References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 August 9.

1961 January 1 Briggs Stadium is renamed Tigers Stadium. [1] January 2 First AFL Championship Game, Houston Oilers beat Los Angeles Chargers 24-16. [1] Bob Catterall, cricketer (1555 runs/24 Tests for South Africa 1922-31), dies. [1] January 7 First NFL Playoff Bowl (runner-up bowl)-Detroit Lions beats Cleveland Browns 17-16. [1] January 9 Minnesota Twins agree on US$500,000 payment to AA for Minneapolis/St Paul territory. [1] January 14 Chicago Bears' Willard Dewveall becomes first NFL player to join the AFL. [1] January 15 NFL Pro Bowl: West beats East 35-31. [1] Suggs wins LPGA Sea Island Women's Golf Invitational Open. [1] January 25 Louise Suggs wins LPGA Naples Pro-Am Golf Tournament. [1] January 26 Morris Nichols, cricketer (41 wickets in 14 Tests for England 1930-39), dies. [1] January 29 US female Figure Skating championship won by Laurence Owen. [1] US male Figure Skating championship won by Bradley Lord. [1] January 30 Lance Gibbs takes hat-trick (Mackay, Grout, Misson) at Adelaide. [1] January 31 Houston voters approve bond to finance luxury domed stadium. [1] Kanhai completes twin tons (117 and 115) vs Australia at Adelaide. [1] February 1 Mackay and Kline hang on for 100 minutes for cricket draw vs West Indies. [1] February 10 AFL's Los Angeles Chargers move to San Diego. [1] February 12 Boston Celtics' player Bill Russell grabs 40 rebounds to beat Philadelphia Warriors 136-125. [1] Mickey Wright wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Golf Open. [1] Mushtaq Mohammad scores first Test Cricket century at age 17 years 82 days. [1] February 14 Louise Suggs wins LPGA Royal Poinciana Golf Invitational. [1] February 15 Australia beat West Indies 2-1 in one of best Test Cricket series ever. [1] Entire US figure skating team of 18 dies in Belgian Sabena 707 crash. [1] Marubel Vinaon Owen, figure skater (Olympics-silver-1932), dies. [1] February 19 Henk van der Grift (Netherlands) becomes world champion all-around skater. [1] February 23 Wilf Ferguson, cricket leg spinner (34 wickets for West Indies), dies. [1] February 25 Niagara ends Saint Bonaventura's 99-game home basketball win streak. [1] February 27 Platt Adams, high jumper (Olympics-gold-1912), dies. [1] March 11 NHL record 40 penalties, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs (20 each). [1] March 12 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Miami Golf Open. [1] March 13 Floyd Patterson knocks out Ingemar Johansson in six rounds to retain heavyweight boxing title. [1] March 14 George Weiss becomes president of New York Mets. [1] March 17 New York district attorney arrests professional gamblers who implicate Seton Hall players. [1] March 21 Art Modell purchases Cleveland Browns for record (US$3,925,000). [1] March 23 A C Russell, cricketer (10 Tests for England 910 runs), dies. [1] March 24 New York Senate approves US$55 million for a baseball stadium at Flushing Meadows. [1] March 25 23rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State 70-65 (overtime). [1] Third place game is one of the wildest contests in NCAA Tournament history as Saint Joseph's defeats Utah 127-120 in four overtimes. [1] March 26 Louise Suggs wins LPGA Golden Circle of Golf Festival. [1] April 3 Connie Mack Stadium in Philadelphia is sold to J Schleifer Properties. [1] April 10 25th Golf Masters Championship: Gary Player wins, shooting a 280. [1] New Washington Senators loses first regular-season game 4-3 to Chicago White Sox. [1] April 11 15th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Saint Louis Hawks, 4 games to 1. [1] April 12 Douglas MacArthur declines offer to become baseball commissioner. [1] April 16 Louise Suggs wins LPGA Dallas Civitan Golf Open. [1] NHL Stanley Cup: Chicago Blackhawks beat Detroit Red Wings, 4 games to 2. [1] April 19 65th Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:23:39. [1] April 23 Mary Lena Faulk wins LPGA Babe Didrikson-Zaharias Golf Open. [1] April 27 NFL officially recognizes Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. [1] April 28 Warren Spahn pitches second no-hitter at age 41, beats San Francisco Giants, 1-0. [1] April 30 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship. [1] San Francisco Giants' Willie Mays hits four homeruns in a game. [1] May 2 J C White, cricketer (49 wickets in 15 Tests for England 1921-31), dies. [1] May 3 Warren Spahn pitches a two hitter after pitching a no hitter. [1] May 6 87th Kentucky Derby: John Sellers aboard Carry Back wins in 2:04. [1] May 7 Ruth Jessen wins LPGA Peach Blossom Golf Open. [1] May 9 Baltimore Orioles' player Jim Gentile hits two grand slams (nine RBIs) vs Minnesota Twins. [1] May 12 Botvinnik wins world chess championship for third time. [1] May 14 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Columbus Golf Open. [1] May 20 87th Preakness: Johnny Sellers aboard Carry Back wins in 1:57.6. [1] May 27 Fiorentina wins