- January 22
- 10th NBA All-Star Game: East beats West 125-115 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [1]
- Paul Pender beats Sugar Ray Robinson for middleweight boxing title. [1]
- January 26
- Danny Heater scores 135 points in basketball game (Boys' High School). [1]
- Oakland enters the AFL. [1]
- Pete Rozelle elected NFL commissioner on the 23rd ballot. [1] [1302.201]
- January 28
- NFL announces Dallas Cowboys (1960) and Minnesota Vikings (1961) franchises. [1]
- January 30
- Riot curtails third day's play at Port-Of-Spain, West Indies versus England. [1]
- US female Figure Skating championship won by Carol Heiss. [1]
- US male Figure Skating championship won by David Jenkins. [1]
- February 1
- 34th Australian Women's Tennis: Margaret Smith beats J Lehane (7-5, 6-2). [1]
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- 48th Australian Men's Tennis: Rod Laver beats N Fraser (5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 8-6). [1]
- February 4
- Baseball Writers Association of America voters fail to elect a new Hall of Fame member. [1]
- San Francisco Giants move their offices to Candlestick Park. [1]
- February 8
- Boston Celtics' Bill Russell becomes first NBA player with 50 rebounds (51). [1]
- February 9
- AFL and NFL agree verbally to a no-tampering pact. [1]
- February 14
- Beverly Hanson wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Golf Open. [1]
- February 18
- (to February 28) The VIII Olympic Winter Games are held in Squaw Valley, California, USA. [7]
- Walter O'Malley, Los Angeles Dodgers' owner, purchases Chavez Ravine for US$494,000. [1]
- February 21
- Fay Crocker wins LPGA Lake Worth Golf Open. [1]
- February 23
- Demolition begins on Brooklyn, New York's Ebbets Field (opened in 1913). [1]
- February 24
- US beats Germany in Olympics hockey finals round, 9-1. [1]
- February 26
- USA's David Jenkins wins the Olympics Gold for men's figure skating. [1]
- February 27
- US Olympics Ice Hockey Team beats USSR 3-2 en route to gold medal. [1]
- February 28
- Mickey Wright wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open. [1]
- US wins Olympics hockey gold medal by defeating Czechoslovakia 9-4. [1]
- VIII Olympic Winter Games at Squaw Valley, California close. [1]
- March 5
- World Ice Dance Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada won by Doreen Denny and Courtney Jones (Great Britain). [1]
- World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada won by Barbara Wagner and Robert Paul (Canada). [1]
- World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada won by Carol E Heiss (USA). [1]
- World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada won by Alain Giletti (France). [1]
- March 13
- Fay Crocker wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. [1]
- NFL's Chicago Cardinals move to Saint Louis. [1]
- Chicago White Sox unveil new road uniforms with players' names above number. [1]
- March 14
- Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) sets NBA playoff record of 53 points. [1]
- March 19
- 22nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Ohio State beats California 75-55. [1]
- March 25
- Ford Frick voids Cleveland Indians-Boston Red Sox deal as Sam White retires. [1]
- March 26
- Baltimore Orioles-Cincinnati Reds series for Havana, Cuba is moved to Miami, Florida. [1]
- USC captures NCAA swimming title. [1]
- March 27
- Wiffi Smith wins LPGA Royal Crown Golf Open. [1]
- April 9
- 14th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Saint Louis Hawks, 4 games to 3; this is Celtics' 9th consecutive title. [1]
- April 10
- 24th Golf Masters Championship: Arnold Palmer wins, shooting a 282. [1]
- Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Babe Didrikson-Zaharias Golf Open. [1]
- April 12
- Bill Veeck and Chicago Comiskey Park debut the "Exploding Scoreboard". [1]
- April 14
- Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens sweep Toronto Maple Leafs in four games. [1]
- April 17
- Cleveland Indians trade Rocky Colavito to Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn. [1]
- April 19
- 64th Boston Marathon won by Paavo Kotila of Finland in 2:20:54. [1]
- Baseball uniforms begin displaying player's names on their backs. [1]
- Comiskey Park's famed "exploding" scoreboard begins operating. [1]
- April 24
- Louise Suggs wins LPGA Civitan Golf Open. [1]
- Record four grand slams hit today. [1]
- May 1
- Pancho Gonzalez retires from tennis. [1]
- May 7
- 86th Kentucky Derby: Bill Hartack on Venetian Way wins in 2:02.4. [1]
- Los Angeles Dodgers' Norm Sherry's 11th homerun wins the game for brother Larry. [1]
- May 8
- Wiffi Smith wins LPGA Betsy Rawls Peach Blossom Golf Open. [1]
- May 13
- Philadelphia Phillies lose third consecutive 1-0 game. [1]
- May 15
- Chicago Cubs' Don Cardwell no-hits Saint Louis Cardinals, 4-0. [1]
- May 19
- Juan Marichal debuts as San Francisco Giants' pitcher, beats Philadelphia Phillies on one-hitter. [1]
- May 21
- 86th Preakness: Bobby Ussery aboard Bally Ache wins in 1:57.6. [1]
- May 25
- George Crowe's record 11th pinch-hit homerun. [1]
- May 27
