- Jan 1 AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2 TDs, RB Mike Garrett runs for 2 TDs
- Jan 1 Canadian Amateur Football Association formally becomes successor to Canadian Rugby Football Union; turns over the Grey Cup trophy to the CFL
- Jan 1 NFL Championship, Cotton Bowl, Dallas: Green Bay Packers beat Dallas Cowboys, 34-27
- Jan 1 Second day's play in Calcutta 2nd cricket Test, India v W Indies is cancelled by riots; ticket holders denied access starts trouble outside ground; escalates with fires in stands and pitch damage; WI win by 45
- Jan 2 33rd Orange Bowl: Florida beats #8 Georgia Tech, 27-12
- Jan 2 33rd Sugar Bowl: #6 Alabama beats #3 Nebraska, 34-7
- Jan 2 53rd Rose Bowl: #7 Purdue beats Southern California, 14-13
- Jan 9 NFL New Orleans' franchise takes name "Saints"
17th NBA All-Star Game
Jan 10 17th NBA All-Star Game, Cow Palace, San Francisco, Ca: West beats East, 135-120; MVP: Rick Barry, SF Warriors, SF
- Jan 11 San Diego is granted an NBA franchise to be called the Rockets; franchise moves to Houston for the 1971-72 season
Darft Board Refuses Ali Exemption
Jan 12 Louisville, Kentucky draft board refuses exemption for boxer Muhammad Ali [1]
- Jan 15 Super Bowl I, LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA: Green Bay Packers beat KC Chiefs, 35-10; MVP: Bart Starr, Green Bay, QB
20th NHL All-Star Game
Jan 18 20th NHL All-Star Game, Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC: Montreal Canadiens beat All-Stars, 3-0; MVP: Henri Richard, Montreal, C
Chamberlain's Shot Record
Jan 20 Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain makes all 15 of his field goal attempts in a 119-108 win over LA Lakers; NBA record for consecutive shots made; beats mark twice before 1966-67 season ends
- Jan 21 6th AFL All Star Game, LA Memorial Coliseum: Eastern Division beats Western Division, 30-23: MVPs: Babe Parilli, Boston Patriots, QB; Verlon Biggs, NY Jets, DE
Fleming US Champion
Jan 21 US female Figure Skating championship won by Peggy Fleming
17th Pro Bowl
Jan 22 17th NFL Pro Bowl, LA Memorial Coliseum: East beats West, 20-10; MVPs: Gale Sayers, Chicago Bears, HB; Floyd Peters, Philadelphia Eagles, DT
Musial Manages Cardinals
Jan 23 Stan Musial named General Manager of MLB team St. Louis Cardinals
- Jan 27 New Orleans Saints sign their 1st player (Paige Cothren-kicker)
Baseball Hall of Fame
Jan 29 Branch Rickey and Lloyd Waner elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
- Jan 29 Kees Verkerk becomes European skating champ
Emerson Defeats Ashe
Jan 30 Australian Championships Men's Tennis: Roy Emerson repeats previous year's result; beats American Arthur Ashe 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 for his 5th straight Australian title
Richey's Only Australian Title
Jan 30 Australian Championships Women's Tennis: American Nancy Richey wins her first and only Australian title; beats home favourite Lesley Turner Bowrey 6-1, 6-4
American Basketball Association
Feb 1 The 10-team American Basketball Association (ABA) with George Mikan as Commissioner is formed and lasts 9 years; its three-point shot remains a feature of the game
- Feb 2 Formation of American Basketball Association is announced
"Purple Haze"
Feb 3 Jimi Hendrix adds vocals and overdubs for "Purple Haze" at Olympic Studios in London; basic track had been recorded by the band in January
- Feb 6 Muhammad Ali pummels Ernie Terrell for 15 rounds to retain his world heavyweight boxing crown at Houston Astrodome; regains Terrell’s WBA belt as well
- Feb 8 Longest losing streak in Toronto Maple Leaf history (10 games)
- Feb 12 Dutch speed skater Kees Verkerk becomes All-Around World Champion
Baseball Hall of Fame
Feb 16 NY Yankees pitcher Red Ruffing elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Daytona 500
Feb 26 9th Daytona 500: Mario Andretti wins his first and only NASCAR Grand National event; only time driver born outside the US has ever won the Great American Race
- Feb 28 Wilt Chamberlain sinks NBA record 35th consecutive field goal
- Mar 1 MLB Commissioner William Eckert approves the Baseball Writers Association of America's plan to name a Cy Young Award recipient from both the National and American Leagues
- Mar 3 White Sox given permission to use semi-DH in training camp with home club permission (use of pinch hitter twice in same game)
- Mar 4 Ice Dance Championship at Vienna won by Towler & Ford (GRB)
- Mar 4 Men's Figure Skating Championship in Vienna won by Emmerich Danzer (AUT)
- Mar 4 Worlds Ladies' Figure Skating Champion in Vienna won by Peggy Fleming (US)
- Mar 6 Muhammad Ali is ordered by selective service to be inducted
- Mar 8 New Orleans Saints begin selling season tickets (20,000 sold 1st day)
- Mar 11 14th ACC Men's Basketball Tournament: North Carolina beats Duke, 82-73
- Mar 12 Austria's Reinhold Bachler ski jumps 505 feet
- Mar 14 1967 NFL Draft: Michigan State defensive end Bubba Smith first pick by Baltimore Colts
- Mar 22 Muhammad Ali KOs Zora Folley in 7 for heavyweight boxing title
Sports History
Mar 25 29th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Dayton, 79-64; Bruins center Lew Alcindor (later named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) tournament MOP
- Apr 5 '76er Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA record of 41 rebounds
- Apr 8 121st Grand National: John Buckingham aboard rank 100/1 outsider Foinavon avoids famous carnage to win by 15 lengths from favourite Honey End
- Apr 9 31st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Gay Brewer wins his only major title by 1 stroke over runner-up Bobby Nichols
- Apr 15 France wins its 4th outright Five Nations Rugby Championship with an 11-6 win over Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
- Apr 17 71st Boston Marathon: Dave McKenzie of New Zealand wins in 2:15:45; American Bobbi Gibb 1st woman for 2nd straight year in 3:27:17 (unsanctioned)
Sports History
Apr 17 Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti beats American Emile Griffith in a 15 round points decision to win world middleweight crown at Madison Square Garden; start of famous trilogy of fights between the pair
Baseball History
Apr 20 NY Met pitcher Tom Seaver wins his 1st game, helps beat Cubs, 6-1
- Apr 21 Dodgers 1st rain out in Los Angeles (after 737 consecutive games)
- Apr 24 21st NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers beat SF Warriors, 4 games to 2
- Apr 28 Muhammad Ali refuses induction into army & stripped of boxing title
- Apr 30 MLB Baltimore Orioles' Stu Miller & Steve Barber lose 2-1 despite no-hitting Tigers
Stanley Cup
May 2 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Terry Sawchuk makes 40 saves as Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 in Game 6 to take title, 4-2
- May 6 93rd Kentucky Derby: Bobby Ussery on Proud Clarion wins in 2:00.6
- May 6 Maureen Wilton runs female world record marathon (3:15:22)
- May 8 Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in US Army
- May 10 Foundation AZ soccer team forms in Alkmaar
Sports History
May 10 Hank Aaron hits his only inside the park HR off of Phillies' Jim Bunning, in Philadelphia
- May 13 Octagonal boxing ring is tested to avoid corner injuries
Sports History
May 14 NY Yankee Mickey Mantle hits career HR #500 off Baltimore Oriole's Stu Miller
