Ever wonder what were the fabulous and extra-ordinary American sports in 1960?
Way back the “swinging Sixties,” sports was the all-time favorite of the public. It was a decade where sports such as figure skating, alpine skiing and women’s golf was synonymous with the famous counterculture and revolution of social norms American people embraced.
Other “in-demand”1960 sports during that time includes boxing, harness racing, baseball, swimming, football, cycling, volleyball and tennis. It was also during this decade where extreme sports such as Formula 1 racing, NASCAR and stock car racing started to become popular.
The following are top ten interesting trivia about people, events and achievements in the 1960 sports event:
1. Soccer: At the score of 7-3, Real Madrid defeated Eintracht Frankfurt at one of the most legendary European Cup Finals in 1960. Name the stadium where this event took place.
Hampden Park, Glasgow. Around 127,621 people gathered into Hampden to witness Real Madrid triumphed their 5th straight European crown.
2. Figure Skating: Here is another trivia question: What was the reason why the famous 1961 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia was cancelled?
A tragic plane crash happened wherein the whole US team died. The plane carrying the entire team crashed in Belgium. On board was the reigning US champion and prominent women’s skater, Laurence Owen.
3. Golf: Name the first South African international golfer ever to win the U.S. Masters Golf Tournament.
Gary Player. Born in Johannesburg, Gary Player won three U.S. Masters and nine major tournaments in his overall golf career. The player was later inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
4. Tennis: Name the legendary tennis player who ranked first from 1966-68?
Billie Jean King. Born in Long Beach, California, King won a total of twelve (12) Grand Slam singles titles. She also won 16 Grand Slam Women’s Doubles title, and an impressive 11mixed doubles title.
5. Basketball: Name the Southern Illinois University-graduate New York Knicks’ player to be chosen as one of the #5 overall pick in the 1967 draft. With the nickname of “Clyde,” this player was selected seven times for the NBA All-Star Team.
Walt Frazier. Born March 29, 1945, Fraizer was blessed with an exceptional combination of court vision, pace, and bulk (he stands 6’4″) for a guard. He led the New York Knicks to the two NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973 and was inaugurated into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987.
6. Winter Olympics: What was the American resort that hosted the Winter Olympics back in 1960?
Squaw Valley Ski Resort. Located in Olympic Valley, California, this was the venue of the Winter Olympics in 1960. It is one of the largest ski areas in the United States and the second-largest ski area in Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the said game, the USSR won 21 medals, including 7 golds.
7. Boxing: Name the gold medalist in the light heavyweight boxing division at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
Cassius Clay. Popularly known as Muhammad Ali and nicknamed “The Greatest,” Clay is a philanthropist and social activist. He is well known for his legendary matches and controversial politics.
8. Baseball: Name the highest paid figure in sports in 1961.
Mickey Mantle. From 1951 until 1968, Mantle played for the New York Yankees as a baseball center fielder. Widely regarded as the greatest switch hitter of all time, he was nicknamed “The Commerce Comet” or “The Mick.” In 1974, Mantle was inaugurated into the National Baseball Hall of Fame .
9. Basketball: In an unmatched record, NBA great Wilt Chamberlain scored an astounding 100 points in a solo game in 1962. Name the team in which Chamberlain played for at the time.
Philadelphia Warriors. Chamberlain piloted the league in scoring and rebounding again as the team finish in second place with a record of 46-33. He became a Laker in 1968, then with a 31,419 career points, retired in the year 1973 with 31,419 career points.
10. Motor Sports: Name the driver who won his second successive Formula 1 driver’s championship in the year 1960?
Jack Brabham. Driving for the Cooper-Climax team, Sir Jack Brabham is the first driver in history to be knighted for his services to motor sport. One of racing’s most popular personalities, Brabham won five successive races, in Holland, Belgium, France, Britain and Portugal. He is known as the only Formula One driver to ever win a world title in a car of his own construction, the BT19 which he drove to success in the year 1966.
So, these were just some of the sports in 1960 trivia that were embedded in the heart of every sports enthusiast. Can you add another interesting sports trivia? Who were your all time favorite stars in sports?