals
- Feb 2 Cubs return to original uniform after experimenting with a vest
LaMotta vs. Robinson
Feb 5 Jake LaMotta defeats future multi-weight world boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson by unanimous points decision in Detroit in the 2nd of their 6 meetings; his only win of their rivalry; Robinson’s first loss in his first 40 pro bouts
- Feb 9 National League of Baseball seeks a buyer for the Philadelphia Phillies as owner Gerry Nugent falls in arrears
Sports History
Feb 17 NY Yankee Joe DiMaggio enlists into the US army
- Feb 18 A syndicate headed by New York lumberman William D Cox buys MLB's Philadelphia Phillies for $850,000; 33 year-old Cox is youngest owner in baseball
- Mar 13 Baseball approves official ball (with cork & balata)
- Mar 19 In their third match, Jake LaMotta finally defeats Jimmy Reeves by knocking him out in the sixth round
- Mar 30 5th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wyoming beats Georgetown, 46-34; Cowboys' point guard Ken Sailors is named tournament Most Outstanding Player
- Apr 7 NFL adopts free substitution rule; helmets made mandatory and 10-game schedule for all teams approved
- Apr 8 1943 NFL Draft: Frank Sinkwich from University of Georgia first pick by Detroit Lions
- Apr 8 Stanley Cup Final, Boston Garden, Boston, MA: Detroit Red Wings beat Boston Bruins, 2-0 for a 4-0 series sweep and their 3rd SC Championship
- Apr 19 47th Boston Marathon won by Gerard Cote of Canada in 2:28:25.8; his 2nd of 4 wins in the event
Stengel Hit by Taxi
Apr 20 Braves manager Casey Stengel is struck by a taxi, fractures a leg
69th Kentucky Derby
May 1 69th Kentucky Derby: Johnny Longden wins aboard heavy favourite Count Fleet in the 'street car Derby'
- May 8 68th Preakness: Johnny Longden aboard Count Fleet wins in 1:57.4
- May 21 Fastest 9 inning AL baseball night game (89 mins), Chicago White Sox beat visiting Washington Senators, 1-0
- Jun 1 Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell patents his "eephus" or "blooper ball" pitch; uses pitch on way to a 20-win campaign
- Jun 5 75th Belmont: Johnny Longden aboard Count Fleet wins in 2:28.2
Cronin's Pinch HRs
Jun 17 Player-manager Joe Cronin of Red Sox hits two 3-run pinch home runs
Baseball History
Aug 18 Giants future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Carl Hubbell wins his 253rd and final game as NY beats Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2 at the Polo Grounds, NYC
US Men's Tennis Open
Sep 6 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Joe Hunt beats fellow American Jack Kramer 6-3, 6-8, 10-8, 6-0 for his lone major title
US Open Women's Tennis
Sep 6 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: American Pauline Betz successfully defends title; beats Louise Brough Clapp 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
- Sep 8 NY Giants' pitcher Ace Adams sets record by working in his 62nd game
- Sep 14 Yanks clinch pennant #14
- Oct 2 New York Yankees sweep 14th MLB doubleheader of year, beating St. Louis Browns, 5-1 & 7-6 at Yankee Stadium
- Oct 11 Baseball World Series: NY Yankees become first team to win 10 Championships; beat St. Louis Cardinals, 2-0 at Sportsman's Park for 4 games to 1 series triumph
- Oct 19 New York Yankee 2nd baseman Joe Gordon announces his retirement
Sports History
Oct 31 Washington Redskin Sammy Baugh passes for 6 touchdowns vs Bkln (48-10)
- Nov 7 Detroit Lions 0, NY Giants 0; last scoreless tie in NFL
Chandler and Musial MVP
Nov 11 New York Yankees pitcher Spud Chandler wins AL MVP; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Stan Musial wins NL MVP
- Nov 14 Chic Bear Sid Luckman passes for 7 touchdowns vs NY Giants (56-7)
- Nov 23 Philadelphia Phillies owner William D. Cox is permanently banned from baseball for having bet on his own team
- Nov 27 CFL Grey Cup, Varsity Stadium, Toronto: Hamilton Flying Wildcats defeat Winnipeg RCAF Bombers, 23-14
- Dec 3 9th Heisman Trophy Award: Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame (QB)
Clubs May Sign Negros
Dec 4 MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announces any baseball club may sign Negroes
- Dec 5 NFL Philadelphia Eagle-Pitts Steeler merger dissolves
- Dec 22 Manufacturers get permission to use synthetic rubber for baseball core
- Dec 26 National Football League Championship, Wrigley Field, Chicago: Chicago Bears beat Washington Redskins, 41-21; Bears 6th title
- Dec 30 Phillies trade Babe Dahlgren to Pitts for Babe Phelps & cash
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions