- Jan 1 32nd Orange Bowl: #4 Alabama beats #3 Nebraska, 39-28
- Jan 1 32nd Sugar Bowl: #6 Missouri beats Florida, 20-18
- Jan 1 52nd Rose Bowl: #5 UCLA beats #1 Michigan State, 14-12
- Jan 2 National Football League Championship, Lambeau Field, Green Bay: Green Bay Packers beat Cleveland Browns, 23-12; first NFL title game televised in colour; last one played before Super Bowl era
- Jan 4 Doug Walters scores second Test century in his second Test
- Jan 11 16th NBA All-Star Game, Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH: East beats West, 137-94; MVP: Adrian Smith, Cincinnati Royals, PG
Auerbach's 1,000th Win
Jan 12 Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach records his 1,000th NBA career victory (regular season and playoffs), 114-102 over the Los Angeles Lakers in Boston
5th AFL All Star Game
Jan 15 5th AFL All Star Game, Rice Stadium, Houston: All-Stars beat Buffalo Bills, 30-19: MVPs: Joe Namath, NY Jets, QB; Frank Buncom, LA Chargers, LB
16th NFL Pro Bowl
Jan 16 16th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: East beats West, 36-7; MVPs: Jim Brown, Cleveland Browns, RB; Dale Meinert, St. Louis Cardinals, LB
Bobby Hull's Record 300
Jan 16 Chicago Black Hawks' right wing Bobby Hull scores 4 goals (his 17th career hat trick) in a 6-5 loss to NY Rangers; becomes the first player in team history to score 300 goals
- Jan 16 Chicago is granted an NBA franchise to be called the Bulls; become the 3rd NBA franchise in the city, after the Chicago Stags (1946–50) and Chicago Packers/Zephyrs (now Washington Wizards)
1500m Skate Record
Jan 26 Dutch speed skater Ard Schenk skates world record 1500m (2:06.2)
- Jan 27 Wisconsin State Circuit Court Judge Elmer W Roller rules either the Braves stay in Milwaukee or NL must promise Wisconsin an expansion team for 1966
Fleming US Champion
Jan 29 US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming
- Jan 30 Ard Schenk skates world record 1500m (2:05.2)
Emerson Defeats Ashe
Jan 31 Australian Championships Men's Tennis: Roy Emerson makes it 4 straight Australian titles; beats American Arthur Ashe 6-4, 6-8, 6-2, 6-3
Smith's 7th Consecutive Title
Jan 31 Australian Championships Women's Tennis: Margaret Smith wins her 7th consecutive Australian singles title; beats American Nancy Richey in a walkover, Richey injured
- Jan 31 Bill Lawry (119) & Bob Simpson (225) complete match-winning 244 opening stand in Australia's 1st innings, 4th Test v England in Adelaide
Contract of Interest
Feb 11 SF Giant Willie Mays signs highest contract, $130,000 per year
NBA Record
Feb 14 Wilt Chamberlain breaks NBA career scoring record at 20,884 points
- Feb 15 Kees Verkerk becomes world champion all-round skater
- Feb 16 Australian cricket batsman Bob Cowper makes a patient 307 (727 mins, 20 x 4s) in drawn 5th Test v England in Melbourne
- Feb 16 End of Wally Grout's Test Cricket career, 187 dismissals as Australian wicketkeeper
Daytona 500
Feb 27 8th Daytona 500: Polesitter Richard Petty comes from 2 laps down to win the event after 198 laps were completed because of rain
- Feb 27 Ice Dance Championship at Davos won by Diane Towler and Bernard Ford of great Britain
- Feb 27 Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Davos won by Peggy Fleming of US
Baseball History
Feb 28 Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout against the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Mar 2 Chicago Black Hawks right wing Bobby Hull becomes the NHL's first 2-time 50-goal scorer when he strikes in a 5-4 win against the Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Stadium
Sports History
Mar 2 Jean Béliveau scores his 380th career NHL goal when Montreal ties Toronto, 3-3; moves him ahead of Ted Lindsay into the #3 spot all time, behind Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard
- Mar 5 13th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: Duke beats NC State, 71-66
- Mar 5 Bob Seagren pole vaults 5.19m indoor world record
- Mar 5 Player reps elect Marvin Miller as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association
Hall of Fame
Mar 8 Baseball player, manager and coach Casey Stengel elected to Baseball Hall of Fame in a surprise ceremony
- Mar 12 Chicago Black Hawks Bobby Hull's 51st goal of season, sets record
Sports History
