- January 19
- Notre Dame beats UCLA, ends NCAA-record 88-game basketball win streak. [1]
- January 20
- 4th NFL Pro Bowl: AFC beats NFC 15-13. [1]
- 7th ABA All-Star Game: East 128 beats West 112 at Virginia. [1]
- Essex Community College beats Englewood Cliffs 210-67 in basketball. [1]
- January 28
- Sam Thompson, Jim Bottomley, and Jocko Conlan elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. [1]
- January 29
- 27th NHL All-Star Game: West beat East 6-4 at Chicago. [1]
- January 31
- McDonald's founder Ray Kroc buys San Diego Padres for US$12 million. [1]
- February 2
- Smallest crowd at Cleveland Arena, Ohio (1641 - Cleveland Cavaliers versus Golden State Warriors). [1]
- February 3
- Sandra Palmer win LPGA Burdine's Golf Invitational. [1]
- February 5
- Mats Wermelin, of Sweden, scores all points in 272-0 basketball win. [1]
vvv advertisement vvv
^^^ advertisement ^^^
- February 6
- Third time Texas Rangers shut-out New York Islanders 6-0. [1]
- February 9
- US female Figure Skating championship won by Dorothy Hamill. [1]
- US male Figure Skating championship won by Gordon McKellen Junior. [1]
- February 10
- Gail Denenber wins LPGA Sears Women's Golf Classic. [1]
- Judy Ikenberry wins first US women's marathon (2:55:17). [1]
- February 11
- First baseball arbitration: Minnesota Twins' pitcher Dick Woodson seeking US$29,000 (wins), Twins offered $23,000. [1]
- February 13
- James "Cool Papa" Bell is named to baseball's Hall of Fame. [1]
- February 17
- 49 die in stampede for seats at soccer match, Cairo, Egypt. [1]
- Carol Mann wins LPGA Naples Lely Golf Classic. [1]
- February 20
- Gordie Howe comes out of retirement for US$1 million from Houston Aeros, WHA. [1]
- February 21
- Tom Seaver becomes the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history when he signs a contract for US$172,000 per season with the New York Mets. [56]
- February 24
- Atje Keulen-Deelstra becomes world champion all-round skater. [1]
- March 1
- Ian and Greg Chappell make 264 partnership versus New Zealand cricket at Wellington. [1]
- March 2
- Greg Chappell makes 247 versus New Zealand, 410 minutes, 29 fours 1 six. [1]
- March 3
- Despite Billy Harris' hat trick New York Islanders lose 3-4. [1]
- George Foreman knocks out Ken Norton. [1]
- Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. [1]
- March 6
- Brothers Ian and Greg Chappell score cricket century in each inning ot a Test match, at Wellington. [1]
- March 10
- Carol Mann wins LPGA S&H Green Stamp Golf Classic. [1]
- Lawrence Rowe completes 302 versus England Bridgetown, 36 fours 1 six. [1]
- March 13
- Glenn Turner scores twin tons for New Zealand's first win against Australia. [1]
- March 17
- Jane Blalock wins LPGA Bing Crosby Golf Classic International. [1]
- March 24
- 36th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina State beats Marquette 76-64; this ends UCLA's 7-year reign as NCAA basketball champions. [1]
- March 26
- George Foreman TKOs Ken Norton in two rounds for heavyweight boxing title. [1]
- April 2
- Tony Greig takes 8-86 versus West Indies Port-of-Spain (later 5-70 in second inning). [1]
- April 4
- Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth's home-run record by hitting his 714th. [1]
- April 5
- Last day of Test cricket for Garry Sobers and Rohan Kanhai. [1]
- April 6
- Firestone World Tournament of Champions won by Earl Anthony 11/16. [1]
- New York Yankees' first home game at Shea Stadium, beat Cleveland Indians 6-1. [1]
- April 8
- Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hits his 715th career home run, breaking Babe Ruth's record of 714 homers. [1] [56] [129] [1302.222]
- April 9
- San Diego Padres' owner Ray Kroc addresses fans "Ladies and gentlemen, I suffer with you. I've never seen such stupid baseball playing in my life". [1]
- April 14
- 38th Golf Masters Championship: Gary Player wins, shooting a 278. [1]
