- 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
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions