| Years in sports: | 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 |
| Centuries: | 19th century · 20th century · 21st century |
| Decades: | 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s |
| Years: | 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 |
Athletics
Marathon
- March 19 –
Pan American Games Marathon, Mexico City, Mexico
- Men's Winner: Doroteo Flores (GUA) 2:59:10
- August 27 –
Enschede Marathon, Netherlands
- Men's Winner: Reinaldo Gorno (ARG) 2:26:33
- December 11 –
Fukuoka Marathon, Japan
- Men's Winner: Veikko Karvonen (FIN) 2:23:16
Auto Racing
- NASCAR Championship - Tim Flock
- AAA Racing:
- Bob Sweikert won the Indianapolis 500
- Bob Sweikert won the season championship
- Formula One Championship - Juan Manuel Fangio of Argentina
- 24 hours of Le Mans:
- Pierre Levegh killed along with more than 80 spectators in the worst auto racing accident in history
- the team of Mike Hawthorn / Ivor Bueb won, driving a Jaguar D-type
- Rally racing:
- the team of Per Malling / Gunnar Fadum won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Sunbeam-Talbot
- Drag racing - The NHRA staged its first "Nationals" in Great Bend, Kansas. Calvin Rice won the inaugural "Top Fuel" championship.
Baseball
- April 23: The White Sox tallied a franchise record 29 runs at Kansas City. Sherm Lollar was 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBI, while reserve outfielder Bob Nieman and infielder Walt Dropo drove in seven runs apiece, and Chico Carrasquel hit 5-for-6 with five runs, in the 29-6 victory over the Athletics.
- World Series:October 4 - Brooklyn Dodgers win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is pitcher Johnny Podres, Brooklyn.
Basketball
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- San Francisco wins 76-73 over La Salle
- NBA Finals|NBA Finals:
- Syracuse Nationals win 4-3 over the Fort Wayne Pistons
- The ninth European basketball championship, Eurobasket 1955, is won by Hungary.
- March 1: Allen Fieldhouse opens at the University of Kansas as the Jayhawks defeat Kansas State.
Boxing
- March 12 to 16 – Pan American Games held in Mexico City, Mexico.
- Flyweight (– 51 kg): Hilario Correa (Mexico)
- Bantamweight (– 54 kg): Salvador Enriquez (Venezuela)
- Featherweight (– 57 kg): Osvaldo Cañete (Argentina)
- Lightweight (– 60 kg): Miguel Angel Péndola (Argentina)
- Light Welterweight (– 63.5 kg): Juan Carlos Rivero (Argentina)
- Welterweight (– 67 kg): James Dorando (United States)
- Light Middleweight (– 71 kg): Paul Wright (United States)
- Middleweight (– 75 kg): Orville Pitts (United States)
- Light Heavyweight (– 81 kg): Luis Ingnacio (Brazil)
- Heavyweight (+ 81 kg): Pablo Alexis Miteff (Argentina)
- 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.
Cycling
- Giro d'Italia won by Fiorenzo Magni of Italy
- Tour de France - Louison Bobet of France
- World Cycling Championship: 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
Football (American)
- NFL Championship: Cleveland Browns won 38-14 over the Los Angeles Rams
- Oklahoma Sooners - college football champions.
Football (Australian rules football)
- Victorian Football League
- Melbourne wins the 59th VFL Premiership (Melbourne 8.16 (64) d Collingwood 5.6 (36))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Fred Goldsmith (South Melbourne)
Football (Canadian)
- Grey Cup: Edmonton Eskimos won 34-19 over the Montreal Alouettes
Football (soccer)
England
- First Division - Chelsea win the 1954-55 title.
- FA Cup - Newcastle United beat Manchester City 3-1.
Golf
Men's professional
- April 7-10 - Masters Tournament - Cary Middlecoff
- June 16-19 - U.S. Open - Jack Fleck
- July 5-8 - British Open - Peter Thomson
- July 26 - 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
Thoroughbred Horse Racing
- Australia - Melbourne Cup - Toparoa
- Canada - Queen's Plate - Ace Marine
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Ribot
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Panaslipper
- English Triple Crown Races:
- 2,000 Guineas Stakes - Our Babu
- Epsom Derby - Phil Drake
- St. Leger Stakes - Meld
- August 31 - In one of the most famous match races in thoroughbred racing history, Nashua beat Swaps at Washington Park racetrack. It was Swaps only loss in nine starts as a three-year old. Nashua's owner-breeder, William Woodward, Sr., dreamed of owning an Epsom Derby winner, and he planned to send Nashua to England to train toward that goal. However, Woodward was shot to death by his wife before he could proceed.
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.