first Europe Cup II in Florence. [1] Ralph Boston of the US sets long jump record at 27 feet 0.5 inches. [1] May 28 Record 27 homeruns hit in seven American League games. [1] May 31 Benfica wins 6th Europe Cup 1 at Bern, Switzerland. [1] June 11 Norm Cash becomes first Detroit Tigers' player to hit a ball out of Tiger Stadium. [1] June 23 Philadelphia Phillies overcome 9-0, losing 11-2 they score 4 in 8th and six in 9th. [1] June 25 Baltimore Orioles and California Angels use a record 16 pitchers in a game (8 each) in 14 innings. [1] June 28 Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants set then record longest night game (5:11) 7-7 15-inning tie. [1] July 13 National League beats American League 5-4 (10 innings) in 30th All Star Game (San Francisco, Candlestick Park). [1] July 16 Ralph Boston of the US sets long jump record at 27 feet 2 inches. [1] July 17 New York Yankee's Roger Maris loses a home run (of his 61) due to a rain-out in 5th. [1] Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers' hall of fame baseball player, dies at age 75. [1] [5] July 25 New York Yankee's Roger Maris hits home runs 37, 38, 39 and 40 in a double header. [1] July 31 Second All Star Game of 1961 ends 1-1 due to rain at Fenway Park. [1] August 2 Saint Louis Cardinals (NFL) beat Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League) 36-7 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [1] August 5 Chicago Bears (NFL) beat Montreal Alouettes (Canadian Football League) 34-16 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [1] August 8 Hamilton Tigercats (Canadian Football League) beat Buffalo Bills (NFL) 38-21 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. [1] August 11 Warren Spahn records victory number 300, beats Chicago Cubs 2-1. [1] August 14 Philadelphia Phillies lose 17th straight game. [1] August 20 Philadelphia Phillies set dubious record of 23 straight losses. [1] August 22 New York Yankee's Roger Maris hits his 50th of 61 homers. [1] August 26 Official International Hockey Hall of Fame opens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [1] August 28 Thomas Connolly, first baseball umpire elected to hall of fame, dies. [1] August 30 Baltimore Orioles' player Jack Fisher walks 12 Los Angeles Angels' players in a 9-inning game. [1] September 17 Minnesota Vikings' first NFL game (beat Chicago Bears 37-13). [1] September 20 After 84 1/3 innings Bill Fischer gives up a base on balls. [1] New York Yankee's Roger Maris hits home run number 59 and barely misses number 60 in game 154 of the season. New York Yankees clinch pennant 26. [1] September 26 New York Yankee's Roger Maris hits home run number 60 off Jack Fisher, tying Babe Ruth's record. [1] October 1 New York Yankee's Roger Maris sets record of 61 home runs, last off of Tracy Stallard. [1] October 9 New York Yankees beat Cincinnati Reds, four games to one in 58th World Series. [1] New York Yankees' Whitey Ford breaks Babe Ruth's record of 29 2/3 consecutive innings. [1] October 27 American Basketball League starts play. [1] October 28 Ground broken for Municipal (Shea) Stadium for New York Mets. [1] November 9 PGA eliminates Caucasians only rule. [1] November 19 Houston Oilers' George Blanda passes for seven touchdowns versus New York Titans (49-13). [1] November 25 NBA's Bob Cousy becomes second player to score 15,000 points. [1] November 27 Gordie Howe becomes first to play in 1,000 NHL games. [1] December 2 First overtime Grey Cup game (Winnipeg Blue Bombers 21, Hamilton Tiger Cats 14). [1] December 3 Anton Geesink becomes first not-Japanese judo world champion. [1] George Blanda of Houston Oilers kicks 55-yard field goal. [1] December 4 Floyd Patterson knocks out Tom McNeeley in four rounds for heavyweight boxing title. [1] Smallest New York Knicks crowd at 49th Steet Madison Square Garden - 1,300 (due to snowstorm). [1] December 6 27th Heisman Trophy Award: Ernie Davis, Syracuse (HB). [1] December 8 Larry Costello scores 32 consecutive points without a miss (NBA record). [1] South Africa vs New Zealand, Durban debuts for Eddie Barlow and Peter Pollock. [1] Wilt Chamberlain scores the second highest total in the NBA - 78. [1] December 9 Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Philadelphia Warriors scores 67 points vs New York Knicks. [1] December 10 Houston Oilers' Billy Cannon gains record 373 yards against New York Titans. [1] December 15 William "Dummy" Hoy, professional baseball player, dies at age 99. [1] December 18 For second consecutive year, Associated Press names Wilma Rudolph female athlete of year. [1] Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Philadelphia Warriors scores 78 points versus Los Angeles Lakers. [1] December 24 Houston Oilers beat San Diego Chargers 10-3 in AFL championship game. [1] December 26 Charlie Frank, cricketer (South Africa Test centurion vs Australia 1921-22), dies. [1] December 31 Green Bay Packers shutout New York Giants 37-0 in NFL championship game. [1]