1979

January 2

• 30th New York Islanders' shut-out opponent-Glenn Resch 9-0 versus Vancouver Canucks. [1]
• Gavaskar gets twin tons for India for the third time (versus West Indies). [1]

January 9

• High-school basketball player Daryl Moreau makes 126th consecutive free throw. [1]

January 21

• Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers beat Dallas Cowboys, 35-31 in Miami, Florida; Most Valuable Player: Terry Bradshaw, quarterback. [1]

January 23

• Willie Mays elected to Baseball Hall of Fame. [1] [56]

January 27

• New York Islanders end 23 undefeated games at home streak (15-0-8). [1]

January 29

• 9th NFL Pro Bowl: NFC beats AFC 13-7. [1]

February 2

• Jim Burke, cricketer (Australian opener), commits suicide. [1]

February 3

• Minnesota Twins trade Rod Carew to California Angels for four players. [1]
• US female Figure Skating championship won by Linda Fratianne. [1]
• US male Figure Skating championship won by Charles Tickner. [1]

February 4

• End of last 3+day D/N game for 15 years (WSC, SCG). [1]
• Joanne Carner win LPGA Colgate Triple Crown Golf Tournament. [1]

February 5

• Eddie Paynter, cricketer (20 Tests for England, average 59.23), dies. [1]

February 7

• Faoud Bacchus scores 250 for West Indies versus India at Kanpur. [1]
• Toronto Maple Leafs' Darryl Sittler scores NHL record ten points (6 goals). [1]

February 9

• C I J Smith, cricket all-rounder (5 Tests for England 1935-37), dies. [1]

February 10

• Border is named 12th man for Australia, only Test Cricket he missed. [1]

February 17

• Eric Heiden equals skating world record 1000 metre (1:14.99). [1]

February 18

• Amy Alcott wins LPGA Elizabeth Arden Golf Classic. [1]

February 21

• Two Iowa girls High School basketball teams play four scoreless quarters; the game is won 4-2 in the fourth overtime period. [1]
• Glendon Gibbs, cricketer (Test Cricket West Indies versus Australia 1955), dies. [1]

February 22

• Billy Martin named manager of Oakland Athletics. [1]

February 25

• Jane Blalock wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic. [1]

March 4

• Sally Little wins LPGA Bent Tree Golf Classic. [1]

March 7

• Baseball exhibition season opens with semipro and amateur umpires. [1]
• Warren Giles and Hack Wilson selected to baseball Hall of Fame. [1]

March 8

• Gérard Blitz, Dutch 400 metre swimmer (world record), dies at age 78. [1]

March 9

• Bowie Kuhn orders Major League Baseball to give equal access to female reporters. [1]

March 11

• Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Sunstar Golf Classic. [1]
• Randy Hold receives 67 minutes in penalties in a 60 minute NHL hockey game. [1]

March 13

• New York Islanders' Mike Bossy's 5th career hat trick. [1]

March 15

• New York Islanders' Bryan Trottier's 5th career hat trick. [1]
• Sarfraz takes 9-86 at Melbourne Cricket Ground as Australia lose 7-5 to lose the Test. [1]

March 17

• Merv Inverarity, cricketer (father of John WA player 1925-40), dies. [1]
• World Ice Dance Championship at Vienna won by N Linichuk and G Karponosov (USSR). [1]
• World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship at Vienna won by Tai Babilonia and R Gardner (USA). [1]
• World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Vienna won by Linda Fratianne (USA). [1]
• World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Vienna won by Vladimir Kovalev (USSR). [1]

March 18

• Joanne Carner wins LPGA Honda Civic Golf Classic. [1]

March 22

• NHL votes to accept four WHA teams (Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques, and Hartford Whalers). [1]

March 23

• Larry Holmes TKOs Osvaldo Ocasio in 7 rounds for heavyweight boxing title. [1]

March 24

• Ten rebounds and ten assists, as the Spartans cruise to a 101-67 by University of Pennsylvania; Michigan State's Earvin "Magic" Johnson registers triple-double 29 points. [1]
• First appearance as Australian cricket captain for Kim Hughes. [1]

March 25

• Major riot at Bourda prevents day's play in WSC Supertest. [1]
• Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Sahara National Pro-Am Golf Tournament. [1]

March 26

• 41st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Michigan State Spartans beat Indiana State Sycamores, 75-64 as Magic Johnson outscores Larry Bird, 24-19; this snaps Indiana State's 33-game win streak. [1]
• San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants announce plans to play exhibition series in Tokyo but Giants' players reject it. [1]

March 29

• Andrew Hilditch given out handled the ball versus Pakistan at WACA. [1]
• Delhi beats Karnataka by 399 runs to win Cricket's Ranji Trophy. [1]
• Last day of Test cricket for Mushtaq Mohammad. [1]

April 1

• Joanne Carner wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open. [1]

April 2

• Carroll D Rosenbloom, Los Angeles Rams' president, dies at age 72. [1]
• Ivan Barrow, cricketer (11 Tests for West Indies 1930-39), dies. [1]

April 5

• Baltimore Orioles' manager Earl Weaver wins his 1,000th game as a skipper. [1]