- April 15
- Third Boston Women's Marathon won by Miki Gorman of California in 2:47:11. [1]
- 78th Boston Marathon won by Neil Cusack of Ireland in 2:13:39. [1]
- April 19
- Baltimore Orioles' player Al Bumbry hits an inside-the-park homerun against the New York Yankees. [1]
- April 21
- Third Colgate Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Jo Ann Prentice. [1]
- April 24
- Dutch women's hockey team becomes world champion. [1]
- NFL grants franchise to Tampa Bay (Buccaneers). [1]
- April 25
- NFL moves the goal posts and adopts sudden-death playoff. [1]
- April 26
- New York Yankees trade Peterson, Beene, Kline and Buskey to Cleveland Indians for Chambliss, Tidrow and Upshaw. [1]
- April 28
- Jane Blalock wins LPGA Birmingham Golf Classic. [1]
- May 4
- 100th Kentucky Derby: Angel Cordero Junior aboard Cannonade wins in 2:04. [1]
- May 5
- Sandra Spuzich wins LPGA Lady Tara Golf Classic. [1]
- May 6
- Oakland Athletics' pitcher Paul Lindblad makes an errant throw in first inning of 6-3 loss to Baltimore Orioles; ends his record streak of 385 consecutive errorless games. [1] [56]
- Smallest attendance at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium (4,149). [1]
- May 8
- FC Magdenburg wins 14th Europe Cup II. [1]
- May 10
- 7th ABA championship: New York Nets beats Utah Stars, 4 games to 1. [1]
- May 12
- 28th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4 games to 3. [1]
- Jo Ann Prentice wins LPGA American Defender-Raleigh Golf Classic. [1]
- May 17
- Bayern München wins 20th Europe Cup 1 at Brussels, Belgium. [1]
- May 18
- 100th Preakness: Miguel Rivera aboard Current Little wins in 1:54.6. [1]
- May 19
- NHL Stanley Cup: Philadelphia Flyers beat Boston Bruins, 4 games to 2. [1]
- May 22
- Ruffian begins her racing career as a filly and dies 14 months later. [1]
- Soccer team Veendam forms. [1]
- May 26
- Joanne Carner wins Hoosier LPGA Golf Classic. [1]
- May 27
- Pittsburgh Pirates' Ken Brett no-hits San Diego Padres until 9th inning. [1]
- May 30
- 10th Mayor's Trophy Game, New York Yankees beat New York Mets 9-4. [1]
- June 4
- NFL grants franchise to Seattle Seahawks. [1]
- June 19
- Kansas City Royals' Steve Busby second no-hitter, beats Milwaukee Brewers, 2-0. [1]
- June 23
- Sandra Haynie wins the LPGA by two strokes over JoAnne Carner. [1]
- July 2
- Fernando Mameda of Portugal sets record for 10km (27:13.81). [1]
- July 7
- Federal Republic of Germany beats Netherlands 2-1 for soccer's 10th World Cup in Munich. [1] [37]
- July 8
- New York Yankees' shortstop Jim Mason ties record with four doubles in 9 innings. [1]
- July 11
- World Football League plays first games. [1]
- July 17
- Bob Gibson becomes second pitcher to strike-out 3,000. [1]
- July 19
- Cleveland Indians' Dick Bosman no-hits Oakland Athletics, 4-0. [1]
- July 23
- National League beats American League 7-2 in 45th All Star Game (Three Rivers, Pittsburgh). [1]
- July 29
- Saint Louis Cardinals' player Lou Brock steals his 700th base. [1]
- August 1
- Virginia Squires trade Julius "Dr J" Erving to the New York Nets. [1]
- August 6
- Sixth time Philadelphia Phillies get just one assist in game; no other team did it twice. [1]
- August 11
- Lee Trevino wins PGA championship. [1]
- August 12
- Nolan Ryan strikes-out 19 Boston Red Sox players. [1]
- New York Yankees' Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford become first teammates elected to Baseball Hall of Fame on the same day. [1]
- August 20
- Nolan Ryan pitch measured at record 161.6 kph (100.4 mph). [1]
- August 25
- Los Angeles Aztecs defeat Miami Toros to win NASL cup. [1]
- August 27
- New York Mets' Benny Ayala hits a home run in his first at bat. [1]
- September 3
- NBA guard Oscar Robinson retires. [1]
- September 10
- Lou Brock ties (104) and then sets (105) baseball stolen base mark. [1]
- Teuvo Louhivouri sets cycling distance record of 515.8 miles in 24 hours. [1]
- September 11
- Saint Louis Cardinals beat New York Mets, 4-3, in 25 innings (7 hours 4 minutes), record 202 plate appearances, Felix Milan and John Milner come to bat 12 times each. [1]
- September 13
- Philadelphia Phillies set National League record, using 27 players in a game, Saint Louis Cardinals uses 24, tying record of 51. Philadelphia Phillies win 7-3 in 17. [1]
- September 17
- Courageous (US) beats Southern Cross (Australia) in 23rd America's Cup. [1]
- September 24
- Al Kaline gets his 3,000th career hit. [1]
- September 28
- California Angels' Nolan Ryan third no-hitter, beats Minnesota Twins, 4-0. [1]
- October 9
- Washington Capitals first NHL game, losing 6-3 to New York Rangers at Madison Square Gardens. [1]
- October 12
- First time Washington Capitals are shut out as they are beat 6-0 by Minnesota North Stars. [1]
- October 17
- Oakland Athletics beat Los Angeles Dodgers, four games to one in 71st World Series; makes Athletics the second team (next to New York Yankees) to win three straight series. [1]
- Washington Capitals' first NHL home victory, beating Chicago Black Hawks 4-3. [1]
- October 18
- Chicago Bulls' Nate Thurmond becomes first in NBA to complete a quadruple double-22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks. [1]
- October 19
- Detroit Red Wings' Mickey Redmond scores the first hat trick against Washington Capitals. [1]
- October 21
- First New York Islanders' shut-out opponent-Billy Smith 5-0 vs Washington Capitals. [1]
- October 22
- New York Yankees trade Bobby Murcer to San Francisco Giants for Bobby Bonds. [1]
- October 24
- Billy Martin named American League Manager of the Year (Texas Rangers). [1]
- October 26
- Cleveland Coliseum opens for NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and MISL's Crunch. [1]
- October 28
- First time two New York Islanders hat tricks in same game-MacMillian and Westfall. [1]
- October 30
- The "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman takes place in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali knocks out Foreman in the 8th round. [1] [5]
- November 10
- Second meeting of San Francisco Giants-New York Jets, Jets even series at one with 26-20 overtime win. [1]
- Montreal Canadiens shutout Washington Capitals 11-0. [1]
- November 16
- Milwaukee Bucks lose their 11th straight NBA game (team record). [1]
- November 28
- Major League Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends New York Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner for two years for his conviction of making illegal contributions to the Re-elect Nixon campaign. [1] [56]
- November 30
- 20th time New York Islanders shut-out (3-0 versus Vancouver Canucks). [1]
- December 1
- Jacqueline Hansen runs female world record marathon (2:43:54.5). [1]
- December 5
- First World Football League Bowl, Birmingham Americans beat Florida. [1]
- NFL's Seattle Seahawks forms. [1]
- December 8
- Sandra Post wins LPGA Colgate Far East Golf Open. [1]
- December 14
- New York Islanders' Glenn Resch's first shut-out opponent-Los Angeles Kings 3-0. [1]
- Viv Richards scores first Test Cricket ton 192 versus India 20 fours 6 sixes. [1]
- December 15
- Oakland Athletics' Catfish Hunter is ruled a free agent (later signs with New York Yankees). [1]
- December 19
- Dave Kryskow scores Washington Capitals' first NHL shorthanded goal. [1]
- December 22
- Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins, becomes sixth NHL player to score 500 goals. [1]
- December 24
- Saint Louis Cardinals' Lou Brock is named Sportsman of the Year. [1]
- December 27
- 40th Heisman Trophy Award: Archie Griffin, Ohio State (Running Back). [1]
- December 31
- 41st Sugar Bowl: Nebraska 13 beats Florida 10. [1]
- Free agent pitcher Catfish Hunter signs record US$3.75 million five-year New York Yankees contract. [1] [56]
|