October: National League pennant playoff: After finishing tied for the league lead, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants played-off for the title. The Giants won the series 2 games to 1, thereby winning the National League championship.
March 24 – Emile Griffith regained the World Welterweight Championship by knocking out Benny the "Kid" Paret in the 12th round. Paret died ten days later on April 3 as a result of severe head injuries sustained in the fight.
September 25 – Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson, two minutes and six seconds into the first round, to become World Heavyweight Champion.
February 20 – Australian swimming ace Kevin Berry takes over the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) from USA's Carl Robie at a meet in Melbourne, clocking 2:12.5.
August 11 – Carl Robie regains the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) and betters the world's best time twice in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, clocking 2:12.4 and, eventually, 2:10.8.
August 19 – US swimmer Sharon Finneran breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) during a meet in Chicago, Illinois – 2:31.2.
August 25 – Sharon Finneran breaks her own world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) during a meet in Los Altos, California – 2:30.7.
October 23 – Australia's Kevin Berry takes over the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) once again, clocking 2:09.7 at a meet in Melbourne, Victoria.
The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Weatherly defeats Australian challenger Gretel, of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, 4 races to 1; it is the first time in 81 years a country other than Great Britain has challenged for the Cup