April 6

• M Marie Widlow, softball pitcher (Hall of Fame 1957), dies at age 61. [1]

April 7

• Houston Astros' Ken Forsch pitches no-hitter against Atlanta Braves, 6-0. [1]
• New York Islanders' Mike Bossy scores four goals against Philadelphia Flyers. [1]

April 8

• 8th Colgate Dinah Shore Golf Championship won by Sandra Post. [1]

April 9

• Longest doubles ping-pong match of 101 hours begins. [1]

April 10

• J R Richard throws major league record six wild pitches in Astrodome. [1]

April 13

• Longest doubles ping-pong match ends after 101 hours. [1]

April 15

• 43rd Golf Masters Championship: Fuzzy Zoeller wins, shooting a 280. [1]

April 16

• 15th Mayor's Trophy Game, New York Yankees and New York Mets tie 1-1. [1]
• 83rd Boston Marathon won by Bill Rodgers of Massachusetts in 2:09:27. [1]
• 8th Boston Women's Marathon won by Joan Benoit Samuelson in 2:35:15. [1]

April 19

• Following a 6-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees' Goose Gossage and Cliff Johnson brawl, Gossage sustains a sprained ligament in his left thumb. [1]

April 22

• Jane Blalock wins LPGA Florida Lady Citrus Golf Tournament. [1]

April 29

• Jane Blalock wins LPGA Otey Crisman Golf Classic. [1]

May 1

• Berkeley Bertram McGarrell Gaskin, cricketer (two Tests for West Indies), dies. [1]

May 3

• Bobby Bonds hits his 300th homerun (second to have 300 homeruns and 300 stolen bases). [1]

May 4

• Jackie Mercer wins her fourth golf title 31 years after her first. [1]

May 5

• 105th Kentucky Derby: Ron Franklin on Spectacular Bid wins in 2:02.4. [1]

May 6

• Fred Markham set a bicycle speed record of 81.8 kph over 200 metres. [1]
• Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Women's International Golf Tournament. [1]

May 7

• Gary Roenicke hits into Baltimore Orioles 13th triple play (Oakland Athletics). [1]

May 10

• John McMullen becomes CEO of Houston Astros. [1]

May 12

• Chris Evert's 125-match winning streak on clay comes to an end. [1]

May 13

• Sandra Post wins LPGA Lady Michelob Golf Tournament. [1]

May 16

• FC Barcelona wins 19th Europe Cup II in Basel, Switzerland. [1]
• National League approves Houston Astros sale from Ford Motors to John J McMullen for US$19 million. [1]

May 17

• Philadelphia Phillies beat Chicago Cubs, 23-22, on 50 hits with 11 homeruns. [1] [56]

May 19

• 105th Preakness: Ron Franklin aboard Spectacular Bid wins in 1:54.2. [1]
• After a bitter six-week strike, the major league umpires return to work. [56]

May 20

• Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Coca-Cola Golf Classic. [1]

May 21

• Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens beat New York Rangers, 4 games to 1. [1]

May 22

• Commencement of first ICC Trophy (PNG versus East Africa and Singapore versus Argentina). [1]

May 23

• First edition of Wisden Cricket Monthly. [1]
• Borussia Mönchengladbach wins 8th UEFA Cup at Düsseldorf. [1]

May 24

• Billy Martin issues a public apology to Reno sportswriter Ray Hagar. [1]

May 25

• Raul Gonzáles of México completes 50,000-metre walk in record 3:41:38.4. [1]

May 27

• Penny Pulz wins LPGA Corning Golf Classic. [1]

May 29

• At Dodger Stadium, Dusty Baker, Rick Sutcliffe, Steve Garvey, Gary Thomasson, Derrel Thomas, Joe Ferguson and Davey Lopes set a team record by hitting seven home runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers crush the Cincinnati Reds 17-6. [56]

May 30

• Nottingham Forrest wins 24th Europe Cup 1 at Munich, Germany. [1]
• Pat Underwood makes his pitching debut for Detroit Tigers, beats brother Tom. [1]

May 31

• Nigel Howard, cricketer (England captain 1951-52 tour of India), dies. [1]

June 1

• Seattle Supersonics beat Washington Bullets for NBA championship, 4 games to 1. [1]

June 6

• 200th running of horse-racing's Derby in England. [1]
• Willie Horton becomes 43rd player to hit 300 home runs in the majors. [1]

June 9

• Philadelphia Phillies wear burgundy uniforms for first and last time. [1]
• Willie Horton is honored at Seattle's Kingdome. [1]

June 10

• Baltimore Orioles pull their 8th triple play (5-4-3 versus Cleveland Indians). [1]

June 16

• Carl Yastrzemski hits his 1,000th extra base hit. [1]

June 18

• Billy Martin returns to dugout to manage the New York Yankees for second time. [56]

June 22

• Pro Football Researchers Association founded at Canton, Ohio. [1]

July 17

• National League beats American League 7-6 in 50th All Star Game (Kingdome, Seattle, Washington). [1]
• Sebastian Coe runs world record 3:49 mile in Oslo, Norway. [1]

