1962 in sports in Encyclopedia

January 23 – Bob Feller and Jackie Robinson are selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first years of eligibility.
October: National League pennant playoff: After finishing tied for the league lead, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants played-off for the title. The Giants won the series 2 games to 1, thereby winning the National League championship.
World Series – New York Yankees win 4 games to 3 over the San Francisco Giants. The Series MVP was Ralph Terry, New York.

Basketball

March 24 – Emile Griffith regained the World Welterweight Championship by knocking out Benny the "Kid" Paret in the 12th round. Paret died ten days later on April 3 as a result of severe head injuries sustained in the fight.
September 25 – Sonny Liston knocks out Floyd Patterson, two minutes and six seconds into the first round, to become World Heavyweight Champion.

Men's professional

Men's amateur

Women's professional

Steeplechases

Flat races

November 2 – death of Ricardo Rodr guez, Mexican racing driver during practice for the Mexican Grand Prix
Stock car racing –
- Fireball Roberts wins the Daytona 500 in the #22 Pontiac
- NASCAR Championship - Joe Weatherly (for Bud Moore in the #8 Pontiac)
30 May – Rodger Ward wins the 46th running of the Indianapolis 500 in the Leader Cards 500 Special Watson-Offenhauser
USAC Racing - Rodger Ward won the season championship
Formula One – Graham Hill (Great Britain) wins World Drivers' Champion, driving for Ferrari.
24 hours of Le Mans – won by Olivier Gendebien / Phil Hill sharing a Ferrari 330LM
Rally racing - the team of Erik Carlsson / Gunnar Haggbom win the Monte Carlo Rally driving a Saab 96
Drag racing - Jack Chrisman wins Top Eliminator at the NHRA Nationals

February 20 – Australian swimming ace Kevin Berry takes over the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) from USA's Carl Robie at a meet in Melbourne, Victoria, clocking 2:12.5.
August 11 – Carl Robie regains the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) and betters the world's best time twice in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, clocking 2:12.4 and, eventually, 2:10.8.
August 19 – US swimmer Sharon Finneran breaks the world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) during a meet in Chicago, Illinois – 2:31.2.
August 25 – Sharon Finneran breaks her own world record in the women's 200m butterfly (long course) during a meet in Los Altos, California – 2:30.7.
October 23 – Australia's Kevin Berry takes over the world record in the men's 200m butterfly (long course) once again, clocking 2:09.7 at a meet in Melbourne, Victoria.

Australia

England

France

USA

Events

Rod Laver becomes only the second man in tennis history to win the Grand Slam in tennis.

Davis Cup

The New York Yacht Club retains the America's Cup as Weatherly defeats Australian challenger Gretel, of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, 4 races to 1; it is the first time in 81 years a country other than Great Britain has challenged for the Cup