-
NFL Championship – Philadelphia Eagles won 17-13 over the Green Bay Packers
-
In his majors debut, Milwaukee Braves outfielder Mack Jones tied a post-1900 National League record by collecting three singles and a double in his first game.
-
In Hershey, Pennsylvania, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points against the New York Knicks, breaking several National Basketball Association records.
-
The Pro Football Hall of Fame opens in Canton, Ohio with 17 charter members
-
Tom O'Hara sets a new world record for the indoor mile run by completing it in 3 minutes and 56.4 seconds
-
José Torres won the Light Heavyweight Championship of the World, stopping Willie Pastrano in nine rounds, at New York's Madison Square Garden
-
The AFL and NFL reach an agreement to merge as equals into one league under the NFL name, to take effect with the 1970 season
-
Muhammad Ali was stripped of his World Heavyweight Champion titles and was banned from boxing by the various commissions for his refusal to be inducted into the United States Army.
-
Olympics where terrorists attacked, 11 athletes were killed
-
Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees announces his retirement.
-
The Wichita State University football team plane crash claims approximately half the football team when one of two planes crashes on the way to a game at Utah State University.
-
The Miami Dolphins defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in a divisional playoff game. The double-overtime contest is the longest game in NFL history, and the Chiefs' last-ever home game at Municipal Stadium.
-
The Pittsburgh Pirates' legendary right fielder Roberto Clemente dies in a plane crash near Puerto Rico on his way to bring relief supplies to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.
-
Harlem globtrotters made their debut.
-
Muhammed Ali vs. Joe Frazier
-
Slugger Ralph Kiner is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
-
Pittsburgh Steelers won 21-17 over the Dallas Cowboys
-
Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their second NFL season win their first ever game over the New Orleans Saints. The win ends their NFL record 26-game losing streak encompassing the entire 1976 season and the first 12 games in 1977.
-
Death of Lyman Bostock (27), California Angels player, who was murdered in error by a jealous husband.
-
Opening game of the American Football Bundesliga played between Frankfurter Löwen and Düsseldorf Panther, first-ever league game of American football in Germany.
-
Thomas Hearns defeats Jose Pipino Cuevas by a knockout in round 2 to win boxing's WBA world Welterweight title and Yasutsune Uehara knocks out Samuel Serrano in round six to win the WBA's world Jr. Lightweight title in Detroit.