- Australian Inter Dominion Harness Racing Championship:
- Pacers: Tactician
- Trotters: Battle Cry
Ice Hockey
- Art Ross Memorial 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, CO
Snooker
- World Snooker Championship: Fred Davis beats John Pulman 37-34
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
- Australian Open - Beryl Penrose
- French Open - Angela Mortimer
- Wimbledon championships - Louise Brough
- US Open - Doris Hart
- Davis Cup: Australia wins 5-0 over the United States in world tennis
Volleyball
- Pan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico
- Men's Tournament
- Gold Medal:
United States - Silver Medal: Mexico
- Bronze Medal:
Brazil
- Gold Medal:
- Women's Tournament
- Gold Medal: Mexico
- Silver Medal: United States
- Bronze Medal: Brazil
- Gold Medal:
- Men's Tournament
Multi-sport events
- Second Pan American Games held in Mexico City, Mexico
- 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
Births
January
- January 2 — Jinty Stewart, Scottish field hockey goalkeeper
- January 3 — Frances Edmonds, British sports writer
- January 6 — Kunimitsu Ito, Japanese long-distance runner
- January 8 — Pedro Gamarro, Venezuelan boxer
- January 10 — Tjeerd Borstlap, Dutch field hockey player
- January 12 — Gerhard Hartmann, Austrian long-distance runner
- January 12 — Jan van Houwelingen, Dutch road bicycle racer
- January 14 — Terry Albritton, American shot putter (d. 2005)
- January 14 — Dominique Rocheteau, French soccer player
- January 16 — Klaus-Dieter Kurrat, East German athlete
- January 16 — Armando Guevara, Venezuelan boxer
- January 17 — Henryk Średnicki, Polish boxer
- January 19 — Uwe Reinders, German soccer player
- January 21 — Peter Fleming, American tennis player
- January 21 — Juan Pellón, Spanish field hockey player
- January 21 — Nikolina Shtereva, Bulgarian middle distance runner
- January 24 — Jim Montgomery, American swimmer
- January 28 — Odette Lapierre, Canadian long-distance runner
- January 29 — John Tate, American boxer
- January 31 — Virginia Ruzici, Romanian tennis player
February
- February 2 — Aleksandr Gusev, Soviet field hockey player
- February 3 — Bruno Pezzey, Austrian soccer player (d. 1994)
- February 5 — Markus Ryffel, Swiss long-distance runner
- February 6 — Ralf Salzmann, German long-distance runner
- February 10 — Miguel Chaves, Spanish field hockey player
- February 10 — Jose Maria Flores Burlon, Uruguayan boxer
- February 10 — Greg Norman, Australian golfer
- February 13 — Luis Hernández, Mexican long-distance runner
- February 15 — Ordan Aguirre, Venezuelan football (soccer) player
- February 18 — Petar Petrov, Bulgarian sprinter
- February 18 — Donna Gurr, Canadian backstroke swimmer
- February 24 — Alain Prost, French Formula I driver
- February 25 — Carlos Motta, Brazilian judoka
March
- March 4 — David Jackson, New Zealand boxer (d. 2004)
- March 6 — Wendy Boglioli, American butterfly swimmer
- March 6 — Peter Dignan, New Zealand rower
- March 11 — David Bell, Australian field hockey player
- March 11 — Giuseppe Martinelli, Italian road bicycle racer and cycling manager
- March 14 — Daniel Bertoni, Argentinian soccer player
- March 16 — Jiro Watanabe, Japanese boxing world champion
- March 18 — Philippe Boisse, French fencer
- March 18 — Elaine Jensen, New Zealand field hockey goalkeeper
- March 26 — Andy Hoepelman, Dutch water polo player
- March 27 — Nunu Abashidze, Ukrainian shot putter
- March 27 — Christian Sarron, French motorcycle road racer
- March 30 — Helena Laine, Finnish javelin thrower
April
- April 7 — Akira Nishino, Japanese footballer and manager
- April 13 — Safet Sušić, Bosnian soccer player
- April 14 — Anna Ambraziené, Lithuanian hurdler
- April 15 — Enith Brigitha, Dutch swimmer
- April 25 — Américo Gallego, Argentinian soccer player
- April 26 — Ulrika Knape, Swedish diver
- April 28 — Douglas Northway, American freestyle swimmer
- April 28 — Djamel Zidane, Algerian soccer player
May
- May 2 — Maharaj Krishan Kaushik, Indian field hockey player and coach
- May 2 — Marianne Vermaat, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- May 5 — Mehmet Terzi, Turkish long-distance runner
- May 6 — Ann Grant, Zimbabwean field hockey player
- May 7 — Florenta Craciunescu, Romanian discus thrower
- May 9 — Edmund Coffin, American saddlemaker and equestrian
- May 9 — Emmanuel Michon, French ice speed skater
- May 19 — Zehava Shmueli, Israeli long-distance runner
- May 26 — Luis Felipe Martínez, Cuban boxer
- May 31 — Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke, Belgian road bicycle racer and track cyclist
June
- June 1 — Lorraine Moller, New Zealand long-distance athlete
