| content |
| Years in sports: | 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 |
| Centuries: | 19th century · 20th century · 21st century |
| Decades: | 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s |
| Years: | 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 |
Athletics
Marathon
- December 4 —
Fukuoka Marathon, Japan
- Men's Winner: Barry Magee (NZL) 2:19:04
Auto Racing
- Stock car racing:
- Indianapolis 500 - Jim Rathmann
- USAC Racing - A.J. Foyt won the season championship
- Formula One Championship - Jack Brabham of Australia
- 24 hours of Le Mans: the team of Olivier Gendebien / Paul Frère won, driving a Ferrari TR60
- Rally racing - the team of Walter Schock / Rolf Moll won the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Mercedes 220SE.
- Drag racing - Leonard Harris won "Top Eliminator" at the NHRA Nationals
Baseball
- World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates win 4 games to 3 over the New York Yankees. The Series MVP is Bobby Richardson, New York.
- October 13 - 1960 World Series: Baseballer Bill Mazeroski becomes the first person to end a World Series with a home run.
- The Winnipeg Goldeyes win the Northern League championship.
Basketball
- NCAA Men's Basketball Championship:
- Ohio St. wins 75-55 over California
- NBA Finals|NBA Finals:
- Boston Celtics win 4 games to 3 over the St. Louis Hawks
Freddy Johny
Boxing
- March 16 - Flash Elorde won the world junior lightweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Harold Gomes in Quezon City, Philippines.
- June - Floyd Patterson recovered the world heavyweight title from Ingemar Johansson, becoming the first-ever boxer to do so.
- September 5 - Cassius Clay wins the gold medal in boxing at the Rome Olympic Games.
Cycling
Field Hockey
- Olympic Games (Men's Competition) in Rome, Italy
- Gold Medal: Pakistan
- Silver Medal: India
- Bronze Medal: Spain
Figure skating
- World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Alain Giletti, France
- Ladies' champion: Carol Heiss, United States
- Pair skating champions: Barbara Wagner & Robert Paul, Canada
- Ice dancing champions: Doreen Denny & Courtney Jones, Great Britain
Football (American)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers win National college football championship.
- National Football League names Pete Rozelle commissioner of the league. The league expands to Dallas for the 1960 season and Minneapolis-St.Paul for the 1961 season. The Chicago Cardinals relocates to St. Louis, Missouri.
- December 26-NFL Championship: Philadelphia Eagles won 17-13 over the Green Bay Packers
- The American Football League (AFL) played its first season
- First black pro football placekicker: Gene Mingo (Denver Broncos, AFL)
- First Hispanic pro football quarterback: Tom Flores (Oakland Raiders, AFL)
- AFL Championship: Houston Oilers won 24-16 over the Los Angeles Chargers
Football (Australian rules football)
- Victorian Football League
- Melbourne wins the 64th VFL Premiership (Melbourne 8.14 (62) d Collingwood 2.2 (14))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to John Schultz (Footscray)
Football (Canadian)
- Grey Cup: Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 16-6.
Football (Soccer)
-
- For an extensive coverage see 1960 in association football
- England - FA Cup: Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3-0 over Blackburn Rovers
- The Soviet Union beat Yugoslavia 2-1 to win the first European Football Championship
Golf
Men's professional
- April 7-10 - Masters Tournament - Arnold Palmer
- June 16-18 - U.S. Open - Arnold Palmer
- July 6-9 - British Open - Kel Nagle
- July 21-24 - PGA Championship - Jay Hebert
- PGA Tour money leader - Arnold Palmer - $75,263
Men's amateur
Women's professional
- Women's Western Open - Joyce Ziske
- LPGA Championship - Mickey Wright
- U.S. Women's Open - Betsy Rawls
- Titleholders Championship - Fay Crocker
- LPGA Tour money leader - Louise Suggs - $16,892
Thoroughbred Horse Racing
- Australia - Melbourne Cup
- Canada - Queen's Plate
- France - Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - Puissant Chef
- Ireland - Irish Derby Stakes - Chamour
Harness Racing
Ice Hockey
- The American Olympic men's ice-hockey team won the United States' first Olympic hockey gold medal with a record of 7–0–0 during the tournament.
- Art Ross Memorial Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer during the regular season: Bobby Hull, Chicago Black Hawks
- Hart Memorial Trophy for the NHL's Most Valuable Player: Gordie Howe, Detroit Red Wings
- Stanley Cup: Montreal Canadiens win 4 games to 0 over the Toronto Maple Leafs
- World Hockey Championship
- Men's champion: United States is crushed by Canada
- NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship - University of Denver Pioneers defeat Michigan Technological University Huskies 5-3 in Boston, MA
Skiing
- Alpine Skiing
- The men's Olympic Gold Medal:
- Downhill: Jean Vuarnet, France
- Slalom: Ernst Hinterseer, Austria
- Giant Slalom: Roger Staub, Switzerland
-
- The women's Olympic Gold Medal:
- Downhill: Heidi Biebl, West Germany
- Slalom: Ann Heggtveit, Canada
- Giant Slalom: Yvonne Rüegg, Switzerland
- ISF World Championships:
- Ann Heggtveit of Canada becomes the first non-European to win the International Ski Federation overall world championship in Alpine skiing.
- Men's combined champion: Guy Périllat, France
- Women's combined champion: Ann Heggtveit, Canada
Swimming
- June 12 — Marianne Heemskerk from the Netherlands breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly during a meet in Leipzig, East Germany: 2:34.4.
- July 10 — US swimmer Michael Troy breaks his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at a meet in Evansville, Indiana, clocking 2:15.0.
- July 23 — Thirteen days after breaking his own world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) Troy once again betters the world's best time in that event, this time at a meet in Toledo, Ohio clocking 2:13.4.
- August 4 — Less than a month before the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, Troy again breaks the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course), when he clocks 2:13.2 at a meet in Detroit, Michigan.
- September 2 — Michael Troy wins the men's 200m butterfly (long course) at the Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy by breaking his own world record: 2:12.8.
Tennis
- Grand Slam in tennis men's results:
- Grand Slam in tennis women's results:
Volleyball
- Men's World Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Gold Medal: Soviet Union
- Silver Medal: Czechoslovakia
- Bronze Medal: Romania
Multi-sport events
- 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy
- USSR wins the most medals (103), and the most gold medals (43)
- 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley, United States
- USSR wins the most medals (21), and the most gold medals (7)
- First Paralympic Games held in Rome, Italy
- Great Britain wins the most medals (53), the United States the most gold medals (29)
- First Winter Universiade held in Chamonix, France
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year: Rafer Johnson, Track and field
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: Wilma Rudolph, Track and field
Births
January
- January 5 — Sejad Krdžalić, Yugoslav javelin thrower
- January 5 — Wendy Watson, New Zealand cricketer
- January 6 — Mark Gorski, American track cyclist and cycling manager
- January 6 — Howie Long, American football player
- January 9 — Ursula Thielemann, German field hockey goalkeeper
- January 10 — Martín Pitayo, Mexican long-distance runner
- January 11 — Waldo Kantor, Argentine volleyball player
- January 16 — Israel Machado, Brazilian basketball player
- January 16 — Aleksandr Troshchilo, Soviet track and field sprinter
- January 17 — Hendrik Jan Kooijman, Dutch field hockey player
- January 23 — Patrick de Gayardon, French skydiver and skysurfing pioneer (d. 1998)
- January 24 — Manfred Zielonka, German boxer
- January 25 — Huub van Boeckel, Dutch tennis player
- January 25 — Annelies Maas, Dutch freestyle swimmer
- January 27 — Dorthe Rasmussen, Danish long-distance runner