Mar 12 Jockey Johnny Longden retires after 40 years (6,032 wins)
- Mar 19 28th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Texas Western beats Kentucky, 72-65; Miners first title in first title game
- Mar 26 120th Grand National: Tim Norman aboard 50/1 outsider Anglo wins by 20 lengths, giving Freddie 2nd place for a second straight year
- Mar 26 Wales beats France, 9-8 at the National Stadium, Cardiff to clinch their 15th Five Nations Rugby Championship
Boxing Title Fight
Mar 29 Muhammad Ali beats George Chuvalo in 15 for heavyweight boxing title
Sports History
Apr 3 Tom Seaver signs with the Mets for a reported $50,000 bonus
- Apr 9 Anaheim Stadium for California Angels opens
US Masters Golf
Apr 11 30th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Jack Nicklaus becomes first back-to-back champion winning an 18-hole Monday playoff with Tommy Jacobs and Gay Brewer
- Apr 11 Emmett Ashford becomes first African American major league baseball umpire in Washington Senators’ game against the Cleveland Indians at D.C. Stadium
- Apr 12 Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium opens; Pirates beat Braves 3-2
- Apr 17 100th international soccer match between Netherlands and Belgium (3-1)
- Apr 18 70th Boston Marathon: Kenji Kimihara of Japan wins in 2:17:11; American Bobbi Gibb first woman in 3:21:40 (unsanctioned)
NBA Record
Apr 18 Bill Russell becomes first African American coach in NBA history (Boston Celtics)
- Apr 22 Atlanta Braves win their 1st game, beating NY Mets 8-4
- Apr 24 Atlanta Braves win NL-record 18 straight home games (17 in Milwaukee)
- Apr 26 International Olympic Committee votes to award German city of Munich the right to host the 1972 Summer Olympic Games
- Apr 26 Red Auerbach retires as Boston Celtic's coach
- Apr 28 20th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat LA Lakers, 4 games to 3
- May 5 Borussia Dortmund of West Germany win 6th European Cup Winner's Cup against Liverpool of England 2-1 in Glasgow
- May 5 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Montreal Canadiens earn back-to-back titles; beat Detroit Red Wings, 3-2 in OT for a 4-2 series victory
- May 5 Willie Mays hit his 512th HR
- May 7 92nd Kentucky Derby: Donald Brumfield aboard Kauai King wins in 2:02
- May 7 NY Yankees fire manager Johnny Keane
Baseball Record
May 8 Only HR ever hit out of Baltimore's Memorial Park, by Oriole outfielder Frank Robinson
- May 11 European Cup Final, Heysel Stadium, Brussels: Fernando Serena scores the winner as Real Madrid beats Partizan Belgrade, 2-1; Madrid's 6th title
- May 12 St Louis' Busch Memorial Stadium opens, Braves lose to Cards 4-3 in 12 innings
- May 15 1st day of Sunday play in County Cricket, Essex v Somerset
- May 21 91st Preakness: Don Brumfield aboard Kauai King wins in 1:55.4
- May 21 Muhammad Ali TKOs Henry Cooper in 6 for heavyweight boxing title
- May 25 Peru & Argentina soccer fans fight in Lima; 248 die
Indy 500
May 30 Indianapolis 500: English 1962 F1 World Champion Graham Hill wins after leading for a total of only 10 laps; first rookie winner since 1927
French Open Men's Tennis
Jun 5 French Championships Men's Tennis: Australian Tony Roche wins his first and only Grand Slam title; beats István Gulyás of Hungary 6-1, 6-4, 7-5
- Jun 5 French Championships Women's Tennis: Ann Haydon-Jones of England beats American Nancy Richey 6-3, 6-1 for her 2nd French singles crown
Sports History
Jun 7 MLB Draft: New York Mets pass on Reggie Jackson to select Antelope Valley HS catcher Steve Chilcott #1
- Jun 8 NFL & AFL announce merger plans, one league with two divisions (NFC and AFC) starting in 1970
Baseball Record
Jun 9 5 Minnesota Twins (Rich Rollins, Zolio Versailes, Tony Oliva, Don Michner, & Harmon Killebrew) all homer in 7th inning to beat A's 9-4
- Jun 14 Miami beats St Petersburg (Florida State League) 4-3 in 29 innings longest uninterrupted game in organized baseball
US Golf Open
Jun 20 US Open Men's Golf, Olympic CC: Billy Casper erases a 7-stroke deficit on the final 9 holes to tie Arnold Palmer; wins Monday 18-hole playoff by 4 strokes
- Jun 28 Ernie Terrell beats Doug Jones by unanimous points decision over 15 rounds in Houston to retain his WBA heavyweight boxing title
- Jun 30 England spin bowler Derek Underwood goes wicketless in his Test cricket debut v West Indies at Nottingham; captures 297 wickets in illustrious 86 Test career
