1966 in sports

Alpine skiing

FIS Alpine World Ski Championships –

Men's combined champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France

Women's combined champion: Marielle Goitschel, France

American football

Orange Bowl (1965 season):

The Alabama Crimson Tide won 39-28 over the Nebraska Cornhuskers to win the AP Poll national championship after the previous #1 ranked Michigan State Spartans lost in the Rose Bowl and the #2 ranked Arkansas Razorbacks lost in the Cotton Bowl. This was the first time the AP conducted its final rankings at the conclusion of the postseason bowl games.

1966 season championships were played in late 1966 and early 1967

June 8: The AFL and NFL reach an agreement to merge as equals into one league under the NFL name, to take effect with the 1970 season.

AFL Championship – Kansas City Chiefs won 31-7 over the Buffalo Bills

NFL Championship – Green Bay Packers won 34-27 over the Dallas Cowboys

Each of the two existing top-level professional leagues added a new team for the 1966 season. The Atlanta Falcons joined the NFL, and the Miami Dolphins joined the AFL.

1966 college football season

November 19 - The #1 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the #2 ranked Michigan State Spartans play to a 10-10 tie; Notre Dame retains its #1 ranking in the polls and are later named AP and UPI national champions following their 51-0 win over USC in the season finale.

Artistic gymnastics

World Artistic Gymnastics Championships

Men's all-around champion: Mikhail Voronin, USSR

Women's all-around champion:

Men's team competition champion: Japan

Women's team competition champion: Czechoslovakia

England

FA Cup final – Everton win 3-2 against Sheffield Wednesday

International

World Cup – England defeats Germany to win the 1966 World Cup Final.

FIFA decide to give the right to host the Football World Cup 1974, Football World Cup 1978 and 1982 Football World Cup to West Germany, Argentina and Spain respectively

Athletics

July 17 – American runner Jim Ryun sets a new world record for the mile at 3:51.3

August – 1966 Commonwealth Games held at Kingston, Jamaica

September – 1966 European Championships in Athletics held at Budapest

December – 1966 Asian Games held at Bangkok

Australian rules football

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 Kidan dan hill was born

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.

Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the Major League Baseball Cy Young Award

Tommie Agee of the Chicago White Sox is the American League MLB Rookie of the Year award

Tommy Helms of the Cincinnati Red is the National League MLB Rookie of the Year award

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

College World Series - Ohio State defeats Oklahoma State 8-2 at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium. Ohio State pitcher Steve Arlin is named tournatent Most Outstanding Player

Basketball

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship –

Texas Western wins 72-65 over Kentucky

NBA Finals|NBA Finals –

Boston Celtics won 4 games to 3 over the Los Angeles Lakers

NBA MVP Philadelphia 76ers center Wilt Chamberlain

Boxing

March 29, Muhammad Ali defeats George Chuvalo in a 15 round unanimous decision

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.

May 21 Muhammad Ali defeats Henry Cooper with a 6th round TKO

August 6 Muhammad Ali defeats Brian London with a 3rd round KO

September 10 Muhammad Ali defeats Karl Mildenberger with a 12th round TKO

November 14, Muhammad Ali knocks out Cleveland Williams in three rounds to retain the WBC heavyweight title.

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Saskatchewan Roughriders win 29-14 over the Ottawa Rough Riders

Vanier Cup – St. Francis Xavier X-Men win 40-14 over the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Cycling

Giro d'Italia won by Gianni Motta of Italy

Tour de France - Lucien Aimar of France

Vuelta a España - Francisco Gabica of Spain

UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Rudi Altig of Germany

Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships –

Men's champion: Emmerich Dänzer, Austria

Ladies' champion: Peggy Fleming, United States

Pair skating champions: Ludmila Belousova & Oleg Protopopov, Soviet Union

Ice dancing champions: Diane Towler & Bernard Ford, Great Britain

Golf

July 24 – Tony Lema (32), American golf champion, died in an air crash at Munster, Indiana

Men's professional

Masters Tournament - Jack Nicklaus

U.S. Open - Billy Casper

British Open - Jack Nicklaus becomes the fourth player to win all four major professional championships.

PGA Championship - Al Geiberger

PGA Tour money leader - Billy Casper - $121,945

Men's amateur

British Amateur - Bobby Cole

U.S. Amateur - Gary Cowan

Women's professional

Women's Western Open - Mickey Wright

LPGA Championship - Gloria Ehret

U.S. Women's Open - Sandra Spuzich

Titleholders Championship - Kathy Whitworth

LPGA Tour money leader - Kathy Whitworth - $33,517

Harness racing

Romeo Hanover wins the United States Pacing Triple Crown races –

1. Cane Pace - Romeo Hanover
2. Little Brown Jug - Romeo Hanover
3. Messenger Stakes - Romeo Hanover

United States Trotting Triple Crown races –

1. Hambletonian - Kerry Way
2. Yonkers Trot - Polaris
3. Kentucky Futurity - Governor Armbro

Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –

Pacers: Chamfer Star

Trotters: Yamamoto

Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Arkle

Grand National – Anglo

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Galilee

Canada – Queen's Plate won by Titled Hero

France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Bon Mot

Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Sodium

English Triple Crown Races:

1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Kashmir
2. Epsom Derby – Charlottown
3. St. Leger Stakes – Sodium

United States Triple Crown Races:

1. Kentucky Derby – Kauai King
2. Preakness Stakes – Kauai King
3. Belmont Stakes – Amberoid

Ice hockey

Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks

Hart Memorial Trophy – for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks

Stanley Cup – Montreal Canadiens won 4-2 over the Detroit Red Wings

World Hockey Championship

Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Czechoslovakia

NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - Michigan State University Spartans defeat Clarkson University Golden Knights 6-1 in Minneapolis, MN

Motor racing

Stock car racing –

Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500 in the #43 Plymouth

Marvin Panch wins the World 600 in the #20 Wood Brothers Ford

NASCAR Championship - David Pearson (#3, Dodge)

USAC Racing

30 May – Graham Hill wins the 51st running of the Indianapolis 500 in the American Red Ball Special Lola-Cosworth

Mario Andretti wins the season championship

Formula One – J. A. Brabham (Australia) wins World Drivers' Champion, driving an MRD-Repco. He is the only driver to win a championship in a car of his own team.

24 hours of Le Mans – Bruce McLaren / Chris Amon win, sharing Ford GT-40 Mk.II

Rally racing - the team of Pauli Toivonen / Ensio Mikander win the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Citroën DS. However, the result was highly controversial, with the top finishers (including the BMC Mini Cooper S and Ford Cortina) disqualified on the dubious basis of their quartz-iodide single filament bulbs being illegal. It allows Citröen, who had made the necessary changes to their lighting systems just before the end of the event, to step up and take the winning slot.

Drag racing - Pete Robinson wins the NHRA Top Fuel World Championship.

Orienteering

First Orienteering World Championships held 1–2 October in Fiskars, Finland.

Rugby league

1966 New Zealand rugby league season

1966 NSWRFL season

1965–66 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1966–67 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby union

72nd Five Nations Championship series is won by Wales

Snooker

World Snooker Championship challenge match: John Pulman beats Fred Davis 5-2 in matches.

Speed skating

January 4 – death of Inga Artamonova (29), Russian world speed-skating champion, who was murdered by her husband

Tennis

Australia

Australian Men's Singles Championship – Roy Emerson (Australia) defeats Arthur Ashe (USA) 6–4, 6–8, 6–2, 6–3

Australian Women's Singles Championship – Margaret Smith Court (Australia) defeats Nancy Richey (USA) walkover

England

Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Manuel Santana (Spain) defeats Dennis Ralston (USA) 6–4, 11–9, 6–4

Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Billie Jean King (USA) defeats Maria Bueno (Brazil) 6–3, 3–6, 6–1

France

French Men's Singles Championship – Tony Roche defeats István Gulyás 6–1, 6–4, 7–5

French Women's Singles Championship –

USA

American Men's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968

American Women's Singles Championship – Tournament did not start until 1968

Davis Cup

1966 Davis Cup –  Australia 4–1  India at Kooyong Stadium (grass) Melbourne, Australia

Volleyball

1966 FIVB Men's World Championship in Prague won by Czechoslovakia

Multi-sport events

Asian Games held in Bangkok, Thailand

British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica

Central American and Caribbean Games held in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Fourth Winter Universiade held in Sestriere, Italy

Awards

Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Frank Robinson, Major League Baseball

Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Kathy Whitworth, LPGA golf