Auto Racing Stock car racing: Richard Petty wins the Daytona 500 in which singer Marty Robbins made his first appearance as a driver. NASCAR Championship - Benny Parsons Indianapolis 500 - Gordon Johncock USAC Racing - Roger McCluskey Formula One Championship - Jackie Stewart of Great Britain 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Henri Pescarolo / Gérard Larrousse won, driving a Matra MS670B Rally racing - Jean-Claude Andruet / Michele Petit ("Biche") won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Alpine-Renault A110. This year's rally was the first ever FIA World Rally Championship event. Drag racing - Don Garlits won "Top Fuel" at the NHRA Supernationals Baseball World Series: Oakland Athletics won 4 games to 3 over the New York Mets The American League uses the designated hitter rule for the first time. Ron Blomberg is the first player to bat as a DH. Basketball NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA wins 87-66 over Memphis NBA Finals: New York Knicks won 4 games to 1 over the Los Angeles Lakers Boxing January 22 - George Foreman beats Joe Frazier by a knockout in two rounds to lift the world's Heavyweight championship from Frazier. It is HBO Boxing's first telecast. Cycling Tour de France - Luis Ocaña of Spain World Cycling Championship: Felice Gimondi, of Italy Figure Skating World Figure Skating Championships: Men's champion: Ondrej Nepala, Czechoslovakia Women's champion: Karen Magnussen, Canada Pairs champions: Irina Rodnina & Alexander Saizew, Soviet Union Football (Soccer) England - FA Cup: Sunderland wins 1-0 over Leeds United Football (American) O. J. Simpson becomes the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season. Super Bowl VII: Miami Dolphins won 14-7 over the Washington Redskins Canadian Football League Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders win 22-18 over the Edmonton Eskimos Vanier Cup: St. Mary's Huskies win 14-6 over the McGill Redmen Golf Men's Golf Grand Slam of golf results: May - The Masters - Tommy Aaron June - US Open - Johnny Miller July - British Open - Tom Weiskopf August - PGA Championship - Jack Nicklaus PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Jack Nicklaus - $308,362 Ryder Cup: United States won 19-13 over Britain & Ireland in world team golf. Women's Golf US Women's Open - Susie Berning LPGA Championship - Mary Mills Kathy Whitworth: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $82,854 Thoroughbred Horse Racing Australia - Melbourne Cup - Gala Supreme Canada - Queen's Plate - Royal Chocolate France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Rheingold Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Weaver's Hall English Triple Crown Races: Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Mon Fils Epsom Derby - Morston St. Leger Stakes - Peleid Secretariat, ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, becomes the first horse in 25 years to win the United States Triple Crown Races: Kentucky Derby - Secretariat Preakness Stakes - Secretariat Belmont Stakes - Secretariat Harness Racing United States Pacing Triple Crown races: Cane Pace - Smog Little Brown Jug - Melvin's Woe Messenger Stakes - Valiant Bret United States Trotting Triple Crown races: Hambletonian - Flirth Yonkers Trot Kentucky Futurity Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship: Pacers: Hondo Grattan Trotters: Precocious Ice Hockey Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Clarke - Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup - Montreal Canadiens defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4 games to 2 World Hockey Association: AVCO Cup - New England Whalers defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4 games to 1 for first league championship. World Hockey Championship: Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden Skiing Alpine Skiing The men's overall season champion: Gustavo Thoeni, Italy The women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria Tennis Grand Slam in tennis mens results: Australian Open - John Newcombe French Open - Ilie Nastase Wimbledon championships - Jan Kodes US Open - John Newcombe Grand Slam in tennis womens results: Australian Open - Margaret Smith Court French Open - Margaret Smith Court Wimbledon championships - Billie Jean King US Open - Margaret Smith Court Davis Cup: Australia wins 5-0 over the United States in world tennis. General sporting events Ray Reardon won the World Professional Snooker Championship Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion: Dick Wilmarth won with lead dog: Hotfoot Births February 26 - Jenny Thompson, U.S. Olympic swimmer February 26 - Marshall Faulk, American football star February 28 - Eric Lindros, ice hockey star April 24 - Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricketerer May 1 - Oliver Neuville, soccer player, German National Soccer Team May 10 - Dario Franchitti, automobile racer October 22 - Ichiro Suzuki, Japanese baseball star, American League MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001 December 2 - Monica Seles, Yugoslavia-born American tennis champion Deaths February 8 - Herbie Taylor, South African cricketer March 12 - Frankie Frisch, Major League Baseball player (1919-1937) March 26 - George Sisler, Major League Baseball hall of famer (1915-1930) July 2 - Swede Savage 26, USAC race car driver July 8 - Wilfred Rhodes, English cricketer July 29 - F1 driver, Roger Williamson burns to death at the Dutch Grand Prix August 7 - Wilbur Cooper, Major League Baseball pitcher (1912-1926) August 9 - Charlie Daniels, U.S Olympic Gold medal swimmer October 2 - Paavo Nurmi, Finnish runner December 16 - Syd Barnes, Australian cricketer
