1958 - Sports

Sports

Sugar Ray Robinson wins the middleweight boxing title for a record fifth time March 25 at Chicago Stadium in a 15-round decision over Carmen Basilio.

Ashley John Cooper, 21, (Australia) wins in men's singles at Wimbledon and Forest Hills, Althea Gibson in women's singles.

Pennsylvania-born golfer Arnold Palmer wins his first Masters Tournament title at Augusta, Ga., plus two other golf championships and earns an impressive $42,000. Now 28, Palmer won the U.S. amateur title 4 years ago, turned professional soon after, and will be the most popular golfer since Bobby Jones.

The U.S. ocean yacht Columbia designed by Olin J. Stephens, 50, fends off the British challenger Sceptre in the first America's Cup competition since 1937. The 12-meter yachts are much smaller than the prewar "J"-class boats that nobody can now afford to build.

The New York Giants become the San Francisco Giants and play their first season at Candlewick Park.

The Brooklyn Dodgers become the Los Angeles Dodgers and play their first season at Chavez Ravine.

The New York Yankees win the World Series, defeating the Milwaukee Braves 4 games to 3.

Brazil wins her first World Cup in football (soccer), defeating Sweden 5 to 2 at Stockholm. Pele scores two of the Brazilian goals (see 1956).

U.S. intercollegiate football rules change to give teams the option of trying for a two-point conversion after touchdown by running the ball or passing it from the three-yard line. A kick between the goal posts from the two-yard line is still worth only one point.

Baltimore Colts fullback Alan Ameche blasts one yard over his right tackle into the end zone at Yankee Stadium December 28 to defeat the New York Giants in a 23-to-17 overtime victory that ends the first championship game to be televised nationally (it is also the first sudden-death overtime game in NFL history).