1955 in sports
1955 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.[1]
| Years in sports: | 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 |
| Centuries: | 19th century · 20th century · 21st century |
| Decades: | 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s |
| Years: | 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 |
- NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 38-18 over the Los Angeles Rams
- Rose Bowl (1954 season):
- The Ohio State Buckeyes win 20-7 over the Southern California Trojans to win the AP Poll national championship
England
- First Division – Chelsea win the 1954–55 title
- FA Cup – Newcastle United beat Manchester City 3-1
Peru
- Sporting Cristal of Lima was founded on December 13.[citation needed]
- March 12 to 16 – Athletics at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City
- Victorian Football League
- Melbourne wins the 59th VFL Premiership, defeating Collingwood 8.16 (64) to 5.6 (36) in the Grand Final.
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Fred Goldsmith (South Melbourne)
- South Australian National Football League
- April 30: West Torrens 9.12 (66) draws Norwood 8.18 (66) at Thebarton Oval. It is the first senior SANFL drawn match since West Adelaide 15.14 (104) drew with Port Adelaide 16.8 (104) on 24 May 1941.[2] The intervening 788-game gap[3] constitutes easily the longest non-occurrence of draws in SANFL history and is twice as long as the V/AFL or VFA record, but has been bettered twice in the WAFL.
- October 1: Port Adelaide 15.11 (101) defeats Norwood 5.8 (38) for their second consecutive premiership
- West Australian Football League
- October 8: Perth 11.11 (77) defeat East Fremantle 11.9 (75) for their first premiership since 1907 in champion ruckman Merv McIntosh's final match.
- 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.
- Philadelphia Athletics move to Kansas City, Missouri and become the Kansas City Athletics
- April 23 – The White Sox tally a franchise record 29 runs at Kansas City. Sherm Lollar is 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBI, while reserve outfielder Bob Nieman and infielder Walt Dropo drive in seven runs apiece, and Chico Carrasquel hits 5-for-6 with five runs in the 29-6 victory over the Athletics
- World Series – October 4 – The Brooklyn Dodgers win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees; Series MVP is pitcher Johnny Podres, Brooklyn
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship – San Francisco wins 76-73 over La Salle
- NBA Finals – The Syracuse Nationals beat the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 3 to win the NBA title
- Eurobasket 1955, the ninth European basketball championship, is won by Hungary
- March 1 – Allen Fieldhouse opens at the University of Kansas as the Jayhawks defeat Kansas State
- Bayi Basketball Club, officially founded in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.(as predecessor for Bayi Rockets, as known well for professional basketball club in China)[citation needed]
- Brose Bamberg was founded in Bavaria, Germany.[citation needed]
- March 12 to 16 – Boxing at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City
- 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
- Nine-pin bowling World Championships –
- Men's champion: Eberhard Luther, East Germany
- Women’s champion: Franciška Erjavec, Yugoslavia
- Men’s team champion: East Germany
- Women's team champion: East Germany
- Grey Cup – Edmonton Eskimos won 34-19 over the Montreal Alouettes
- Giro d'Italia won by Fiorenzo Magni of Italy
- Tour de France – Louison Bobet of France
- UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race – Stan Ockers of Belgium
- 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
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
- 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
- August 31 – In one of the most famous match races in thoroughbred racing history, Nashua beats Swaps at Washington Park racetrack, Swaps only loss in nine starts as a three-year-old. Nashua's owner-breeder, William Woodward, Jr., dreams of owning a Derby winner, and plans to send Nashua to England to train toward that goal but is shot dead by his wife on October 31 before he can 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:
- Art Ross 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
- 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
- 61st Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Wales
- World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats John Pulman 37-34
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
- March 16 to 20 – Volleyball at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City
- 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
- March 12 to 16 – Second Pan American Games held in Mexico City, Mexico
- Second Mediterranean Games held in Barcelona, Spain
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year – Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, College football
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year – Patty Berg, LPGA golf
References
- ^ Nite, Norm N. (1992). Rock On Almanac: The First Four Decades of Rock 'n' Roll: A Chronology (2nd ed.). New York: Harper Collins. p. 26. ISBN 0-06-273157-2.
- ^ Jervis, Lawrie (1954-08-31). "Redlegs, North Have Played Many Draws". News. Adelaide. p. 43.
- ^ This excludes the wartime competition of 1942 to 1944.