- Baltimore Orioles' manager Paul Richards devises oversized catcher's mitt (used by Clint Courtney). [1]
- June 9
- ABC-TV and AFL sign a five-year broadcasting contract. [1]
- June 17
- Ted Williams hits his 500th home run. [1]
- June 18
- San Francisco Giants hire Tom Sheehan as baseball's oldest debuting manager (66). [1]
- July 4
- Mickey Mantle hits career homer number 300. [1]
- July 11
- National League beats American League 5-3 in 28th All Star Game (Municipal Stadium, Kansas City). [1]
- July 15
- Baltimore Orioles' Brooks Robinson goes five for five including the cycle. [1]
- July 16
- 205,000 (record sports attendance) see Brazil-Uruguay World Cup soccer. [1]
- George Crowe sets record of 12 pinch-hit home runs with a runner on. [1]
- July 18
- Baseball's National League votes to add Houston and New York franchises. [1]
- July 19
- San Francisco Giants' Juan Marichal debuts, with a one hitter against Philadelphia Phillies. [1]
- July 30
- First AFL preseason game: Boston Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills in Buffalo, New York (28-7). [1]
- August 5
- Detroit Tigers trade manager Jimmy Dykes for Cleveland Indians' manager Joe Gordon. [1]
- August 6
- Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) beat Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) 43-16 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [1]
- August 12
- Ralph Boston of the US sets long jump record at 26 feet 11.25 inches. [1]
- August 15
- Chicago Bears beat New York Giants 16-7 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (NFL expo). [1]
- Milwaukee Braves' Lew Burdette no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 1-0. [1]
- August 22
- Gil Hodges sets National League righty home run record with number 352. [1]
- August 25
- (to September 11) The Games of the XVII Olympiad are held in Rome, Italy. [7]
- AFL begins placing players' names on back of their jerseys. [1]
- August 28
- Chicago White Sox' player Ted Kluzewski's three-run home run is disallowed as umpire called time. [1]
- September 5
- Cassius Clay captures the Olympic light heavyweight gold medal. [1]
- September 9
- 4th American Football League plays first game (Denver 13, Boston 10). [1]
- September 10
- New York Yankees player Mickey Mantle hits 643-foot home run over right field roof in Detroit, Michigan. [1]
- Running barefoot, Ethiopian Abebe Bikila wins Rome Olympic marathon. [1]
- September 11
- The Games of the XVII Olympiad close in Rome, Italy. [1]
- September 16
- Amos Alonzo Stagg retires as a football coach at age 98. [1]
- Milwaukee Braves' player Warren Spahn no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 4-0. [1]
- September 25
- Philadelphia Phillies beat Cincinnati Reds 7-1, ending 16 consecutive Sunday losses. [1]
- September 28
- Ted Williams hits his final homer, number 521. [1]
- October 3
- New York Yankees win 8-7, ending season on a 15-game win streak. [1]
- October 8
- Bobby Richarson hits a World Series grand slammer (World Series #57). [1]
- October 9
- Dallas Cowboys' quarterback Eddie LeBaron throws shortest touchdown pass (2 inches). [1]
- Howard Glenn, New York Titans' player, dies of injuries sustained in the day's game. [1]
- October 10
- Ron Stewart of Ottawa Rough Riders rushes for Canadian Football League-record 287 yards. [1]
- October 13
- Pittsburgh Pirates' Mazeroski's bottom of 9th lead off home run beats New York Yankees 10-9 in game 7 of 57th World Series. [1]
- October 18
- Casey Stengel retired by New York Yankees (won ten pennants in 12 years). [1]
- October 20
- Ralph Houk replaces Casey Stengel as New York Yankees manager. [1]
- October 26
- American League announces Minneapolis and Los Angeles to get teams in 1961. [1]
- American League's Washington Senators move to become Minnesota Twins. [1]
- October 29
- Chartered C46 carrying California State's football team crashes, kills 16. [1]
- Cassius Clay's (Muhammad Ali's) first professional fight, beats Tunney Hunsaker in six rounds. [1]
- November 11
- Largest New York Knicks' 49th Steet Madison Square Gardens crowd-18,499. [1]
- November 15
- Elgin Baylor of NBA Los Angeles Lakers scores 71 points versus New York Knicks. [1]
- November 24
- Wilt Chamberlain pulls down 55 rebounds in a game (NBA record). [1]
- November 27
- Gordie Howe becomes first NHL player to score 1,000 points. [1]
- Trailing 38-7 late in third quarter, Buffalo Bills tie Denver Broncos at 38-38. [1]
- December 6
- American League grants Gene Autry a franchise, Los Angeles Angels. [1]
- December 8
- Expansion Los Angeles Angels sign a four-year lease to use Dodger Stadium. [1]
- December 11
- Cleveland Browns' Bernie Parrish sets club record for longest interception return with a 92 yard run. [1]
- December 13
- Italy beats US in Davis Cup (first time in 24 years US not in finals). [1]
- December 14
- Australia versus West Indies first Test Cricket at the Gabba ends in a tie. [1]
- Washington Senators baseball team joins American League. [1]
- December 26
- Philadelphia Eagles beat Green Bay Packers 17-13 in NFL championship game. [1]
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