Preakness Stakes
May 20 92nd Preakness: Bill Shoemaker aboard Damascus wins in 1:55.2
Whitey Ford Retires
May 30 Yankee Whitey Ford, nearing 41, announces his retirement from baseball
- May 31 Bayern Munchen of West Germany wins 7th European Cup Winner's Cup against Rangers of Scotland 1-0 in Nuremberg
Indy 500
May 31 Indianapolis 500: A. J. Foyt weaves his way through a pileup on the final lap to win his third Indy 500 victory; first Indy 500 win for Goodyear tires since 1919
- Jun 3 99th Belmont: Bill Shoemaker aboard Damascus wins in 2:28.8
- Jun 3 French Championships Men's Tennis: Roy Emerson bests fellow Australian Tony Roche, 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 for his 12th, and final, Grand Slam title
- Jun 3 French Championships Women's Tennis: Local favourite Françoise Dürr beats Lesley Turner of Australia, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Sports History
Jun 4 Curt Flood's record 568 straight chances without an error ends (227 straight games)
- Jun 7 NY Yankees draft Ron Blomberg #1
- Jun 10 American pole vaulter Bob Seagren sets a world record mark of 17'7" in San Diego, California
- Jun 11 A. J. Foyt and Dan Gurney drive a Ford to victory in Le Mans
- Jun 11 Chicago Cubs (7) & NY Mets (4) tie record of 11 HRs in a game
- Jun 12 Washington Senators beat Chicago White Sox, 6-5 in 22 innings at D.C. Stadium
- Jun 18 Houston Astros pitcher Don Wilson no-hits Atlanta Braves, 2-0 at the Astrodome, Houston
US Golf Open
Jun 18 US Open Men's Golf, Baltusrol GC: Jack Nicklaus shoots a final round 65 for a new tournament record 275, 4 strokes ahead of Arnold Palmer
- Jun 20 Phillies Larry Jackson beats NY Mets for 18th straight time
- Jun 21 Yanks take 5-3 lead in 11th & lose 6-5, in 2nd game Red Sox lead 3-2 in 9th & Yanks beat them 6-3
- Jun 30 Philadelphia Phillies utility man Cookie Rojas pitches a scoreless 9th inning in 12-3 loss to SF Giants; Rojas had now played all 9 positions since arriving in MLB in 1963
Sports History
Jul 1 Bobby Unser wins both races at Mosport, Ontario, Canada, the first Champ Car races ever run outside the United States
- Jul 2 US Open Women's Golf, The Homestead: Catherine Lacoste wins by 2 strokes from Susie Maxwell & Beth Stone (youngest [22], 1st amateur winner)
Wimbledon Men's Tennis
Jul 7 Wimbledon Men's Tennis: John Newcombe outclasses Wilhelm Bungert of Germany 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 for his 1st of 3 Wimbledon singles titles
Wimbledon Women's Tennis
Jul 8 Wimbledon Women's Tennis: Billie Jean King beats local favourite Anne Jones 6-3, 6-4 for the 2nd of 3 straight Wimbledon singles titles
- Jul 11 38th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 2-1 in 15 at Anaheim Stadium, CA
- Jul 11 All star MVP: Tony Perez (Cincinnati Reds)
Baseball History
Jul 14 Houston Astro Eddie Matthews hits his 500th HR, off SF Giant Juan Marichal
- Jul 15 British Open Men's Golf, Royal Liverpool GC: 44-year-old Argentine Robert De Vicenzo wins his only major championship, 2 strokes clear of defending champion Jack Nicklaus
LPGA Championship
Jul 16 LPGA Championship Women's Golf, Pleasant Valley CC: Kathy Whitworth wins by 1 stroke from Shirley Englehorn
- Jul 22 Atlanta Braves establish MLB record for number of pitchers called upon in one inning; 5 used in 9th inning of 5-4 defeat to St. Louis Cardinals
- Jul 23 54th Tour de France won by Roger Pingeon of France
- Jul 24 PGA Championship Men's Golf, Columbine CC: Don January wins his only major title in 18-hole playoff with Don Messengale (69-71)
- Jul 24 Race riots in Detroit force postponement of Tigers-Orioles game