July 28

• Dave Kingman becomes 6th to have a second three home run game. [1]

August 5

• Willie Mays, Warren Giles and Hack Wilson are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. [56]

August 13

• Lou Brock gets his 3,000th career hit. [1]

August 24

• NFL fans (60,916) choose old New England Patriots' logo over new. [1]

August 25

• California Angels trounce Toronto Blue Jays, 24-2. [1]

September 1

• California Angels' infielder Carney Lansford hits three consecutive home runs as California downs the Cleveland Indians, 7-4. [56]

September 2

• With his 145th career pinch-hit, Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Mota sets a major league record. [56]

September 9

• John McEnroe beats Vitas Gerulaitis for the US Open Tennis title. [1]

September 12

• Indiana Pacers cut Ann Meyers, first woman on an NBA club. [1]
• Pietro Mennea of Italy sets the 200m record (19.72) in Mexico City. [1]
• Boston Red Sox Carl Yastrzemski gets his 3,000th hit off New York Yankees' pitcher Jim Beattie. [1]

September 15

• Boston Red Sox player Bob Watson is first to hit for the cycle in American League and National League (Houston Astros). [1]

September 16

• Catfish Hunter Day at Yankee Stadium. [1]

September 23

• Lou Brock steals base number 938 to break Billy Hamilton's record in a 10-inning Saint Louis victory over the New York Mets, 7-4. [56]

September 25

• The California Angels defeat the Kansas City Royals, 4-1, to win their first American League West title. [56]

September 26

• 1984 summer Los Angeles Olympic coverage sold to ABC for US$225 million. [1]

September 28

• Larry Holmes (retain championship) knocks out Earnie Shavers in 11 rounds. [1]

October 6

• Harry Drake sets long distance footbow shot record of 2,006 yards 1 foot 9 inches. [1]

October 10

• Quebec Nordiques' Real Cloutier sets NHL record of a hat trick in first game. [1]

October 14

• Philadelphia Flyers start 35 game unbeaten streak beating Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. [1]
• NHL's Wayne Gretsky scores his first NHL goal. [1]

October 15

• First Monday night game from New York City, New York Jets beat Minnesota Vikings 14-7 (Shea Stadium). [1]
• New York Knicks retire second number, 10, Walt Frazier. [1]

October 17

• D Bautista of Mexico completes 20,000-metre walk in record 1:20:06.8. [1]
• Pittsburgh Pirates beat Baltimore Orioles, 4 games to 3 in 76th World Series. [1]

October 21

• Greta Waitz wins woman participation in New York City marathon (2:27:33). [1]

October 24

• Billy Martin punches a marshmallow salesman, puts job in jeopardy. [1]

October 27

• New York Islanders score two goals within 6 seconds, three goals within 44 seconds. [1]

October 28

• Billy Martin fired as New York Yankees' manager (second time), replaced by Dick Howser. [1] [56]

October 29

• Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Mays severs all ties with major league baseball when he accepts a public relations job with Atlantic City casino. [56]

November 1

• Edward Bennett Williams buys the Baltimore Orioles for a reported US$12.3 million from Jerold Hoffberger. [56]

November 12

• Tony Franklin of Philadelphia Eagles kicks 59-yard field goal. [1]

November 13

• For the first time in major league history two players are named co-winners of National League MVP award as Saint Louis Cardinals' first baseman Keith Hernandez shares the honor with outfielder Pittsburgh Pirates' Willie Stargell. [56]

November 17

• New York Stars (Women's Professional Basketball League) home opener at Madison Square Gardens in New York City. [1]

November 19

• Former California Angels' player Nolan Ryan becomes the first free agent to sign a million dollars per year contract with a new team. [56]

November 24

• Los Angeles Kings' Charley Simmer fails on 8th penalty shot against New York Islanders. [1]

December 2

• Foots Walker becomes the first Cleveland Cavaliers' player to score a triple-double. [1]

December 3

• 45th Heisman Trophy Award: Charles White, Southern California (RB). [1]

December 4

• Cleveland Cavaliers retire jersey number 7, Bingo Smith. [1]

December 9

• Murle Breer/Dave Eichelberger win LPGA J C Penney Golf Classic. [1]

December 11

• Geoff Boycott scores cricket century in a limited-over international. [1]

December 14

• Nirode Ranjan Chowdhury, cricketer (two Tests for India, average 205), dies. [1]

December 16

• 68th Davis Cup: USA beats Italy in San Francisco (5-0). [1]
• Quarterback Roger Staubach's last regular season game with the Dallas Cowboys. [1]

December 21

• Bill Anderson, cricketer (Test for New Zealand 1946, scored five and one), dies. [1]
• Gary Unger plays in record 914th consecutive NHL game. [1]

December 23

• New York Islanders' greatest shutout loss (8-0) versus Chicago Black Hawks. [1]

December 25

• Opening day of fourth Test Cricket, India 8-112 versus Pakistan at Kanpur. [1]

December 27

• Red Army beats New York Rangers 5-2 at Madison Square Garden. [1]

December 29

• Red Army beats New York Islanders 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum. [1]