- Jan 1 31st Orange Bowl: #5 Texas beats #1 Alabama, 21-17
- Jan 1 31st Sugar Bowl: #7 LSU beats Syracuse, 13-10
- Jan 1 49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews becomes only player to be awarded a knighthood while still playing (Stoke City)
- Jan 1 51st Rose Bowl: #4 Michigan beats #8 Oregon State, 34-7
Jets Sign Namath
Jan 2 New York Jets sign future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath to a $427,000 contract over three years (pro football record at the time)
15th NFL Pro Bowl
Jan 10 15th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: Western Conference beats Eastern Conference, 34-14; MVPs: Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings, QB; Terry Barr, Detroit Lions, DB
15th NBA All-Star Game
Jan 13 15th NBA All-Star Game, St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Mo: East beats West, 124-123; MVP: Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati Royals, F
Warriors Trade Chamberlain
Jan 15 One of the biggest trades in NBA history; San Francisco Warriors send Wilt Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers for Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer, Paul Neumann and cash
- Jan 16 4th AFL All Star Game, Jeppeson Stadium, Houston: Western Division beats Eastern Division, 38-14; MVPs: Keith Lincoln, LA Chargers, RB; Willie Brown, Denver Broncos, DB
Celtics Lose to 76ers
Jan 23 Boston Celtics' center Bill Russell misses all 14 shots in 104-100 loss to Philadelphia 76ers, led by newly acquired Wilt Chamberlain
- Jan 31 19th century pitcher James 'Pud' Galvin elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Emerson's Third Title
Feb 1 Australian Championship Men's Tennis: Roy Emerson wins 3rd consecutive Australian title; beats fellow Australian Fred Stolle 7-9, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-1
Smith's 6th Straight Win
Feb 1 Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Australian Margaret Smith wins 6th straight home singles title; beats Maria Bueno of Brazil 5-7, 6-4, 5-2; Bueno retired injured
Patterson vs. Chuvalo
Feb 1 Former world heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson beats Canadian George Chuvalo by unanimous decision in a 12-round non-title clash at New York’s Madison Square Garden; 'The Ring' names bout Fight of the Year.
Sports History
Feb 13 US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming
- Feb 14 7th Daytona 500: Fred Lorenzen wins driving for Holman-Moody; race ends on lap 133 due to persistent rain
Sports History
Feb 17 US-Japan baseball relations suspended over Masanori Murakami dispute
- Feb 19 NFL adds 6th official - the line judge
Olympic Gold
Mar 1 Australian swimming authorities suspend triple Olympic gold medal winning sprinter Dawn Fraser for 10 years for misconduct at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
- Mar 5 Ernie Terrell beats Eddie Machen by unanimous points decision over 15 rounds in Chicago, Illinois to win vacant WBA heavyweight boxing title
- Mar 6 12th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: NC State beats Duke, 91-85
- Mar 6 Bruce Taylor hits 105 for NZ v India in 1st Test Cricket innings
- Mar 20 27th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Michigan, 91-80; Bruins' back-to-back National titles; Gail Goodrich 42 points
- Mar 20 Wales misses out on a 4th Grand Slam after losing to France, 22-13 at Stade Colombes, Paris despite winning the Five Nations Rugby Championship
- Mar 27 119th Grand National: Tommy Smith becomes first American jockey to win GN aboard US trained and owned horse, Jay Trump at 100/6
Baseball Record
Apr 9 1st baseball game at Houston Astrodome, Astros beat NY Yankees 2-1 in exhibition as Mickey Mantle hits MLB's 1st indoor homerun; US President Lyndon Johnson and wife Lady Bird attend
US Masters Golf
Apr 11 29th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jack Nicklaus wins the 2nd of his 6 Masters titles with a tournament record 271 (−17); beats Gary Player and Arnold Palmer by a record 9 strokes
- Apr 12 1st regular season MLB game at Houston Astrodome; visiting Philadelphia Phillies beat Astros 2-0
- Apr 15 NFL changes penalty flag from white to bright gold
- Apr 19 69th Boston Marathon won by Morio Shigematsu of Japan in race record 2:16:33