- Jul 26 Twins beat Yanks 3-2 in 18
- Jul 27 Helmond Sport soccer team forms
- Aug 2 NFL New Orleans Saints play 1st ever pre-season game, lose to Los Angeles Rams 16-7 at Anaheim Stadium in California
- Aug 4 34th NFL Chicago College All-Star Game: Green Bay 27, All-Stars 0 ; 70,934 at Soldier Field
- Aug 5 First exhibition after AFL/NFL merger, Denver Broncos (AFL) surprise Detroit Lions (NFL), 13-7 at University of Denver
Baseball Record
Aug 6 Future Baseball Hall of Fame 3rd baseman Brooks Robinson (Baltimore Orioles) hits into MLB record 4th career triple play
- Aug 6 Minnesota Twins pitcher Dean Chance throws a perfect no-hitter vs Boston Red Sox, 2-0 in 5 innings before game is called because of weather
- Aug 12 New Orleans Saints 1st pre-season victory, beat St Louis 23-14
- Aug 18 Boston Red Sox Tony Conigliaro is beaned by Angels Jack Hamilton at Fenway Park; injuries including a fractured cheekbone, dislocated jaw, and eye damage kept him from returning for a year and a half, and led to improvements in batting helmets
- Aug 20 LPGA Western Open Women's Golf, Pekin CC: Kathy Whitworth wins by 7 strokes from Sandra Haynie
- Aug 21 MLB Kansas City Athlteics utility player Ken Harrelson becomes baseball's first free agent when he is abruptly released by the team, after he reputedly refers to team owner Charlie Finley "a menace to baseball"
- Aug 25 Minn Twin Dean Chance 2nd no-hitter of month beats Cleveland, 2-1
- Aug 26 Dean Chance pitches a 2-1 no-hitter, & Twins sweep Cleveland
- Aug 28 MLB Boston Red Sox sign 1st free-agent outfielder Ken Harrelson for $75,000 bonus
- Aug 29 Yanks longest day, Red Sox take 1st game 2-1 in 9, Yanks win 2nd game in 20, 4-3 a total of 8 hours & 19 minutes
- Sep 1 Cincinnati Reds reliever Bob Lee walks Dick Groat with bases loaded in 21st inning to give SF Giants a 1-0 win at Crosley Field; 20 scoreless innings ties MLB mark, Pirates v Braves 1918
- Sep 10 Chicago White Sox Joel Horlen no-hits Det Tigers, 6-0
- Sep 10 US National Championship Men's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: John Newcombe of Australia defeats American Clark Graebner 6–4, 6–4, 8–6 for first of 2 US singles titles
- Sep 10 US National Championship Women's Tennis, Forest Hills, NY: Billie Jean King defeats England's Ann Haydon-Jones 11–9, 6–4 for first of 4 US singles crowns
- Sep 16 Anni Pede runs female world record marathon (3:07:26)
- Sep 17 New Orleans Saints 1st NFL game, they lose to LA Rams 27-13
- Sep 18 Intrepid (US) beats Dame Pattie (Australia) in 21st America's Cup yacht race at Newport, Rhode Island
- Sep 22 Phillies release pitcher Dallas Green, their future manager
- Sep 24 NFL St. Loius Cardinals' Jim Bakken kicks 7 field goals at Pittsburgh Steelers, setting NFL record at the time
Baseball Record
Sep 27 Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning ties NL record of 5, 1-0 losses in a year
- Sep 29 American boxer Emile Griffith regains his world middleweight crown on points in a brawling re-match with Italian Nino Benvenuti at Shea Stadium, NY; second of famous trilogy of fights
Sports History
Oct 1 Richard Petty continues phenomenal NASCAR winning streak by taking the Wilkes 400 at North Wilkesboro Speedway; unprecedented 10th consecutive victory
- Oct 4 St Louis Cardinals beat Boston Red Sox, 2-1 in Game 1 of Baseball World Series at Fenway Park; first Fall Classic since 1948 not to feature Yankees, Giants or Dodgers; Cards win series, 4-3
Baseball Record
Oct 11 World Series record 3 consecutive HRs hit by Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Smith and Rico Petrocelli as Boston Red Sox beat St Louis Cardinals, 8-4 in Game 6 at Fenway Park