- January 29 — Sean Kerly, English field hockey striker
- January 29 — Greg Louganis, American diver
- January 30 — Chris Brown, New Zealand field hockey player
February
- February 2 — Sadiq Abdullahi, Nigerian tennis player
- February 2 — Grant Main, Canadian rower
- February 9 — Bernardo José Pinango, Venezuelan boxer
- February 13 — Pierluigi Collina, Italian football referee
- February 13 — Kelly McCormick, American diver
- February 16 — Hisayo Fukumitsu, Japanese high jumper
- February 16 — Milton Goode, American high jumper
- February 16 — Luciano Zerbini, Italian discus thrower and shot putter
- February 17 — Małgorzata Birbach, Polish long-distance runner
gyhguig— Paul Arpin, French long-distance runner
- February 21 — Wendy Banks, British field hockey goalkeeper
- February 21 — Rolf Falk-Larssen, Norwegian speed skater
- February 22 — Jean-Louis Prianon, French long-distance runner
- February 23 — Laura Almaral, Mexican beach volleyball player
- February 25 — Stefan Blöcher, German field hockey player
- February 27 — Pär Arvidsson, Swedish butterfly swimmer
- February 28 — David Lowe, British swimmer
March
- March 2 — Roald van Noort, Dutch water polo player
- March 3 — Per Holmertz, Swedish freestyle swimmer
- March 3 — Orlando Romero, Peruvian boxer
- March 4 — John Mugabi, Ugandan boxer
- March 5 — Kathleen McGahey, American field hockey player
- March 8 — Max Metzker, Australian long distance swimmer
- March 9 — Thierry Vigneron, French pole vaulter
- March 10 — Antonio Corgos, Spanish long jumper
- March 14 — Kirby Puckett, American baseball player (d. 2006)
- March 15 — Carole Rouillard, Canadian long-distance runner
- March 20 — Robertas Žulpa, Lithuanian swimmer
- March 21 — Ayrton Senna, Brazilian automobile racer (d. 1994)
- March 25 — Peter Seisenbacher, Austrian judoka
- March 26 — Marcus Allen, American football player
- March 26 — Damir Keretic, Yugoslavian-German tennis player
- March 26 — Judy Strong, American field hockey player
- March 30 — Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner
April
- April 1 — Frank Leistra, Dutch field hockey goalkeeper
- April 6 — Ron Boudrie, Dutch volleyball player
- April 6 — Vanja Gesheva-Tsvetkova, Bulgarian canoer
- April 6 — Colin Reitz, British long-distance runner
- April 10 — Rex Wilson, New Zealand long-distance runner
- April 12 — Agapius Masong, Tanzanian long-distance runner
- April 13 — Olaf Ludwig, East German racing cyclist
- April 13 — Rudi Voller, German footballer and manager
- April 15 — Simeon Kipkemboi, Kenyan sprinter
- April 16 — Pierre Littbarski, German soccer player (footballer) and coach
- April 21 — Eric Noordegraaf, Dutch water polo player
- April 29 — Kuruppu Karunaratne, Sri Lankan long-distance runner (d. 2008)
May
- May 6 — Lyudmila Andonova, Bulgarian high jumper
- May 8 — Mary Clinton, New Zealand field hockey player
- May 11 — Vladimir Dolgov, Soviet backstroke swimmer
- May 11 — Jürgen Schult, German track and field athlete
- May 15 — Kip Hladky, Canadian field hockey player
- May 20 — Philippe Blain, French volleyball player and coach
- May 20 — Elena Murgoci, Romanian long-distance runner (d. 1999)
- May 26 — Dean Lukin, Australian weightlifter
- May 26 — Romas Ubartas, Lithuanian discus thrower
- May 31 — Greg C. Adams, Canadian ice hockey forward
June
- June 1 — Einar Vilhjálmsson, Icelandic javelin thrower
- June 3 — Anett Pötzsch, German figure skater
- June 6 — Coleen Sommer, American high jumper
- June 12 — Diane Edelijn, Dutch backstroke swimmer
- June 12 — Hagen Stamm, German water polo player
- June 15 — Didier Courrèges, French equestrian
- June 15 — Marieke van Doorn, Dutch field hockey midfielder
- June 16 — Alicia Boscatto, Argentine breaststroke swimmer
- June 23 — Andy Tenbult, Canada-born ice hockey player and coach from The Netherlands