Football (Soccer) England - FA Cup: Sunderland wins 1-0 over Leeds United Football (American) O. J. Simpson becomes the first player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season. Super Bowl VII: Miami Dolphins won 14-7 over the Washington Redskins Canadian Football League Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders win 22-18 over the Edmonton Eskimos Vanier Cup: St. Mary's Huskies win 14-6 over the McGill Redmen Golf Men's Golf Grand Slam of golf results: May - The Masters - Tommy Aaron June - US Open - Johnny Miller July - British Open - Tom Weiskopf August - PGA Championship - Jack Nicklaus PGA tour's leading money winner for the year: Jack Nicklaus - $308,362 Ryder Cup: United States won 19-13 over Britain & Ireland in world team golf. Women's Golf US Women's Open - Susie Berning LPGA Championship - Mary Mills Kathy Whitworth: leading money winner on the LPGA tour, earning $82,854 Thoroughbred Horse Racing Australia - Melbourne Cup - Gala Supreme Canada - Queen's Plate - Royal Chocolate France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Rheingold Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Weaver's Hall English Triple Crown Races: Two Thousand Guineas Stakes - Mon Fils Epsom Derby - Morston St. Leger Stakes - Peleid Secretariat, ridden by jockey Ron Turcotte, becomes the first horse in 25 years to win the United States Triple Crown Races: Kentucky Derby - Secretariat Preakness Stakes - Secretariat Belmont Stakes - Secretariat Harness Racing United States Pacing Triple Crown races: Cane Pace - Smog Little Brown Jug - Melvin's Woe Messenger Stakes - Valiant Bret United States Trotting Triple Crown races: Hambletonian - Flirth Yonkers Trot Kentucky Futurity Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship: Pacers: Hondo Grattan Trotters: Precocious Ice Hockey Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Bobby Clarke - Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup - Montreal Canadiens defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4 games to 2 World Hockey Association: AVCO Cup - New England Whalers defeat the Winnipeg Jets 4 games to 1 for first league championship. World Hockey Championship: Men's champion: Soviet Union defeated Sweden Skiing Alpine Skiing The men's overall season champion: Gustavo Thoeni, Italy The women's overall season champion: Annemarie Pröll, Austria Tennis Grand Slam in tennis mens results: Australian Open - John Newcombe French Open - Ilie Nastase Wimbledon championships - Jan Kodes US Open - John Newcombe Grand Slam in tennis womens results: Australian Open - Margaret Smith Court French Open - Margaret Smith Court Wimbledon championships - Billie Jean King US Open - Margaret Smith Court Davis Cup: Australia wins 5-0 over the United States in world tennis. General sporting events Ray Reardon won the World Professional Snooker Championship Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion: Dick Wilmarth won with lead dog: Hotfoot Births February 26 - Jenny Thompson, U.S. Olympic swimmer February 26 - Marshall Faulk, American football star February 28 - Eric Lindros, ice hockey star April 24 - Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricketerer May 1 - Oliver Neuville, soccer player, German National Soccer Team May 10 - Dario Franchitti, automobile racer October 22 - Ichiro Suzuki, Japanese baseball star, American League MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001 December 2 - Monica Seles, Yugoslavia-born American tennis champion Deaths February 8 - Herbie Taylor, South African cricketer March 12 - Frankie Frisch, Major League Baseball player (1919-1937) March 26 - George Sisler, Major League Baseball hall of famer (1915-1930) July 2 - Swede Savage 26, USAC race car driver July 8 - Wilfred Rhodes, English cricketer July 29 - F1 driver, Roger Williamson burns to death at the Dutch Grand Prix August 7 - Wilbur Cooper, Major League Baseball pitcher (1912-1926) August 9 - Charlie Daniels, U.S Olympic Gold medal swimmer October 2 - Paavo Nurmi, Finnish runner December 16 - Syd Barnes, Australian cricketer
Men's Golf
General sporting events Ray Reardon won the World Professional Snooker Championship Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Champion: Dick Wilmarth won with lead dog: Hotfoot Births February 26 - Jenny Thompson, U.S. Olympic swimmer February 26 - Marshall Faulk, American football star February 28 - Eric Lindros, ice hockey star April 24 - Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricketerer May 1 - Oliver Neuville, soccer player, German National Soccer Team May 10 - Dario Franchitti, automobile racer October 22 - Ichiro Suzuki, Japanese baseball star, American League MVP and Rookie of the Year in 2001 December 2 - Monica Seles, Yugoslavia-born American tennis champion Deaths February 8 - Herbie Taylor, South African cricketer March 12 - Frankie Frisch, Major League Baseball player (1919-1937) March 26 - George Sisler, Major League Baseball hall of famer (1915-1930) July 2 - Swede Savage 26, USAC race car driver July 8 - Wilfred Rhodes, English cricketer July 29 - F1 driver, Roger Williamson burns to death at the Dutch Grand Prix August 7 - Wilbur Cooper, Major League Baseball pitcher (1912-1926) August 9 - Charlie Daniels, U.S Olympic Gold medal swimmer October 2 - Paavo Nurmi, Finnish runner December 16 - Syd Barnes, Australian cricketer