1951 in sports
See also: 1950 in sports, other events of 1951, 1952 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.
Auto Racing
- NASCAR Championship – Herb Thomas
- AAA Racing:
- Tony Bettenhausen won the series championship
- Lee Wallard won the Indianapolis 500
- Formula One Championship – Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina
- 24 hours of Le Mans:
- Louis Rosier / Jean-Louis Rosier won driving a Talbot-Lago
- Rally racing:
- Marcel Becquart / H. Secret won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Hotchkiss
- Drag racing – NHRA founded by Wally Parks
Baseball
- January 26: Mel Ott and Jimmie Foxx are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
- January 29: Baseball signs a six-year All-Star game pact for TV-radio rights for $6 million. A number of owners criticize lame-duck Commissioner Happy Chandler, believing that in a couple of years, the broadcast rights would be worth much more than $1 million per annum.
- May 25: The New York Giants rookie Willie Mays, goes 0-for-5 in his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.
- July 10: Alfonso "Chico" Carrasquel became the first Latin American player to participate in an All-Star game, beating out reigning MVP Phil Rizzuto as the American League's starting shortstop. Carrasquel would go on to be selected to the All-Star team a total of four times.
- October 4: National League Playoff: The New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers finished the season tied for first place. The Giants then won a playoff series, 2 games to 1. In the final game, when all seemed lost for the Giants, Bobby Thomson hit a dramatic three run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Giants a 5 to 4 victory and the National League pennant.
- World Series: New York Yankees win 4 games to 2 over the New York Giants.
Basketball
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- Kentucky wins 68–58 over Kansas St.
- NBA Finals:
- Rochester Royals won 4 games to 3 over the New York Knicks
Boxing
- July 10 – Randy Turpin becomes the middleweight boxing champion after defeating Sugar Ray Robinson.
- July 18, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Jersey Joe Walcott knocks out Ezzard Charles in round 7.
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Fiorenzo Magni of Italy
- Tour de France – Hugo Koblet of Switzerland
- World Cycling Championship: Ferdi Kubler of Switzerland
Figure Skating
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Dick Button, United States
- Women's champion: Jeanette Altwegg, Great Britain
- Pairs champions: Ria Baran & Paul Falk, Germany
Football (American)
- January 14 – The National Football League has its first Pro Bowl Game (Los Angeles, California).
- NFL Championship: Los Angeles Rams won 24–17 over the Cleveland Browns
Football (Australian Rules)
- Victorian Football League
- Geelong wins the 55th VFL Premiership (Geelong 11.15 (81) d Essendon 10.10 (70))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Bernie Smith (Geelong)
Football (Canadian)
- Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders won 21–14 over the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Football (Soccer)
- England – FA Cup: Newcastle United won 2–0 over Blackpool
Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- May – The Masters – Ben Hogan
- June – US Open – Ben Hogan
- July – British Open – Max Faulkner
- August – PGA Championship – Sam Snead
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Lloyd Mangrum – $26,089
- Ryder Cup: United States team wins 9 1/2 to 2 1/2 over the British team in world golf.
Thoroughbred Horse Racing
- July 14 – Citation won his 32nd race, the Hollywood Gold Cup, becoming the first equine millionaire.
- Australia – Melbourne Cup – Delat
- Canada – Queen's Plate – Major Factor
- France РPrix de l'Arc de Triomphe РTanti̬me
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes – Fraise du Bois
- English Triple Crown Races:
- Two Thousand Guineas Stakes – Ki Ming
- Epsom Derby – Arctic Prince
- St. Leger Stakes – Talma
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby – Count Turf
- Preakness Stakes – Bold
- Belmont Stakes – Counterpoint
Harness Racing
- Tar Heel, a standardbred horse driven by Del Cameron, produced the first two-minute mile in harness racing history.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Tar Heel
- Hambletonian for trotters won by Mainliner
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Vedette
- Trotters: Gay Belwin
Ice Hockey
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Milt Schmidt, Boston Bruins
- Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Canada's Lethbridge Maple Leafs
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats Walter Donaldson 58–39.
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Australian Open – Dick Savitt
- French Open – Jaroslav Drobny
- Wimbledon championships – Dick Savitt
- US Open – Frank Sedgman
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- Australian Open – Nancy Wynne Bolton
- French Open – Shirley Fry
- Wimbledon championships – Doris Hart
- US Open – Maureen Connolly
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 3–2 over the United States in world tennis.
General sporting events
- February 25 – The first Pan American Games are held, in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Births
- March 4 – Kenny Dalglish footballer and football manager
- April 29 – Dale Earnhardt, stock car racer (+ 2001)
- June 2 – Larry Robinson, Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman
- July 31 – Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis star
- August 13 – Gwen Cheeseman, US field hockey goalkeeper
- October 6 – Manfred Winkelhock, auto racing driver
- November 13 – Beth Anders, US field hockey international
Deaths
- February 25 – Smokey Joe Williams, baseball star
- March 25 – Eddie Collins, Major League Baseball player (106–1930)
- July 9 – Harry Heilmann, Major League Baseball player (1914–1932)
- August 26 – Bill Barilko, Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey player, plane crash
- December 5 – "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Major League Baseball player (1908–1920)
Categories: 1951 | 1951 in sports