1956 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: | 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 |
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
American football
- NFL Championship – New York Giants won 47-7 over the Chicago Bears
- Oklahoma Sooners - college football championships.
Association football
- European Cup - Real Madrid beat Stade de Reims 4-3 in the inaugural final.
England
- First Division - Manchester United win the 1955-56 title.
- FA Cup - Manchester City beat Birmingham City 3-1.
Athletics
- Betty Cuthbert (Australia) and Bobby Joe Morrow (USA) win three gold medals each in the sprint events at the Olympic Games in Melbourne.
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)
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.
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
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.
Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Edmonton Eskimos win 50-27 over the Montreal Alouettes
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
Field hockey
- Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Melbourne, Australia
- Gold Medal: India
- Silver Medal: Pakistan
- Bronze Medal: West Germany
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
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
- British Amateur - John Beharrell
- U.S. Amateur - Harvie Ward
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
Harness racing
- TheUnited States Pacing Triple Crown races is created with the addition of the Messenger Stakes.
- Cane Pace - Noble Adios
- Little Brown Jug - Noble Adios
- Messenger Stakes - Belle Acton
- United States Trotting Triple Crown races:
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Gentleman John
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:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Gilles de Retz
- Epsom Derby – Lavandin
- St. Leger Stakes – Cambremer
- United States Triple Crown races:
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
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
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
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats John Pulman 38-35
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- Davis Cup Australia wins 5-0 over the United States in world tennis.
Volleyball
- Men's World Championship in Paris won by Czechoslovakia
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).
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Mickey Mantle, Major League Baseball
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Pat McCormick, Diving
References
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