- Jul 1 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: Spaniard Manuel Santana wins last of 4 major titles beating American Dennis Ralston 6-4, 11-9, 6-4
- Jul 2 West Indian cricket batsman Basil Butcher scores career best 209 not out to guide tourists to a 139-run 3rd Test win over England at Trent Bridge
Wimbledon Women's Tennis
Jul 2 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: American Billie Jean King beats Maria Bueno of Brazil 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 for the first of her 12 Grand Slam singles titles
- Jul 3 Atlanta Braves Tony Cloninger, 1st NL player and only pitcher to hit 2 grand slams in a MLB game (17-3 v SF Giants)
US Women's Golf Open
Jul 3 US Open Women's Golf, Hazeltine National GC: American Sandra Spuzich wins by 1 from Carol Mann for her only LPGA major title
- Jul 9 British Open Men's Golf, Muirfield: Jack Nicklaus beats Doug Sanders & Dave Thomas by 1 stroke to become only 4th in history to win all 4 majors
- Jul 12 37th All-Star Baseball Game: NL wins 2-1 in 10 inninngs, at Busch Memorial Stadium, St Louis
Sports History
Jul 12 Baltimore Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson voted MLB All Star game MVP
- Jul 14 53rd Tour de France won by Lucien Aimar of France
- Jul 23 John Pennel pole vaults record (5.34 m)
- Jul 24 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Firestone CC: American Al Geiberger wins his only major title by 4 shots from Dudley Wysong
- Jul 30 FIFA World Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London, England: Striker Geoff Hurst scores a hat trick as England beats West Germany, 4-2 after extra time
- Aug 5 33rd NFL Chicago College All-Star Game: Green Bay 38, All-Stars 0; 72,000 at Soldier Field
Cricket History
Aug 5 West Indies cricket captain Garfield Sobers scores 174 including a century between lunch & tea to set up a 4th Test win v England at Headingley
- Aug 6 Muhammad Ali knocks out English boxer Brian London in round 3 at Earl's Court in London to retain his undisputed world heavyweight title
- Aug 15 Puerto Rican champion José Torres beats American Eddie Cotton on points in Las Vegas to retain the WBC/WBA light-heavyweight boxing title
- Aug 17 Willie Mays takes 2nd place on all-time HR list
Women's Western Open
Aug 21 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Rainbow Springs CC; Mickey Wright wins her 13th and final major title by 1 from Margie Masters & Jo Ann Prentice
Sports History
Sep 2 Joe Auer returns the opening kickoff 95 yards for a Miami touchdown in the Dolphins' first ever NFL regular-season game; Oakland Raiders go on to win 23-14 at the Orange Bowl before 26,776 fans
- Sep 3 Houston Oilers hold Denver Broncos to no 1st downs in their NFL season opening 45-7 win at Rice Stadium
- Sep 4 Australian Jack Brabham clinches his 3rd Formula 1 World Drivers Championship with a 6th place in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza
- Sep 10 Muhammad Ali TKOs Karl Mildenberger in 12 for heavyweight boxing title
- Sep 11 Johnny Miller becomes 1st New York Yankee to hit a HR on his 1st MLB at bat; his 2nd HR came on his final MLB at bat in 1969
US Open Women's Tennis
Sep 12 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Maria Bueno of Brazil beats American Nancy Richey 6-3, 6-1 for her 7th and final Grand Slam singles crown
Sports History
Sep 12 US National Championships Men's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: In an all-Australian final Fred Stolle beats John Newcombe 4-6, 12-10, 6-3, 6-4; his second and final major singles title
- Sep 17 Cleveland pitchers set AL record striking out 19 batters in 1st 9 innings
Sports History
Sep 18 Baltimore quarterback Johnny Unitas throws 4 touchdown passes in 38-23 win at Minnesota to surpass Y.A. Tittle as NFL's career leader with 212; finishes career with 290 TD passes
- Sep 19 Mike Burke named Yankees pres
- Sep 22 Only 413 show up at a Yankee Stadium game
- Sep 22 Orioles beat A's 6-1 to clinch their 1st AL pennant
- Sep 25 LPGA Championship Women's Golf, Stardust CC, LV: Gloria Ehret wins her only major title by 3 strokes ahead of runner-up Mickey Wright
- Sep 25 Smallest Yankee stadium crowd, 413 see White Sox win 4-1
