1955 in sports

Last updated July 30, 2025

1955 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.^[1]

American football

NFL Championship: the Cleveland Browns won 38–14 over the Los Angeles Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Rose Bowl (1954 season):
- The Ohio State Buckeyes win 20–7 over the Southern California Trojans to win the AP Poll national championship

Association football

England

First Division – Chelsea win the 1954–55 title
FA Cup – Newcastle United beat Manchester City 3-1

Peru

Sporting Cristal was founded.^[2]

Athletics

March 12 to 16 – Athletics at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City

Australian rules football

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.^[3] The intervening 788-game gap^[4] 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.

Bandy

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.

Baseball

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

Basketball

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.^[5]

Boxing

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

Bowling

Nine-pin bowling

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

Canadian football

Grey Cup – Edmonton Eskimos won 34–19 over the Montreal Alouettes

Cycling

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

Figure skating

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

Golf

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

British Amateur – Joe Conrad
U.S. Amateur – Harvie Ward

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

Harness racing

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.
1. Hambletonian – Scott Frost
2. Yonkers Trot – Scott Frost
3. Kentucky Futurity – Scott Frost
Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship –
- Pacers: Tactician
- Trotters: Battle Cry

Horse racing

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

Cheltenham Gold Cup – Gay Donald
Grand National – Quare Times

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:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes – Our Babu
2. The Derby – Phil Drake ^[6]
3. St. Leger Stakes – Meld
United States Triple Crown Races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Swaps
2. Preakness Stakes – Nashua
3. Belmont Stakes – Nashua

Ice hockey

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

Motorsport

Rugby league

Rugby union

61st Five Nations Championship series is shared by France and Wales

Snooker

World Snooker Championship – Fred Davis beats John Pulman 37-34

Tennis

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

French Men's Singles Championship – Tony Trabert (USA) defeats Sven Davidson (Sweden) 2–6, 6–1, 6–4, 6–2
French Women's Singles Championship – Angela Mortimer (Great Britain) defeats Dorothy Head Knode (USA) 2–6, 7–5, 10–8

USA

American Men's Singles Championship – Tony Trabert (USA) defeats Ken Rosewall (USA) 9–7, 6–3, 6–3
American Women's Singles Championship – Doris Hart (USA) defeats Patricia Ward Hales (Great Britain) 6–4, 6–2

Davis Cup

1955 Davis Cup – Australia 5–0 United States at West Side Tennis Club (grass) New York City, United States

Volleyball

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

Multi-sport events

Second Pan American Games held in Mexico City, Mexico ^[7]
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.
↑ Arbena, Joseph (1999). Latin American Sport: An Annotated Bibliography, 1988-1998. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-313-29611-6.
↑ Jervis, Lawrie (1954-08-31). "Redlegs, North Have Played Many Draws". News. Adelaide. p. 43.
↑ This excludes the wartime competition of 1942 to 1944.
↑ "Olympedia – Brose Baskets, Bamberg (GER)". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
↑ "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
↑ "FAQ: What are the Pan American Games?". Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

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[1] 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.

[2] Arbena, Joseph (1999). Latin American Sport: An Annotated Bibliography, 1988-1998. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-313-29611-6.

[3] Jervis, Lawrie (1954-08-31). "Redlegs, North Have Played Many Draws". News. Adelaide. p. 43.

[4] This excludes the wartime competition of 1942 to 1944.

[5] "Olympedia – Brose Baskets, Bamberg (GER)". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 20 February 2021.

[6] "Epsom Derby | History, Winners, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

[7] "FAQ: What are the Pan American Games?". Team Canada - Official Olympic Team Website. Retrieved 3 January 2022.

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1955 in sports

Contents

England

Awards

References