- Apr 25 19th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 1
- Apr 28 Lindsey Nelson broadcasts baseball game at Houston Astrodome from a hanging gondola
Kentucky Derby
May 1 91st Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker wins aboard Lucky Debonair, the third of his 4 Derby victories
- May 1 Stanley Cup, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Dick Duff has a goal and 2 assists as Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 4-0 in Game 7 to take title 4-3
Baseball Record
May 4 Willie Mays 512th HR breaks Mel Ott's 511th NL record
- May 6 Bill Lawry (210) & Bob Simpson (201) complete record opening stand of 382 in Australia's 1st innings, drawn 4th Test v West Indies in Bridgetown
Sports History
May 6 Jerry Sloan is selected by the Baltimore Bullets as the fourth overall pick of the 1965 NBA draft
Baseball History
May 16 Baltimore Oriole Jim Palmer's pitching debut, beats Yankees 7-5 & homers
- May 19 West Ham United of England win 5th European Cup Winner's Cup against 1860 München of West Germany 2-0 in London
Ali KOs Liston
May 25 Muhammad Ali KOs Sonny Liston at 2:12 of round 1 at Central Maine Civic Center, Lewiston to retain his WBC/WBA heavyweight boxing title
- May 27 10th European Cup Final, San Siro, Milan: Jair da Costa scores winner as defending champions Internazionale beat Benfica, 1-0
World Record
May 29 American long jumper Ralph Boston sets then world record 27' 4 3/4" (8.35m) at Modesto, California
French Open Men's Tennis
May 29 French Championships Men's Tennis: Fred Stolle beats fellow Australian Tony Roche 3-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 for his first Grand Slam singles title
- May 29 French Championships Women's Tennis: Australian Lesley Turner Bowrey wins her 2nd French singles crown; upsets doubles partner Margaret Smith 6-3, 6-4
- May 29 Phillies Dick Allen hits 529' HR out of Connie Mack Stadium
- Jun 1 Robert Manry begins his 78 day voyage to sail a 13.5-foot yacht "Tinkerbelle" across the Atlantic Ocean
- Jun 5 97th Belmont: John Sellers aboard Hail to All wins in 2:28.6
- Jun 6 Yankees Tom Tresh bangs 3 consecutive HRs beating White Sox 12-0
- Jun 8 MLB Draft: Kansas City Athletics A's select Arizona State University outfielder Rick Monday #1; inaugural MLB Draft
- Jun 12 Morio Shigematsu of Japan runs world record marathon (2:12:00) in the Polytechnic Marathon in London, England
- Jun 13 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Beverly CC: Susie Maxwell wins by 3 strokes ahead of runner-up Marlene Hagge
- Jun 14 Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney no-hits New York Mets but loses in 11 innings, 1-0
Baseball Record
Jun 15 Detroit pitcher Denny McLain in relief strikes out first 7 batters faced & record 14 in 6 2/3 innings in Tigers 6-5 win over Boston Red Sox; Bill Freehan ties catcher record of 19 putouts
US Golf Open
Jun 21 US Open Men's Golf, Bellerive CC: Gary Player of South Africa beats Australian Kel Nagle by 3 strokes in an 18-hole playoff to win his only US Open title; completes his career Grand Slam at age 29
- Jun 22 Freddie Trueman ends his Test cricket career, v NZ at Lord's
Sports History
Jun 30 NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle grants ownership of the Atlanta Falcons to Rankin Smith Sr., Executive VP of Life Insurance Company of Georgia; Rankin pays then-record $8.5 million
- Jul 2 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Roy Emerson scores second consecutive title win over fellow Australian Fred Stolle 6-2, 6-4, 6-4
- Jul 3 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Australian Margaret Smith beats Maria Bueno of Brazil 6-4, 7-5, her second of 3 Wimbledon singles titles
US Women's Golf Open
Jul 4 US Open Women's Golf, Atlantic City CC: Carol Mann wins by 2 shots from fellow American Kathy Cornelius
Sports History
Jul 8 Joe Morgan is 1st Houston player with 6 hits in a game
British Golf Open
Jul 9 British Open Men's Golf, Royal Birkdale GC: Australian Peter Thomson Peter Thomson wins his 5th Claret Jug, 2 strokes clear of runners-up Brian Huggett and Christy O'Connor Snr
Sports History
Jul 13 36th MLB All Star Game, Metropolitan Stadium, Minnesota: NL wins, 6-5; MVP: Juan Marichal, SF Giants, P
