1955 in sports
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1955 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.[1]
[edit] American football
- NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns won 38-14 over the Los Angeles Rams
- Oklahoma Sooners - college football champions.
[edit] Association football
[edit] England
- First Division - Chelsea win the 1954-55 title.
- FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Manchester City 3-1.
[edit] Athletics
- March – Pan American Games athletics held at Mexico City
[edit] Australian rules football
- Victorian Football League
- Melbourne wins the 59th VFL Premiership (Melbourne 8.16 (64) d Collingwood 5.6 (36))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Fred Goldsmith (South Melbourne)
[edit] Bandy
- Federation of International Bandy inaugurated at Stockholm by Finland, Norway, Sweden and the USSR. The Soviet Union now adopts the international rules of the game developed in England in the 19th century.
[edit] Baseball
- April 23 – The White Sox tallied a franchise record 29 runs at Kansas City. Sherm Lollar was 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBI, while reserve outfielder Bob Nieman and infielder Walt Dropo drove in seven runs apiece, and Chico Carrasquel hit 5-for-6 with five runs, in the 29-6 victory over the Athletics.
- World Series –October 4 - Brooklyn Dodgers win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is pitcher Johnny Podres, Brooklyn.
[edit] Basketball
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship –
- San Francisco wins 76-73 over La Salle
- NBA Finals|NBA Finals –
- The Syracuse Nationals beat the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 3 to win the NBA title.
- The ninth European basketball championship, Eurobasket 1955, is won by Hungary.
- March 1 – Allen Fieldhouse opens at the University of Kansas as the Jayhawks defeat Kansas State.
[edit] Boxing
- March 12 to 16 – Pan American Games held in Mexico City, Mexico.
- September 21 – In New York City, Rocky Marciano knocks out the light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore in the 9th round to retain his World Heavyweight Championship belt.
[edit] Canadian football
- Grey Cup – Edmonton Eskimos won 34-19 over the Montreal Alouettes
[edit] Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Fiorenzo Magni of Italy
- Tour de France - Louison Bobet of France
- World Cycling Championship – Stan Ockers of Belgium
[edit] Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships –
- Men's champion: Hayes Alan Jenkins, United States
- Ladies' champion: Tenley Albright, United States
- Pair skating champions: Frances Dafoe & Norris Bowden, Canada
- Ice dancing champions: Jean Westwood & Lawrence Demmy, Great Britain
[edit] Golf
Men's professional
- Masters Tournament - Cary Middlecoff
- U.S. Open - Jack Fleck
- British Open - Peter Thomson
- PGA Championship - Doug Ford
- PGA Tour money leader - Julius Boros - $63,122
- Ryder Cup - United States team wins 8-4 over the British team.
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- The LPGA launches the new LPGA Championship annual tournament.
- Women's Western Open - Patty Berg
- LPGA Championship - Beverly Hanson
- U.S. Women's Open - Fay Crocker
- Titleholders Championship - Patty Berg
- LPGA Tour money leader - Patty Berg - $16,492
[edit] Harness racing
- The first Cane Pace is held at Yonkers Raceway.
- Little Brown Jug for pacers won by Quick Chief
- Cane Pace won by Quick Chief
- The United States Trotting Triple Crown races are established. Scott Frost will win the first ever crown.
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Tactician
- Trotters: Battle Cry
[edit] Hockey
- The Detroit Red Wings beat the Montreal Canadiens 4 games to 3 to win the Stanley Cup
[edit] Horse racing
- August 31 – In one of the most famous match races in thoroughbred racing history, Nashua beat Swaps at Washington Park racetrack. It was Swaps only loss in nine starts as a three-year old. Nashua's owner-breeder, William Woodward, Jr., dreamed of owning an Epsom Derby winner, and he planned to send Nashua to England to train toward that goal. However, Woodward was shot dead by his wife before he could proceed.
Steeplechases
Flat races
- Australia – Melbourne Cup won by Toparoa
- Canada – Queen's Plate won by Ace Marine
- France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by Ribot
- Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by Panaslipper
- English Triple Crown Races:
- United States Triple Crown Races:
[edit] Ice hockey
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion, Montreal Canadiens
- Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Ted Kennedy, Toronto Maple Leafs
- Stanley Cup – - Detroit Red Wings win 4 games to 3 over the Montreal Canadiens
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: Canada's Penticton Vees win 5-0 over the USSR
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - University of Michigan Wolverines defeat Colorado College Tigers 5-3 in Colorado Springs, CO
[edit] Motor racing
- May 26 – death during race practice of Alberto Ascari at Monaco
- May 30 – death during the Indy 500 of Bill Vukovich
- NASCAR Championship - Tim Flock in the #91 Hudson Hornet
- AAA Racing –
- 30 May – Bob Sweikert wins the 39th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the John Zink Special Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser. He also wins the season championship.
- Formula One – Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) is World Drivers' Champion, driving for Mercedes. He is the first driver to win the championship three times.
- 24 hours of Le Mans –
- Pierre Levegh killed along with more than 80 spectators in the worst auto racing accident in history
- Mike Hawthorn / Ivor Bueb win, sharing a Jaguar D-type
- Rally racing –
- the team of Per Malling / Gunnar Fadum won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Sunbeam-Talbot
- Drag racing - The NHRA staged its first "Nationals" in Great Bend, Kansas. Calvin Rice won the inaugural "Top Fuel" championship.
[edit] Rugby league
- 1955–56 European Rugby League Championship
- 1955 New Zealand rugby league season
- 1955 NSWRFL season
- 1954–55 Northern Rugby Football League season / 1955–56 Northern Rugby Football League season
[edit] Rugby union
- 61st Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Wales
[edit] Snooker
- World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats John Pulman 37-34
[edit] Tennis
Australia
- Australian Men's Singles Championship – Ken Rosewall (Australia) defeats Lew Hoad (Australia) 9–7, 6–4, 6–4
- Australian Women's Singles Championship – Beryl Penrose Collier (Australia) defeats Thelma Coyne Long (Australia) 6–4, 6–3
England
- Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Tony Trabert (USA) defeats Kurt Nielsen (Denmark) 6–3, 7–5, 6–1
- Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Louise Brough Clapp (USA) defeats Beverly Baker Fleitz (USA) 7–5, 8–6
France
USA
Davis Cup
- 1955 Davis Cup –
Australia 5–0 
United States at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States
[edit] Volleyball
- Pan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico
- Men's Tournament
- Gold Medal: USA
- Silver Medal: Mexico
- Bronze Medal: Brazil
- Women's Tournament
- Gold Medal: Mexico
- Silver Medal: USA
- Bronze Medal: Brazil
- Men's Tournament
[edit] Multi-sport events
- Second Pan American Games held in Mexico City, Mexico
- Second Mediterranean Games held in Barcelona, Spain
[edit] Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, College football
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Patty Berg, LPGA golf
[edit] References
- ^ Nite, Norm N. (1992). ROCK ON ALMANAC: The First Four Decades of Rock ‘n’ Roll: A Chronology; 2nd Edition. New York, New York: Harper Collins. p. 26. ISBN 0-06-273157-2.
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