Sporting Highlights for 1956
Here are some of the sporting highlights in the world of sport for 1956. The major events of this year in sport were the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
It was the year of the Olympics and the Summer Games was held in Melbourne, Australia and the Winter Games was held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The Melbourne Olympics were the first to be held in the southern hemisphere. Australian Betty Cuthbert was termed as the "Golden Girl" for the three gold medals that she won in the track and field events.
Lew Hoad won the Australian Open for his first grand slam title. The Australian followed it up with a win at the French Open and the Wimbledon that same year for a total of three grand slam titles. Hoad won the French Open the following year for his fourth grand slam title but could not continue his success any further and finished his career with four slam titles.
Shirley Fry Irvin won the Wimbledon, five years after her French Open win, for her second slam title. Her success continued in the US Open that same year and the Australian Open the following year for three straight grand slam wins.
Jack Burke, Jr. won the Masters Tournament for his first win at the majors. He continued his form all through the year and won the PGA Championship that same year for his second major win. But that was also the last time he won a major and finished his career with just two major wins.
England off-spinner Jim Laker was the first cricket bowler to take a Test ten-for against Australia in a match at Old Trafford.
See some videos from the world of sport in 1956.
Below is a timeline of some significant results in the world of sport for the year 1956.
| Date | Results |
|---|---|
| Jan | Tennis Australia Open won by Lew Hoad and Mary Carter |
| Jan 26 - Feb 5 | Winter Olympic Games were held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy |
| April | Golf Masters won by Jack Burke, Jr. |
| May | Tennis French Open won by Lew Hoad and Althea Gibson |
| June | Golf US Open won by Cary Middlecoff |
| July | the Cycling Tour de France won by Roger Walkowiak |
| July | Tennis Wimbledon won by Lew Hoad and Shirley Fry |
| July | Golf The Open Championship won by Peter Thomson |
| Aug | Golf US PGA won by Jack Burke, Jr. |
| Sep | Tennis US National Championship won by Ken Rosewall and Shirley Fry |
| Oct | The Baseball World Series won by New York Yankees |
| Nov 22 - Dec 8 | Summer Olympic Games were held in Melbourne, Australia |
Please note that the dates for past events are not always known, and are sometimes just placed in the month that the current event is held. If no exact date is listed, then it is just an estimated month that it was held.
If you have a correction or know of events that should be included here, please let me know.
Related Pages
- Ballon D'or Winners for 1956
- Timeline (all years) in the world of sport
- For future sporting events, see the Calendar of Major Sporting Events
- More about the World of Sport
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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