- June 24 — René Temmink, Dutch football (soccer) referee
- June 25 — Rose Magers, American volleyball player
- June 28 — John Elway, American football player
- June 29 — Luis Onmura, Brazilian judoka
July
- July 3 — Perrine Pelen, French alpine skier
- July 4 — Anton Heiden, Dutch water polo player
- July 8 — Mal Meninga, Australian rugby league footballer
- July 8 — Susanne Nielsson, Danish swimmer
- July 8 — Jeff Stork, American volleyball player
- July 12 — Ismail Mustafov, Bulgarian boxer
- July 17 — Alejandra Palma, Argentine field hockey player
- July 18 — Peter Daji, New Zealand field hockey player
- July 18 — Narcisco Suárez, Spanish flatwater canoer
- July 22 — Torben Grael, Brazilian sailor
- July 22 — Jane Patterson, Canadian judoka
- July 28 — Tim Bright, American decathlete and pole vaulter
- July 28 — Anna Marie Malone, Canadian long-distance runner
August
- August 1 — Henry Tillman, American boxer
- August 2 — Wilfredo Vázquez, Puerto Rican boxer
- August 7 — Steven Rooks, Dutch road racing cyclist
- August 10 — Dario Badinelli, Italian triple jumper
- August 12 — Laurent Fignon, French road racing cyclist
- August 13 — Phil Taylor, English darts player
- August 13 — Michael Richmond, Australian ice speed skater
- August 14 — Igor Nikulin, Russian hammer thrower
- August 26 — Victor Caballero, Paraguayan tennis player
- August 27 — Mike Mahovlich, Canadian javelin thrower
September
- September 2 — Sara Neil, Canadian cyclist
- September 8 — Alexi Grewal, American cyclist
- September 9 — Ritva Lemettinen, Finnish marathon runner
- September 13 — Étienne Dagon, Swiss breaststroke swimmer
- September 14 — Emil Chuprenski, Bulgarian boxer
- September 23 — Gilberto Sosa, Mexican boxer
- September 26 — Lesley Elliott, New Zealand field hockey player
- September 27 — Leonardo David, Italian alpine skier (d. 1985)
October
- October 2 — Johan Lammerts, Dutch cyclist
- October 2 — Pedro van Raamsdonk, Dutch boxer
- October 5 — Antonio de Oliveira Filho, Brazilian soccer player
- October 11 — Anne van Schuppen, Dutch long-distance runner
- October 13 — Nelson Vails, American road and track cyclist
- October 15 — Ivo Rodrígues, Brazilian marathon runner
- October 15 — Gene Samuel, Trinidad and Tobago road bicycle racer and track cyclist
- October 16 — Petra Pfaff, East German track and field hurdler
- October 16 — Mauricio González, Mexican long-distance runner
- October 18 — Marcus Mattioli, Brazilian swimmer
- October 19 — María Bengochea, Argentine field hockey player
- October 19 — Dave Saunders, American volleyball player
- October 30 — Diego Maradona, Argentine football player
November
- November 3 — Karch Kiraly, US volleyball player
- November 6 — Zdzisław Kwaśny, Polish hammer thrower
- November 6 — Kevin Neufeld, Canadian rower
- November 11 — Kozo Akutsu, Japanese long-distance runner
- November 14 — Marianne Dickerson, American long-distance runner
- November 18 — Ivans Klementjevs, Latvian flatwater canoer
- November 24 — Cameron Henning, Canadian backstroke swimmer
- November 26 — Vasiliy Bubka, Soviet pole vaulter
- November 27 — Akinobu Osako, Japanese judoka
- November 28 — Andy Ritchie, English footballer
- November 29 — Andrew Astbury, British swimmer
- November 30 — Gary Lineker, English footballer
December
- December 12 — Vésteinn Hafsteinsson, Icelandic discus thrower
- December 12 — Val Hallam, British field hockey goalkeeper
- December 12 — Krzysztof Kosedowski, Polish boxer
- December 14 — Jacques Hanegraaf, Dutch cyclist
- December 22 — Tyrell Biggs, American heavyweight boxer
Deaths
- January 2 — Fausto Coppi, Italian cyclist
- April 12 — Theo Willems (69), Dutch archer (b. 1891)
- September 15 — Héctor Castro (54), Uruguayan football player and coach (b. 1904)
- November 11 — Monte Attell, bantamweight world boxing champion