- Jul 14 52nd Tour de France: In his first year as a professional, Italian Felice Gimondi, a replacement on the Salvarani team, captures overall title ahead of Raymond Poulidor
Sports History
Jul 20 NY Yankee pitcher Mel Stottlemyre hits an inside-the-park grand slam
- Jul 23 Dick Stuart homers in a major league-record 23rd different park
Sports History
Jul 24 Casey Stengel resigns as manager of NY Mets
- Jul 29 Major league record 26 strikeouts, Phillies (16), Pirates (10)
- Jul 30 Milwaukee manager Bobby Bragan says his pitchers threw 75 to 80 spitballs in a 9-2 loss to the Giants
- Aug 1 Scottish Lotus driver Jim Clark wins the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring to clinch his second F1 World Drivers Championship
- Aug 5 South African cricket batsman Graeme Pollock scores a classic 125 to set the Proteas on the way to a 2nd Test win against England at Trent Bridge
- Aug 6 32nd NFL Chicago College All-Star Game: Cleveland 24, All-Stars 16; 68,000 at Soldier Field
- Aug 12 Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club, Inc applies for a NL franchise
- Aug 15 Japanese community of San Francisco holds Masanori Murakami Day at Candlestick Park to honor 1st Japanese player to play in major leagues
- Aug 15 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Laurel Valley GC: Dave Marr wins his only major title, beating Billy Casper and Jack Nicklaus by 2 strokes
Sports History
Aug 16 American Football League's 9th franchise is officially awarded to Joe Robbie and television star Danny Thomas; Miami Dolphins start play in AFL's Eastern Division in 1966
- Aug 18 Dutch soccer team FC Den Bosch (successor to BVV 1906 and Wilhelmina 1890) is established at 's-Hertogenbosch
Baseball History
Aug 18 Hank Aaron loses a HR, because he hit it out of batter's box
Baseball History
Aug 18 Orioles' Brooks Robinson hits into his third career triple play (tying George Sisler, Deacon McGuire and Joe Start)
- Aug 19 Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney throws his second no-hitter of the season in 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs
- Aug 20 Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron (1954-65) pass Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig hitting 772 HRs while playing together on the same team
- Aug 22 San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marachal hits LA Dodger catcher John Roseboro on the head with his bat causing a 14 minute brawl
- Aug 29 Willie Mays sets NL record for HRs in a month with his 17th of August
- Aug 30 Casey Stengel announces his retirement after 55 years in baseball
Sports History
Sep 2 Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits his MLB 400th career HR (off Curt Simmons) in Chicago's 5-3 win v St. Louis at Wrigley Field; Simmons also gave up Willie Mays' 400th HR in 1963
- Sep 3 Preparing a move to Anaheim, the Los Angeles Angels change their name to the California Angels
Baseball History
Sep 8 Kansas City A's Bert Campaneris plays all 9 positions in a game
Baseball Record
Sep 9 LA Dodgers future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax throws his 4th career no-hitter and first perfect game in a 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium
US Open Women's Tennis
Sep 12 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Australian Margaret Smith wins her second of 5 US singles titles; beats American rival Billie Jean Moffitt 8-6, 7-5
- Sep 12 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Spaniard Manuel Santana beats Cliff Drysdale of South Africa 6-2, 7-9, 7-5, 6-1 for his lone US singles crown
- Sep 13 Willie Mays's 500th HR (off Don Nottebart), Giants 11th straight win
- Sep 16 Boston Red Sox Dave Morehead no-hits Cleveland Indians, 2-0
- Sep 18 Mickey Mantle Day at Yankee Stadium: Mantle play his 2,000th game
Sports History
Sep 25 60-year-old Satchel Paige of Kansas City Athletics pitches 3 scoreless innings
LPGA Championship
Sep 26 LPGA Championship Women's Golf, Stardust CC: Sandra Haynie wins by 1 stroke from Clifford Ann Creed
- Sep 29 Phillies catcher Pat Corrales sets record by reaching base twice on catcher's interference in one game & 6 times in one season
Baseball History
Sep 30 LA Dodger Don Drysdale (23-12) wins 13th straight game, 7 by shutouts