- June 7 — Yelena Sipatova, Russian long-distance runner
- June 12 — Bert de Jong, Dutch ice speed skater
- June 12 — Guy Lacombe, French soccer player and manager
- June 13 — Henk Numan, Dutch judoka
- June 15 — Ricardo Rojas, Cuban boxer
- June 19 — Mary O'Connor, New Zealand long-distance runner
- June 21 — Michel Platini, French soccer player
- June 23 — Jean Tigana, French soccer player and manager
- June 26 — Maxime Bossis, French soccer player
- June 28 — Heribert Weber, Austrian soccer player
July
- July 5 — Peter McNamara, Australian tennis player
- July 7 — Klaas van den Broek, Dutch ice hockey player
- July 8 — Gillian Cowley, Zimbabwean field hockey player
- July 9 — Steve Coppell, English soccer player
- July 9 — Mike McRae, American long jumper
- July 13 — Osvaldo Lara, Cuban track and field sprinter
- July 16 — Tatyana Biryulina, Soviet javelin thrower
- July 17 — Gu Yong-Ju, North Korean boxer
August
- August 2 — Gail Neall, Australian medley swimmer
- August 4 — Gerrie Coetzee, South African boxer
- August 5 — Dave Ottley, British javelin thrower
- August 5 — John Whitaker, British equestrian
- August 7 — Chantal Réga, French sprinter and hurdler
- August 8 — Renzo Vecchiato, Italian basketball player
- August 9 — Udo Beyer, German shot putter
- August 9 — Clancy Edwards, American track and field sprinter
- August 12 — Bert Bergsma, Dutch freestyle swimmer
- August 18 — Gerard Nijboer, Dutch marathon runner
- August 25 — Earl Bell, American pole vaulter
- August 25 — Michael O'Rourke, New Zealand javelin thrower
September
- September 1 — Maureen George, Zimbabwean field hockey player
- September 2 — Florenta Mihai, Romanian tennis player
- September 9 — Gernot Jurtin, Austrian soccer player
- September 15 — Linda Watson, Zimbabwean field hockey player
- September 18 — Greg Meyer, American long-distance runner
- September 25 — Ludo Coeck, Belgian soccer player
- September 25 — Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, German soccer player
- September 27 — Richard Nowakowski, East German boxer
- September 29 — Dmitriy Kovtsun, Ukrainian discus thrower
October
- October 3 — José Valencia, Argentinian soccer player
- October 4 — Anton Pichler, Austrian soccer player
- October 4 — Jorge Valdano, Argentinian soccer player
- October 4 — Carmen Valero, Spanish middle-distance runner
- October 8 — Bill Elliott, American race-car driver
- October 11 — Duncan Atwood, American javelin thrower
- October 11 — Hans-Peter Briegel, German soccer player
- October 15 — Kulbir Bhaura, British field hockey player
- October 16 — Annemarie Groen, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- October 19 — Andrew McDonald, American water polo player
- October 23 — Jörg Peter, East German long-distance runner
- October 28 — Carlos Fonseca, Brazilian boxer
November
- November 1 — Anne Audain, New Zealand middle and long distance athlete
- November 4 — Allan Zachariassen, Danish long-distance runner
- November 7 — Detlef Ultsch, German judo world champion
- November 12 — Roger Sumich, New Zealand cyclist
- November 14 — Koichi Nakano, Japanese bicycle racer
- November 15 — Leo van Vliet, Dutch road bicycle racer
- November 17 — Antoni Niemczak, Polish long-distance runner
- November 19 — Reima Salonen, Finnish race walker
- November 26 — Barbara Tilden, New Zealand field hockey player
- November 27 — Sarah English, Zimbabwean field hockey player
- November 28 — Alessandro Altobelli, Italian soccer player
December
- December 5 — Juha Tiainen, Finnish hammer thrower (d. 2003)
- December 6 — Tony Woodcock, English soccer player
- December 12 — Mikhail Nichepurenko, Soviet field hockey player
- December 18 — Bogusław Mamiński, Polish long-distance runner
- December 19 — Marek Dziuba, Polish soccer player
- December 22 — Galina Murasova, Lithuanian discus thrower
- December 23 — Altevir de Araújo, Brazilian sprinter
- December 29 — Theo Doyer, Dutch field hockey player
- December 31 — Gregor Braun, German track and road cyclist
Deaths
- January 21 — Archie Hahn (74), American athlete (b. 1880)
- January 26 — Holger Nielsen, Danish fencer, shooter and athlete (b. 1866)
- May 10 — Tommy Burns, world heavyweight boxing champion
- May 26 — Alberto Ascari, F1 race car champion
- May 30 — Bill Vukovich, American race car driving champion
- September 4 — Gus Weyhing, Major League Baseball pitcher (1887-1901)
- October 18 — Josiah Ritchie (84), British tennis player (b. 1870)
- October 27 — Clark Griffith, Major League Baseball pitcher (1891-1914)
- November 4 — Cy Young, American baseball player
- December 6 — Honus Wagner, Major League Baseball player (1897-1917)
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