- January 21
- 28th NHL All-Star Game: Wales beat Campbell 7-1 at Montréal. [1]
- January 23
- Ralph Kiner elected to baseball's Hall of Fame. [1]
- January 25
- 10th hat trick in New York Islanders' history-Denis Potvin's first. [1]
- January 28
- 8th ABA All-Star Game: East 151 beats West 124 at San Antonio. [1]
- January 29
- West Indies wins Fifth Test against India to take exciting series 3-2. [1]
- January 31
- UCLA wins NCAA basketball championship. [1]
- February 1
- First successful Washington Capitals' penalty shot, Ken Lockett versus Vancouver Canucks. [1]
- February 2
- Donna Caponi Young wins LPGA Burdine's Golf Invitational. [1]
- US female Figure Skating championship won by Dorothy Hamill. [1]
- US male Figure Skating championship won by Gordon McKellen Junior. [1]
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- February 3
- Billy Herman, Earl Averill, and Bucky Harris elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. [1]
- February 7
- NBA New Orleans Jazz end a 28-game road losing streak. [1]
- February 8
- The Washington Capitals get only one shot in a period against the New York Islanders. [1]
- February 9
- Sandra Haynie wins LPGA Naples Lely Golf Classic. [1]
- February 10
- William "Judy" Johnson selected to American baseball Hall of Fame. [1]
- February 16
- Washington Capitals' first NHL shutout, beating Kansas City Scouts 3-0. [1]
- February 20
- Leonard Baichan scores 105 on Test Cricket debut, versus Pakistan Lahore. [1]
- February 23
- Amy Alcott wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. [1]
- March 3
- At the Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York, nine harness races are held with no spectators, as track management closed the gates due to a strike of pari-mutiel ticket workers. Off-Track Betting received $995,314 on the races, and paid out $53,500. [806.206]
- March 15
- Jevgeni Kulikov skates world record 500 metre (37.99 seconds). [1]
- March 17
- Valeri Muratov skates world record 1000 metre (1:16.92). [1]
- March 19
- Pennsylvania is first US state to allow girls to compete with boys in High School sports. [1]
- March 21
- Georgia Tech blanks Earklham, 41-0, setting the NCAA mark for the largest margin of victory. [56]
- March 22
- Delta State beats Immaculata for the women's AIAW championship. [1]
- March 23
- Sue Roberts wins LPGA Bing Crosby International Golf Classic. [1]
- March 24
- Muhammad Ali TKOs Chuck Wepner in 15 rounds to retain the heavyweight boxing title. [1]
- March 26
- Washington Capitals play record NHL 37th road game without a win and NHL record of 17 straight losses. [1]
- March 28
- Washington Capitals win first game on road after 37 straight road losses also sets own team record with 17 straight losses. [1]
- March 29
- Jane Blalock wins LPGA Karsten-Ping Golf Open. [1]
- March 30
- Ron Lalonde scores the first hat trick by a Washington Capitals' player. [1]
- March 31
- 37th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Kentucky 92-55; this is John Wooden's final game and UCLA's 10th NCAA championship in 12 years. [1]
- April 6
- Fastest hat trick by a Washington Capitals' player: 3 minutes 26 seconds (Stan Gilbertson). [1]
- April 11
- Hank Aaron returns as a Milwaukee Brewers' player. [1]
- April 13
- 39th Golf Masters Championship: Jack Nicklaus wins, shooting a 276. [1]
- April 20
- 4th Colgate Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Sandra Palmer. [1]
- April 21
- 4th Boston Women's Marathon won by Liane Winter of Federal Republic of Germany in 2:42:24. [1]
- 79th Boston Marathon won by Bill Rodgers of Massachusetts in 2:09:55. [1]
- April 26
- Philadelphia Phillies' Mike Schmidt's two homeruns ties National League record of 11 homeruns in April. [1]
- April 27
- Sandra Haynie wins LPGA Charity Golf Classic. [1]
- May 3
- 101st Kentucky Derby: Jacinto Vasquez on Foolish Pleasure wins 2:02. [1]
- Christa Vahlensieck runs female world record marathon (2:40:15.8). [1]
- May 4
- In Candlestick Park at 12:32 pm, Houston Astros' Bob Watson scores the major league's one millionth run. [1] [56]
- Maria Astrologes wins LPGA Birmingham Golf Classic. [1]
- May 5
- Oakland Athletics release pinch runner Herb Washington (played 104 games without batting, pitching, or fielding - He stole 30 bases, and scored 33 runs). [1]
- May 9
- American Brian Oldfield hurls shotput 22.86 metres (world record). [1]
- May 11
- Donna Caponi Young wins LPGA Lady Tara Golf Classic. [1]
- May 13
- NHL Stanley Cup: Philadelphia Flyers beat New York Islanders 4-3. [1]
- May 14
- Dynamo Kiev wins 15th Europe Cup II. [1]
- May 15
- 11th Mayor's Trophy Game, New York Yankees beat New York Mets 9-4. [1]
- May 16
- Muhammad Ali TKOs Ron Lyle in 11 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. [1]
- May 17
- 101st Preakness: Darrel McHargue aboard Master Derby wins in 1:56.4. [1]
- May 21
- Borussia Mönchengladbach wins fourth UEFA Cup at Enschede. [1]
- May 22
- 8th ABA Championship: Kentucky Colonels beat Indiana Pacers, 4 games to 1. [1]
- May 25
- 29th NBA Championship: Golden State Warriors sweep Washington Bullets in four games. [1]
- Cleveland Indians' Dennis Eckersley debuts shutting out the Oakland Athletics 6-0. [1]
- Joanne Carner wins LPGA American Defender Golf Classic. [1]
- May 26
- Tennis game in the Surrey championships lasts 31 minutes. [1]
- May 27
- NHL Stanley Cup: Philadelphia Flyers beat Buffalo Sabres, 4 games to 2. [1]
- May 28
- Bayern München wins 20th Europe Cup 1 in Paris, France. [1]
- May 31
- Fred Newman makes 12,874 baskets in a one-day basketball exhibition. [1]
- June 1
- California Angels' Nolan Ryan fourth no-hitter beats Baltimore Orioles, 1-0. [1]
- June 7
- Spain's Manuel Orantes wins US Open, beating Jimmy Connors in three sets. [1]
- June 16
- Milwaukee Bucks trade Kareem Abdul-Jabber and Walt Wesley to Los Angeles Lakers for four players. [1]
- June 18
- Fred Lynn gets ten RBIs in a Boston Red Sox 15-1 victory over Detroit Tigers. [1]
- June 28
- Golfer Lee Trevino is struck by lightning at Western Open (Illinois). [1]
- July 5
- Arthur Ashe wins men's single championship at Wimbeldon. [1]
- July 15
- National League beats American League 6-3 in 46th All Star Game (Milwaukee's County Stadium). [1]
- July 21
- Billy Martin fired as Texas Rangers' manager. [1]
- New York Mets' Felix Milan hits four singles; erased by Joe Torres' four double plays. [1]
- August 1
- Billy Martin is named manager of New York Yankees, replacing Bill Virdon. [1] [56]
- August 3
- Louisiana Superdome is dedicated. The stadium cost $175 million to build. [1] [1302.232]
- August 5
- Philadelphia Phillies' first eight batters get hits for a major league record, win 13-5. [1]
- August 9
- First NFL game in Louisiana Superdome, Houston Oilers beats New Orleans Saints 13-7. [1]
- August 21
- Rick and Paul Reuschel become first brothers to pitch a combined shut out. [1]
- August 24
- San Francisco Giants' player Ed Halick no-hits New York Giants, 6-0. [1]
- Tampa Bay Rowdies beat Portland 2-0 for NASL cup. [1]
- September 1
- New York Mets' Tom Seaver is first to strike out 200 in eight consecutive seasons. [1]
- September 16
- Pittsburgh Pirates beat Chicago Cubs 22-0, Rennie Stennett is third to go 7 for 7. [1]
- September 22
- World Football League folds. [1]
- September 26
- Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets play a doubleheader that ends at 3:15 AM. [1]
- September 28
- Oakland Athletics' Vida Blue, Glenn Abbott, Paul Linblad, and Rollie Fingers no-hit California Angels 5-0. [1]
- October 11
- New York Islanders' Bryan Trottier's first career hat trick. [1]
- October 21
- Boston Red Sox Carlton Fisk's 12th inning home run beats Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in game six of World Series. [1]
- October 22
- Cincinnati Reds beat Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 3 in 72nd World Series. [1] [56]
- October 23
- New York Islanders' Glenn Resch's 5th shut-out opponent-Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. [1]
- October 30
- John Bucyk, Boston Bruins, becomes 7th NHL player to score 500 goals. [1]
- November 2
- Ed Giacomin as a Detroit Red Wings' player returns to Madison Square Garden, beats New York Rangers 6-4. [1]
- November 18
- Calvin Murphy (Houston Rockets) ends NBA free throw streak 58 games. [1]
- November 23
- Bob Thomas of Chicago Bears kicks 55-yard field goal. [1]
- November 27
- Fred Lynn became first rookie to win the Most Valuable Player. [1]
- December 2
- G S Chappell gets ton in each inning of first Test Cricket as captain versus West Indies. [1]
- December 6
- 41st Heisman Trophy Award: Archie Griffin, Ohio State (Running Back). [1]
- December 7
- 10th New York Islanders' shut-out opponent-Glenn Resch 3-0 versus Buffalo Sabres. [1]
- Pat Bradley wins Colgate-Far East Ladies Tournament Golf Tournament. [1]
- December 9
- (to December 20) In Bangkok, Thailand, the 8th SEAP Games are held. [1419.13]
- December 11
- Great New York Yankees trade getting Willie Randolph, Dock Ellis and Ken Brett from Pittsburgh Pirates for George "Doc" Medich. [1]
- December 13
- Jane Blalock wins LPGA 14 Colgate Triple Crown Golf Tournament. [1]
- Roy Fredericks hits 169 versus Australia at WACA, hundred in 71 balls. [1]
- December 16
- Bill Veeck buys 80 percent of Chicago White Sox from John Allyn. [1]
- December 17
- First time New York Islanders shut-out New York Rangers, 3-0-Billy Smith's 5th. [1]
- December 21
- First New York Jets' player to gain 1,000 yards rushing (John Riggins). [1]
- 64th Davis Cup: Sweden beats Czechoslovakia in Stockholm (3-2). [1]
- Buffalo Sabres set NHL record of 40 points beating Washington Capitals 14-2 scoring five goals versus Capitals in 4:57. [1]
- December 23
- A landmark decision by Peter Seitz begins a new era in major league baseball as the arbitrator's judgment makes pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally the first true free-agents in baseball history. [1] [56]
- December 26
- A crowd of 85,661 attends the first day of the Australia-West Indies Melbourne Cricket Ground Test Cricket. [1]
- December 28
- "Hail Mary Pass" - Dallas Cowboys beat Minnesota Vikings 17-14 on last second pass. [1]
- Gary Cosier scores 109 versus West Indies at Melbourne Cricket Ground on Test Cricket debut. [1]
- Red Army beats New York Rangers 7-3 at Madison Square Garden, New York. [1]
- December 31
- 42nd Sugar Bowl: Alabama 13 beats Pennsylvania State 6. [1]
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