World Series
Oct 12 Baseball World Series: Lou Brock steals WS record 7 bases as St Louis Cardinals beat Boston Red Sox, 7-2 at Fenway Park for a 4-3 series win; MVP: Cards pitcher Bob Gibson
- Oct 13 First American Basketball Association (ABA) game is played with Oakland Oaks beating Anaheim Amigos, 132-129; red, white & blue ball and 3-point field goal introduced
- Oct 13 Seattle SuperSonics (now OKC Thunder) lose NBA debut game, 144-116 to the San Francisco Warriors at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
- Oct 18 MLB American League votes to allow Kansas City Athletics to move to Oakland, California & expand league to 12 teams in 1971 with Kansas City & Seattle teams - later accelerated to 1969 due to pressure from Kansas City politicians
- Oct 19 Igor Ter-Ovanesyan of USSR, sets then long jump record at 27' 4 3/4"
- Oct 20 Owner Charlie Finley names Bob Kennedy 1st manager of the newly relocated Oakland A's
- Oct 22 Denny Hulme becomes first New Zealander to win the F1 World Drivers Championship with 3rd place in the Mexican Grand Prix at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez; wins title by 5 points from team leader Jack Brabham
- Oct 22 Ian Brayshaw (W Aus v Vic, Perth) takes all 10 cricket wkts
Sports History
Oct 22 Joe DiMaggio is hired as executive VP of A's by Charlie Finley
- Oct 23 NJ Americans (later NY/NJ Nets) play 1st ABA game
- Oct 29 Danny Abramowicz begins NFL streak of 105 consecutive game receptions
- Oct 30 Arthur Allyn says Chicago White Sox will play 9 games in Milwaukee in 1968
- Oct 30 Ferdinand Bracke bicycles world record time (48,093 km)
- Oct 31 SF Giants Mike McCormick wins NL Cy Young Award
- Nov 5 New Orleans Saints 1st NFL victory, beat Philadelphia Eagles 31-24
- Nov 15 Boston Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski wins AL MVP
- Nov 20 Mets pitcher Tom Seaver (16-12) is named NL Rookie of Year
- Nov 28 33rd Heisman Trophy Award: Gary Beban, UCLA (QB)
- Dec 1 Pacific Northwest Sports, Inc. is awarded one of the 2 American League baseball expansion franchises; new team named the Seattle Pilots
- Dec 1 Philadelphia center Wilt Chamberlain scores 52 points in 76ers' 133-109 win over Seattle SuperSonics; sets NBA record for 22 free throw misses
- Dec 2 32nd Iron Bowl: Alabama beats Auburn 7-3 in Birmingham
- Dec 2 CFL Grey Cup, Landsdowne Park, Ottawa: Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeat Saskatchewan Roughriders, 24-1; Alan Ford's 87 yard punt, on a quick kick, is the longest in Grey Cup history
- Dec 3 Australian Derek Clayton runs world marathon record 2:09:36.4 at the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan
- Dec 8 NHL California Seals change name to Oakland Seals
- Dec 15 Retired baseball player Joe Garagiola joins "Today" show panel
- Dec 16 Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Philadelphia 76ers scores 68 points vs Chicago
- Dec 26 Ballon d'Or: Ferencváros forward Flórián Albert wins award for best European football player ahead of Manchester United midfielder Bobby Charlton and Celtic winger Jimmy Johnstone
- Dec 28 56th Davis Cup: Australia beats Spain in Brisbane (4-1)
- Dec 31 1st NBA game at Great Western Forum, LA Lakers beat Houston 147-118
Raiders Beat Oilers
Dec 31 AFL Championship, Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland: Oakland Raiders beat Houston Oilers 40-7; George Blanda 4 field goals for Raiders in club's 1st AFL Championship
- Dec 31 NFL Championship, Lambeau Field, Green Bay: Green Bay Packers beat Dallas Cowboys, 21-17; "The Ice Bowl", -13°F
Baseball Players
Basketball Stars
Boxers
Footballers
NFL Stars
Tennis Champions