1956 in sports Information & 1956 in sports Links at HealthHaven.com

Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
Years:	1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959

1956 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

[edit] Alpine skiing

The men's Olympic Gold Medal:
- Downhill: Toni Sailer, Austria
- Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria
- Giant Slalom: Toni Sailer, Austria
The women's Olympic Gold Medal:
- Downhill: Madeleine Berthod, Switzerland
- Slalom: Renée Colliard, Switzerland
- Giant Slalom: Ossi Reichert, West Germany
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships:
- Men's combined champion: Toni Sailer, Austria
- Women's combined champion: Madeleine Berthod, Switzerland

[edit] American football

NFL Championship – New York Giants won 47-7 over the Chicago Bears
Oklahoma Sooners - college football championships.

[edit] Association football

European Cup - Real Madrid beat Stade de Reims 4-3 in the inaugural final.

[edit] England

First Division - Manchester United win the 1955-56 title.
FA Cup - Manchester City beat Birmingham City 3-1.

[edit] Athletics

Betty Cuthbert (Australia) and Bobby Joe Morrow (USA) win three gold medals each in the sprint events at the Olympic Games in Melbourne.

[edit] Australian rules football

Victorian Football League
- Melbourne wins the 60th VFL Premiership (Melbourne 17.19 (121) d Collingwood 6.12 (48))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Peter Box (Footscray)

[edit] Baseball

April 17 – Luis Aparicio replaces fellow Venezuelan Chico Carrasquel as the White Sox' everyday shortstop. Aparicio, who played 10 seasons with the White Sox, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1984 and had his #11 retired by the Sox in the same year.
July 14 – Boston Red Sox lefty Mel Parnell pitches a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park, winning 4-0. It is only Parnell's third win against two losses and is the sixth straight loss for second-place Chicago. The no-hitter is the first for the Red Sox since 1923. Parnell will go 4-4 before a torn muscle in his pitching arm ends his career as the Red Sox' winningest southpaw.
World Series – New York Yankees win 4 games to 3 over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Yankees pitcher Don Larsen, pitches the only perfect game in World Series history, earning himself MVP honors. It is also the only no-hitter thrown in any postseason game.
December 1 – Cincinnati slugger Frank Robinson is unanimously voted the NL Rookie of the Year. White Sox shortstop Luis Aparicio is voted AL Rookie of the Year with 22 points, beating out Baltimore's Tito Francona and Rocky Colavito of the Indians.

[edit] Basketball

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- San Francisco wins 83-71 over Iowa
NBA Finals|NBA Finals –
- Philadelphia Warriors won 4 games to 1 over the Fort Wayne Pistons

[edit] Boxing

March 19 - At age 48, Dutch boxer Bep van Klaveren contests his last match in Rotterdam.
April 27 - Rocky Marciano retires as the only undefeated Heavyweight Champion of the world with a perfect record (49-0).
November 30, in Chicago, Illinois - Floyd Patterson knocks out Archie Moore in the 5th round to win the vacant World Heavyweight title.

[edit] Canadian football

Grey Cup – Edmonton Eskimos win 50-27 over the Montreal Alouettes

[edit] Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Charly Gaul of Luxembourg
Tour de France - Roger Walkowiak of France
World Cycling Championship – Rik Van Steenbergen of Belgium

[edit] Field hockey

Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Melbourne, Australia
- Gold Medal: India
- Silver Medal: Pakistan
- Bronze Medal: West Germany

[edit] Figure skating

1956 Winter Olympics:
- Men's champion: Hayes Alan Jenkins, United States
- Ladies' champion: Tenley Albright, United States
- Pair skating champions: Elisabeth Schwarz & Kurt Oppelt, Austria
World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Hayes Alan Jenkins, United States
- Ladies' champion: Carol Heiss, United States
- Pair skating champions: Elisabeth Schwarz & Kurt Oppelt, Austria
- Ice dancing champions: Pamela Wright & Paul Thomas (skater), Great Britain
European Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Alain Giletti, France
- Ladies' champion: Ingrid Wendl, Austria
- Pair skating champions: Elisabeth Schwarz & Kurt Oppelt, Austria
- Ice dancing champions: Pamela Wright & Paul Thomas (skater), Great Britain

[edit] Golf

Men's professional

Masters Tournament - Jack Burke, Jr.
U.S. Open - Cary Middlecoff
British Open - Peter Thomson
PGA Championship - Jack Burke, Jr.
PGA Tour money leader - Ted Kroll - $72,836

Men's amateur

Women's professional

Women's Western Open - Beverly Hanson
LPGA Championship - Marlene Hagge
U.S. Women's Open - Kathy Cornelius
Titleholders Championship - Louise Suggs
LPGA Tour money leader - Marlene Hagge - $20,235

[edit] Harness racing

TheUnited States Pacing Triple Crown races is created with the addition of the Messenger Stakes.
United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Gentleman John

[edit] Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Limber Hill
Grand National – ESB

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Evening Peal
Canada – Queen's Plate won by Canadian Champ
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Ribot
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Talgo
English Triple Crown races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Gilles de Retz
2. Epsom Derby – Lavandin
3. St. Leger Stakes – Cambremer
United States Triple Crown races:
1. May 5 – Kentucky Derby – Needles
2. Preakness Stakes – Fabius
3. Belmont Stakes – Needles

[edit] Ice hockey

Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens
Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Jean Beliveau, Montreal Canadiens
Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 1 over the Detroit Red Wings
World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated the United States
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - University of Michigan Wolverines defeat Michigan Technological University Huskies 7-5 in Colorado Springs, CO

[edit] Motor racing

NASCAR Championship - Buck Baker
The United States Auto Club (USAC) was founded to take over race sanctioning from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
USAC Racing:
- Pat Flaherty won the Indianapolis 500
- Jimmy Bryan won the season championship
Formula One Championship - Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina
24 hours of Le Mans – the team of Ron Flockhart / Ninian Sanderson won, driving a Jaguar D-Type
Rally racing:
- the team of Ronnie Adams / Frank Biggar won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Jaguar Mk VII
Drag racing:
- Art Arfons' Allison-powered "Green Monster #6" become the first member of Hot Rod Magazine's new 150-mph Club.
- Melvin Heath won the NHRA "Top Fuel" Championship at the Nationals

[edit] Rugby union

62nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales
New Zealand All Blacks defeats South African Springboks 3–1 in a Test series

[edit] Snooker

World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats John Pulman 38-35

[edit] Tennis

Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
1. Australian Open - Lew Hoad
2. French Open - Lew Hoad
3. Wimbledon championships - Lew Hoad
4. US Open - Ken Rosewall
Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
1. Australian Open - Mary Carter
2. French Open - Althea Gibson
3. Wimbledon championships - Shirley Fry
4. US Open - Shirley Fry
Davis Cup Australia wins 5-0 over the United States in world tennis.

[edit] Volleyball

Men's World Championship in Paris won by Czechoslovakia

[edit] Olympic Games

1956 Summer Olympics takes place in Melbourne, Australia
- Equestrian events take place in Stockholm, Sweden, due to Australian quarantine laws.
- USSR wins the most medals (98), and the most gold medals (37).
1956 Winter Olympics takes place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
- USSR wins the most medals (16), and the most gold medals (7).

[edit] Awards

[edit] References

Contents

[edit] Alpine skiing

[edit] American football

[edit] Association football

[edit] England

[edit] Athletics

[edit] Australian rules football

[edit] Baseball

[edit] Basketball

[edit] Boxing

[edit] Canadian football

[edit] Cycling

[edit] Field hockey

[edit] Figure skating

[edit] Golf

[edit] Harness racing

[edit] Horse racing

[edit] Ice hockey

[edit] Motor racing

[edit] Rugby union

[edit] Snooker

[edit] Tennis

[edit] Volleyball

[edit] Olympic Games

[edit] Awards

[edit] References