- Sep 29 Sandy Koufax pitches 3rd 300-strikeout season
- Oct 2 Australian Robert 'Nat' Young puts on a dominating performance to win the World Surfing Championship at Ocean Beach, San Diego; Joyce Hoffman of Capistrano Beach, California takes women's title
- Oct 2 Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax wins his 27th game of the season, 6-3 v Philadelphia Phillies; clinches Dodgers 3rd National League pennant in 4 years
Sports History
Oct 6 Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer at 20, is youngest to record a World Series shutout as Baltimore beats LA Dodgers, 6-0 in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium
- Oct 9 Baseball World Series: Baltimore Orioles claim first championship in franchise history; edge LA Dodgers, 1-0 at Memorial Stadium for 4-0 sweep; MVP: Orioles outfielder Frank Robinson
- Oct 19 Bobby Orr makes his NHL regular-season debut for the Boston Bruins against the Detroit Red Wings
- Oct 22 Ice hockey legend Bobby Orr scores his first career goal (vs Montreal Canadiens)
- Oct 23 Australian Jack Brabham is first to win F1 World Drivers Championship and International Cup for Constructors Championship in the same year; 2nd in season ending Mexican Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Sports History
Oct 30 16th NASCAR Sprint Cup: David Pearson wins
- Nov 1 LA Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax becomes first 3-time winner of Cy Young Award; unanimous winner for 2nd straight year; final year only 1 award given for pitchers in both major leagues
- Nov 1 NFL awards a franchise to New Orleans; name "Saints" alludes to November 1, All Saints Day in Catholic faith
- Nov 5 BYU quarterback Virgil Carter sets new NCAA single-game records with 513 passing yards and 599 yards of total offence in 53-33 win against Texas Western in Provo, Utah
- Nov 8 Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles outfielder, selected as AL MVP,first player to win MVP in both leagues
AFL-NFL Merger
Nov 8 President Lyndon B. Johnson signs anti-trust immunity to AFL-NFL merger
- Nov 12 Dodgers complete an 18-game tour of Japan with a 9-8-1 record
- Nov 14 Muhammad Ali TKOs Cleveland Williams in 3 for heavyweight title
Clemente NL MVP
Nov 16 Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente is named NL MVP
- Nov 18 Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Sandy Koufax announces his retirement due to an arthritic left elbow
- Nov 20 Dallas sacks Pittsburgh QBs an NFL record 12 times
- Nov 22 32nd Heisman Trophy Award: Steve Spurrier, Florida (QB)
- Nov 23 Chicago outfielder Tommie Agee is voted AL Rookie of Year
- Nov 25 Cincinnati infielder Tommy Helms is voted NL Rookie of Year
- Nov 26 CFL Grey Cup, Empire Stadium, Vancouver: Saskatchewan Roughriders win their first Championship; defeat Ottawa, 29-14
- Nov 27 In highest-scoring NFL game, Washington Redskins defeat NY Giants 72-41
Whitworth Wins Titleholders Championship
Nov 27 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Kathy Whitworth wins back-to-back titles by 2 shots from Judy Kimball and Mary Mills
- Nov 29 1st NBA game at Oakland Coliseum Arena - Warriors beat Bulls 108-101
- Dec 1 Ecuadorian national baseball team defends its title with a 4-3 win over Brazil in the South American Championship; last win for next 50 years; Eloy Guerrero drives in Ramón Sotomayor with the winning run
- Dec 3 31st Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 31-0 in Birmingham
Yankees' Terrible Trade
Dec 8 A terrible New York Yankee trade, Roger Maris for St' Louis Card's Charlie Smith
- Dec 11 Al Nelson sets NFL record returning missed field goal, 100 yards
- Dec 12 US Supreme Courts votes 4-3 allowing Braves to move to Atlanta
- Dec 13 Test debut of Clive Lloyd, v India Bombay, 82 & 78
- Dec 20 NBA awards Seattle Supersonics a franchise for 1967-68 season
- Dec 27 Ballon d'Or: Manchester United midfielder Bobby Charlton wins award for best European football player; claims award by a single point ahead of Benfica striker Eusébio
- Dec 28 55th Davis Cup, Melbourne: Australian Roy Emerson beats Ramanathan Krishnan of India 6-0, 6-2, 10-8 for an unassailable 3-1 lead; ends 4-1
- Dec 31 Test Cricket debut of Bishen Singh Bedi, India v WI Calcutta, 2-92
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions