1966 in sports
See also: 1965 in sports, other events of 1966, 1967 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.
Auto Racing
- Stock car racing:
- Indianapolis 500 – Graham Hill
- USAC Racing – Mario Andretti won the season championship
- Formula One Championship – Jack Brabham of Australia
- 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Bruce McLaren / Chris Amon won driving a Ford GT-40 Mk.II
- Rally racing – the team of Pauli Toivonen / Ensio Mikander won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Citroën ID
- Drag racing – Pete Robinson won the NHRA "Top Fuel" World Championship.
Baseball
- January 20: The BBWAA elects Ted Williams to the Hall of Fame. Williams, the last batter to hit .400, receives 282 of a possible 302 votes.
- Roberto Clemente is the National League MVP.
- Frank Robinson is the American League MVP.
- Ted Williams is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.
- World Series: Baltimore Orioles win 4 games to 0 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Series MVP: Frank Robinson, Baltimore
Basketball
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- UTEP wins 72–65 over Kentucky
- NBA Finals:
- Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers
Boxing
- April 25 at New York City, World Welterweight Champion Emile Griffith won a 15 round unanimous decision over Dick Tiger to also become the World Middleweight Champion.
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy
- Tour de France – Lucien Aimar of France
- Vuelta a Espana – Francisco Gabica of Spain
- World Cycling Championship: Rudi Altig of Germany
Figure Skating
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Emmerich Dänzer, Austria
- Women's champion: Peggy Fleming, United States
- Pairs champions: Ludmila Belousowa & Oleg Protopopow, Soviet Union
Football (American)
- 1966 season championships were played in late 1966 and early 1967
- AFL Championship: Kansas City Chiefs won 31–7 over the Buffalo Bills
- NFL Championship: Green Bay Packers won 34–27 over the Dallas Cowboys
- Super Bowl I: Green Bay Packers won 35–10 over the Kansas City Chiefs
Football (Australian Rules)
- Victorian Football League
- St Kilda wins the 70th VFL Premiership (St Kilda 10.14 (74) d Collingwood 10.13 (73))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Ian Stewart (St Kilda)
Football (Canadian)
- Grey Cup: Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29–14 over the Ottawa Rough Riders
- Vanier Cup: St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40–14 over the Waterloo Lutheran Golden Hawks
Football (Soccer)
- England defeats Germany to win the 1966 World Cup Final.
- England – FA Cup: Everton win 3–2 against Sheffield Wednesday
Golf
- Grand Slam of golf results:
- May – The Masters golf tournament – Jack Nicklaus
- June – US Open – Billy Casper
- July – British Open – Jack Nicklaus
- August – PGA Championship – Al Geiberger
- PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Billy Casper – $121,945
- US Women's Open – Sandra Spuzich
- LPGA Championship – Gloria Ehret
- Kathy Whitworth: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $33,517.
Thoroughbred Horse Racing
- Australia – Melbourne Cup – Galilee
- Canada – Queen's Plate – Titled Hero
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe – Bon Mot III
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes – Sodium
- English Triple Crown Races:
- Two Thousand Guineas Stakes – Kashmir
- Epsom Derby – Charlottown
- St. Leger Stakes – Sodium
- United States Triple Crown Races:
- Kentucky Derby – Kauai King
- Preakness Stakes – Kauai King
- Belmont Stakes – Amberoid
Harness Racing
- Romeo Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races:
- Cane Pace – Romeo Hanover
- Little Brown Jug – Romeo Hanover
- Messenger Stakes – Romeo Hanover
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
- Hambletonian – Kerry Way
- Yonkers Trot – Polaris
- Kentucky Futurity – Governor Armbro
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Chamfer Star
- Trotters: Yamamoto
Ice Hockey
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks
- Hart Memorial Trophy: for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks
- Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens won 4–2 over the Detroit Red Wings
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia
Skiing
- ISF World Championships:
- Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France
- Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5–2 matches
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Australian Open – Roy Emerson
- French Open – Tony Roche
- Wimbledon championships – Manuel Santana
- US Open – Fred Stolle
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
General sporting events
Births
- January 3 – Andrea Jaeger, American tennis player
- February 1 – Michelle Akers, American soccer player
- February 9 – Ellen van Langen, Dutch athlete
- February 11 – Anthony Parker, American football player
- February 11 – Patrick Kuhnen, West German tennis player
- April 18 – Trine Hattestad, Norwegian javelin thrower
- May 10 – Jonathan Edwards, British triple jumper
- June 30 – Mike Tyson, American boxer
- August 19 – Sarah Jane Cook, English cricketer
- November 25 – Lisa Bayliss,British field hockey international
- December 1 – Larry Walker, Canadian baseball player
Deaths
- January 4 – Inga Artamonova, world speed-skating champion
- February 1 – Nicholas Piantanida, balloonist. Died after suffering from a pressurization failure during an attempt at an altitude record.
- March 11 – "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons, Horse Racing Hall of Fame trainer
- May 4 – Bob Elliott, Major League Baseball player (1939–1953)
- June 30 – Giuseppe Farina, F1 champion race car driver
- July 6 – Sam Jones, baseball player, Major League Baseball pitcher (1914–1935)
- July 24 – Tony Lema, U.S. golf champion, died in a Munster, Indiana plane crash.
- August 1 – Hank Gowdy, MLB player, manager
Categories: 1966 | 1966 in sports