- Oct 2 NY Yankees pitcher Mel Stottlemyre wins game #20
- Oct 3 Cubs lose season finale 6-3 to Pirates; Ernie Banks-Don Kessinger combine to tie MLB record of 3 triple plays in a season
- Oct 3 Dual Melbourne Cup winning Australian jockey Pat Glennon rides French colt Sea Bird to victory in the Prix de l'Arc De Triomphe to claim an impressive double after the thoroughbred's English Derby win
Sports History
Oct 3 Whitey Ford notches win #232 in season ending 11-5 victory v Boston Red Sox; becomes Yankees' winningest pitcher
Ryder Cup
Oct 9 Ryder Cup, Royal Birkdale GC: US beats Great Britain 19½-12½; Byron Nelson non-playing American captain; Harry Weetman GB skipper
- Oct 14 Baseball World Series: LA Dodgers edge Minnesota Twins, 2-0 in Game 7 at Metropolitan Stadium; Dodgers 3rd title since move to LA; MVP: LA pitcher Sandy Koufax
NHL All-Star Game
Oct 20 19th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC: All-Stars beat Montreal Canadiens, 5-2; MVP: Henri Richard, Montreal, C
- Oct 24 Jim Clark in a Lotus is forced to retire from season-ending Mexican Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez with engine trouble; American Richie Ginther is race winner and Clark claims his second F1 World Drivers Championship
- Nov 1 Ernie Terrell retains WBA heavyweight boxing title; beats Canadian George Chuvalo in 15 round points decision in Toronto
Sports History
Nov 2 Craig Breedlove driving FIA-legal four-wheeler, Sonic I, breaks land speed record with a two-run average of 555.483 mph (893.963 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah
- Nov 3 Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax is named Cy Young Award winner by a unanimous vote and for a third time; posts 26-8 record, 1.73 ERA and record-shattering 382 strikeouts
- Nov 9 1st NY Knick game postponed (black-out) vs St Louis
- Nov 9 Willie Mays named NL MVP
- Nov 15 Craig Breedlove sets land speed record (600.601 mph-966.57 kph)
- Nov 17 William Eckert is unanimously elected commissioner of baseball
- Nov 22 In his second title defense, Muhammad Ali scores 12th-round KO of Floyd Patterson at Las Vegas Convention Center to retain his world heavyweight boxing championship
- Nov 23 31st Heisman Trophy Award: Mike Garrett, Southern Cal (RB)
- Nov 26 Dodgers 2nd baseman Jim Lefebvre is voted NL Rookie of Year
- Nov 27 1966 NFL Draft: University of Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis #1 pick by Atlanta Falcons
- Nov 27 30th Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 30-3 in Birmingham
- Nov 27 CFL Grey Cup, CNE Stadium, Toronto: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat Winn Blue Bombers, 22-16; strong winds meant all scoring occurred by the team going with the wind
Kathy Whitworth
Nov 28 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Kathy Whitworth wins by 10 shots from Peggy Wilson for her first major title
- Dec 4 2nd NY Knicks game postponed (due to death of opponent 76ers' owner)
- Dec 4 San Francisco Giant Masanori Murakami, 4-1 this year, does not renew his contract signing instead with the Nankai Hawks of Osaka for $40,000
Robinson to Baltimore Orioles
Dec 9 Frank Robinson is traded from the Cincinnati Reds to the Baltimore Orioles
- Dec 10 Test Cricket debut of Doug Walters v England at the Gabba
Sayers Touchdown Record
Dec 12 Chicago halfback Gale Sayers ties NFL record for most touchdowns in a game with 6 in 61–20 victory over San Francisco 49ers at Wrigley Field
- Dec 12 Doug Walters makes maiden Test ton in 1st Test, goes on to 155
- Dec 15 William Eckert replaces Ford Frick as 4th Commissioner of Baseball
- Dec 26 AFL Championship, Balboa Stadium San Diego: Buffalo Bills beat San Diego Chargers 23-0; repeat previous year's win over SD
- Dec 28 Ballon d'Or: Benfica striker Eusébio wins award for best European football player; first Portuguese national to win, and still only Benfica player
Australia Win Over Spain
Dec 28 Davis Cup Men's Tennis, Sydney: John Newcombe & Tony Roche beat José Luis Arilla & Manuel Santana of Spain 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 to give Australia unassailable 3-0 lead; ends 4-1
- Dec 29 CBS purchases NFL TV rights for 1966-68 at $18.8 million per year
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions