1959 in sports

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

American football

• NFL Championship – Baltimore Colts won 31-16 over the New York Giants
• August 14 - The American Football League is founded. Play would begin the following year.

Athletics

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

Baseball

• March 3 – The San Francisco Giants officially name their new stadium Candlestick Park.
• May 26 – In what many experts call the greatest pitching performance in history, Harvey Haddix--suffering with a flu and sore throat--hurls a 12 inning perfect game for the Pittsburgh Pirates but loses in the 13th inning 0-1 on a Don Hoak fielding error to the Milwaukee Braves as lightning storms threaten the end of the game.
• 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 Governors' 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.

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

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

Canadian football

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

Curling

• Inaugural World Curling Championships held in Falkirk and Edinburgh for men only and known as the "Scotch Cup"; it is won by a Canadian team from Regina, Saskatchewan, skipped by Ernie Richardson

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

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

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

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, New York
• 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 soon leads to the mask becoming standard equipment for goalies and a symbol of the game itself.
• The TV-pucken tournament starts.

Motor racing

• January 22 – Mike Hawthorn, reigning Formula One World Drivers' Champion, is killed in a road crash in his Jaguar Mark 1
• Stock car racing –
  • Lee Petty in the #42 Plymouth wins the inaugural Daytona 500 in a photo finish
  • NASCAR Championship – Lee Petty (Plymouth)
  • 30 May – Rodger Ward wins the 43nd running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Leader Cards 500 Special Watson-Offenhauser
• USAC Racing – Rodger Ward
• Formula One – John A. Brabham (Australia) is World Drivers' Champion, in a Cooper T51-Climax.
• 24 hours of Le Mans – Carroll Shelby / Roy Salvadori win, sharing an Aston Martin DBR1
• Rally racing – Paul Coltelloni / Pierre Alexandre win the Monte Carlo Rally, sharing a Citroën ID
• Drag racing –
  • Chris "the Greek" Karamesines wins the AHRA Top Fuel title^{[clarification needed]}
  • Rodney Singer wins Top Eliminator at the NHRA Nationals^{[clarification needed]}

Rugby league

• 1959 New Zealand rugby league season
• 1958–59 Northern Rugby Football League season/1959–60 Northern Rugby Football League season
• 1959 NSWRFL season

Rugby union

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

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.

Tennis

Australia

• Australian Men's Singles Championship – Alex Olmedo (USA) defeats Neale Fraser (Australia) 6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
• Australian Women's Singles Championship – Mary Carter Reitano (Australia) defeats Renee Schuurman Haygarth (South Africa) 6–2, 6–3

England

• Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Alex Olmedo (USA) defeats Rod Laver (Australia) 6–4, 6–3, 6–4
• Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Maria Bueno (Brazil) defeats Darlene Hard (USA) 6–4, 6–3

France

• French Men's Singles Championship –
• French Women's Singles Championship –

USA

• American Men's Singles Championship –
• American Women's Singles Championship –

Davis Cup

• 1959 Davis Cup –  Australia 3–2  United States at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States

Volleyball

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

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

Awards

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

References