1959 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.

Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
Years:	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962

Contents 1 American football 2 Association football 2.1 England 3 Athletics 4 Baseball 5 Basketball 6 Boxing 7 Canadian football 8 Figure skating 9 Golf 10 Horse racing 11 Ice hockey 12 Motor racing 13 Rugby union 14 Swimming 15 Tennis 16 Volleyball 17 Multi-sport events 18 Awards 19 References

[edit] American football

• NFL Championship – Baltimore Colts won 31-16 over the New York Giants

[edit] Association football

[edit] England

• FA Cup – Nottingham Forest won 2-1 over Luton Town
• May 28 - Billy Wright makes his 70th consecutive England appearance, a record that still stands

[edit] Athletics

• Pan American Games athletics held in Chicago with US sprinter Ray Norton winning three gold medals in the sprint events

[edit] Baseball

• March 3 – The San Francisco Giants officially name their new stadium Candlestick Park.
• World Series – Los Angeles Dodgers win 4 games to 2 over the Chicago White Sox. The Series MVP is Larry Sherry, Los Angeles
• The Havana Sugar Kings defeate the Richmond Virginians to win the International League Governor's Cup.
• The Minneapolis Millers win the American Association championship.
• Havana wins 4 games to 3 over Minneapolis to win the Junior World Series.
• The Salt Lake City Bees win the Pacific Coast League pennant.
• The Winnipeg Goldeyes win the Northern League championship.

[edit] Basketball

• FIBA World Championship
  • Brazil World Champion
• NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
  • California wins 71-70 over West Virginia
• NBA Finals|NBA Finals –
  • Boston Celtics win 4 games to 0 over the Minneapolis Lakers

[edit] Boxing

• June 26 – in New York City, Ingemar Johansson scored a 3rd round TKO over Floyd Patterson to win the World Heavyweight Championship
• August 27 to September 7 – Pan American Games held in Chicago, United States

[edit] Canadian football

• Grey Cup – Winnipeg Blue Bombers win 21-7 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

[edit] Figure skating

• World Figure Skating Championships –
  • Men's champion: David Jenkins, United States
  • Ladies' champion: Carol Heiss, United States
  • Pair skating champion: Barbara Wagner & Robert Paul, Canada
  • Ice dancing champion: Doreen Denny & Courtney Jones, Great Britain

[edit] Golf

Men's professional

• Masters Tournament - Art Wall, Jr.
• U.S. Open - Billy Casper
• British Open - Gary Player
• PGA Championship - Bob Rosburg
• PGA Tour money leader - Art Wall, Jr. - $53,168
• Ryder Cup - United States 8½ to 3½ over Britain in team golf

Men's amateur

• British Amateur - Deane Beman
• U.S. Amateur - Jack Nicklaus

Women's professional

• Women's Western Open - Betsy Rawls
• LPGA Championship - Betsy Rawls
• U.S. Women's Open - Mickey Wright
• Titleholders Championship - Louise Suggs
• LPGA Tour money leader - Betsy Rawls - $26,774

[edit] Horse racing

Steeplechases

• Cheltenham Gold Cup – Roddy Owen
• Grand National – Oxo

Flat races

• Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Macdougal
• Canadian Triple Crown races:
  1. Queen's Plate – New Providence
  2. Prince of Wales Stakes – New Providence
  3. Breeders' Stakes – New Providence
  • New Providence becomes the first horse ever to win all three races.
• France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Saint Crespin
• Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Fidalgo
• English Triple Crown races:
  1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Taboun
  2. Epsom Derby – Parthia
  3. St. Leger Stakes – Cantelo
• United States Triple Crown races:
  1. Kentucky Derby – Tomy Lee
  2. Preakness Stakes – Royal Orbit
  3. Belmont Stakes – Sword Dancer

[edit] Ice hockey

• Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Dickie Moore, Montreal Canadiens
• Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Andy Bathgate, New York Rangers
• Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 1 over the Toronto Maple Leafs
• World Hockey Championship
  • Men's champion: Belleville McFarlands from Canada
• NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux defeat Michigan State University Spartans 4-3 in overtime in Troy, NY
• The Hershey Bears defeat the Buffalo Bisons 4 games to 2 to win the AHL Calder Cup.
• The Louisville Rebels defeat the Fort Wayne Komets 4 games to 2 to win the IHL Turner Cup.
• On November 1, Montreal Canadiens goaltender, Jacques Plante, was injured when struck in the face by a flying puck. He offers to return to play on the condition that he wears his goalie mask. His example soons leads to the mask becoming standard equipment for goalies and a symbol of the game itself.

[edit] Motor racing

• January 22 – death of Mike Hawthorn, world champion F1 race driver
• Stock car racing –
  • Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500
  • NASCAR Championship – Lee Petty
• Indianapolis 500 – Rodger Ward
• USAC Racing – Rodger Ward
• Formula One Champion – Jack Brabham of Australia
• 24 hours of Le Mans – Carroll Shelby / Roy Salvadori won driving an Aston Martin DBR1
• Rally racing – Paul Coltelloni / P Alexandre won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Citroën ID
• Drag racing –
  • Chris the "Greek" Karamesines won the AHRA "Top Fuel"
  • Rodney Singer won Top Eliminator at the NHRA Nationals

[edit] Rugby union

• 65th Five Nations Championship series is won by France, the team's first outright championship title

[edit] Swimming

• July 11 – US swimmer Michael Troy breaks his own, earlier in the day set first official world record (2:19.0) in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Los Altos, California, clocking 2:16.4.
• July 19 – US swimmer Becky Collins breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly at a meet in Redding, California, clocking 2:37.0.

[edit] Tennis

• Grand Slam in tennis, men's singles results:
  1. Australian National Championship – Alex Olmedo
  2. French National Championship – Nicola Pietrangeli
  3. Wimbledon championship – Alex Olmedo
  4. United States National Championship – Neale Fraser
• Grand Slam in tennis, women's singles results:
  1. Australian Championship – Mary Carter-Reitano
  2. French Championship – Christine Truman
  3. Wimbledon championship – Maria Bueno
  4. U.S. Championship – Maria Bueno

• Davis Cup – Australia wins 3-2 over the Australia in world tennis.

[edit] Volleyball

• Volleyball at the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago won by USA (men) and Brazil (women)

[edit] Multi-sport events

• Central American and Caribbean Games held in Caracas, Venezuela
• Third Pan American Games held in Chicago, United States
• Third Mediterranean Games held in Beirut, Lebanon
• First Summer Universiade held in Turin, Italy

[edit] Awards

• Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Ingemar Johansson, Boxing
• Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Maria Bueno, Tennis

[edit] References

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