1896 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.
Athletics USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships March 22 - Greek runner Charilaos Vasilakos wins the first modern marathon (3:18)
American football College championship College football national championship – Princeton Tigers
Professional championships Western Pennsylvania champions – Allegheny Athletic Association
Association football Canada
March 15 - The Newfoundland Football League is founded. March 19 - The Manitoba Football Association is founded.
England The Football League – Aston Villa 45 points, Derby County 41, Everton 39, Bolton Wanderers 37, Sunderland 37, Stoke FC 30 FA Cup final – The Wednesday 2–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers at Crystal Palace, London. Scotland Scottish Football League – Celtic Scottish Cup final – Hearts 3–1 Hibernian at Logie Green
Australian Rules Football
Victorian Football Association premiers - Collingwood SANFL premiers - South Adelaide WAFL premiers - Fremantle
Baseball National championship Baltimore Orioles win the third of three successive National League championships Events Temple Cup – Baltimore Orioles 4–0 Cleveland Spiders
Boxing 10 March - After Bob Fitzsimmons KOs much larger Jim Corbett to win world HW championship he says, The bigger they are, the harder they fall Lineal world champions World Heavyweight Championship – James J. Corbett World Middleweight Championship – title vacant World Welterweight Championship – Tommy Ryan World Lightweight Championship – vacant → George "Kid" Lavigne World Featherweight Championship – George Dixon World Bantamweight Championship – Jimmy Barry
Canadian Football
Ontario Rugby Football Union - University of Toronto Quebec Rugby Football Union - Ottawa College Manitoba Rugby Football Union - St John's Northwest Championship - Winnipeg Dominion Championship - Ottawa College defeats the University of Toronto 12-8
Cricket Events England retain The Ashes, defeating Australia 2–1 in a three-match series. In a low-scoring decider at The Oval, England win by 66 runs. England County Championship – Yorkshire Minor Counties Championship – Worcestershire Most runs – K S Ranjitsinhji 2780 @ 57.91 (HS 171*) Most wickets – J T Hearne 257 @ 14.28 (BB 9–73) Wisden Five Cricketers of the Season – Syd Gregory, Dick Lilley, K S Ranjitsinhji, Tom Richardson, Hugh Trumble Australia Sheffield Shield – New South Wales Most runs – Harry Donnan 626 @ 69.55 (HS 160) Most wickets – Tom McKibbin 46 @ 23.86 (BB 8–93) India Bombay Presidency – Europeans shared with Parsees South Africa Currie Cup – not contested West Indies Inter-Colonial Tournament – not contested
Figure skating Events Inaugural World Figure Skating Championships (open to men only) is held in Saint Petersburg World Figure Skating Championships World Men's Champion – Gilbert Fuchs (Germany)
Golf Major tournaments British Open – Harry Vardon (the first of Vardon's six British Open titles) U.S. Open – James Foulis Other tournaments British Amateur – Freddie Tait US Amateur – H. J. Whigham
Horse racing England Grand National – The Soarer 1,000 Guineas Stakes – Thais 2,000 Guineas Stakes – St. Frusquin The Derby – Persimmon The Oaks – Canterbury Pilgrim St. Leger Stakes – Persimmon Australia Melbourne Cup – Newhaven Canada Queen's Plate – Millbrook Ireland Irish Grand National – Royston Crow Irish Derby Stakes – Gulsalberk USA Kentucky Derby – Lieut. Gibson Preakness Stakes – Margrave Belmont Stakes – Hastings
Ice hockey
14 February — the Winnipeg Victorias defeat the Montreal Victorias 2–0 in a challenge match to win the 1896 Stanley Cup championship 7 March — the Montreal Victorias are the 1896 AHAC season champions. March — Queen's University defeats Stratford, Ontario 12–3 to win the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) title. The club does not challenge Winnipeg. 17 November — the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, which later became the first ice hockey league to openly trade and hire players, began play at Pittsburgh's Schenley Park Casino. 17 December — the Schenley Park Casino, which was the first multi-purpose arena with the technology to create an artificial ice surface in North America as well as the home to the Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, was destroyed in a fire. 30 December — the Montreal Victorias defeat the Winnipeg Victorias 6–5 in a challenge match to regain the Stanley Cup
Motor racing Paris-Marseille-Paris Trail The 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris Trail is held over 1710 km from 24 September to 3 October and won by Émile Mayade driving a Panhard-Levassor 8 hp model in a time of 67:42:58. The race is in retrospect sometimes referred to as the II Grand Prix de l'ACF.1896 Grand Prix and Paris Races . Retrieved on 7 September 2009.
Olympic Games 1896 Summer Olympics The 1896 Summer Olympics, the first modern Games, takes place in Athens with 13 nations competing, the most competitors coming from Greece, Germany and France. 16 April — American James Connolly wins the triple jump to become the first Olympic champion in over 1,500 years. Winners receive a silver medal and a crown of olive branches; Greece wins the most medals (46) and the United States wins the most gold medals (11).
Rowing The Boat Race 28 March — Oxford wins the 53rd Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race There is no Harvard–Yale Regatta during "a breakdown in relations between the two schools"."Harvard–Yale Regatta – 150 Years of Tradition" . Harvard Men's Heavyweight Crew. Retrieved 2013-05-10. From the third Race in 1859, the only exceptions outside major wars are 1871 and 1896.
Rugby league Events In the 1895–96 Northern Rugby Football Union season's final match, Manningham defeats Halifax to claim the inaugural Rugby Football League Championship. The inaugural Rugby League Challenge Cup competition begins in the 1896–97 season.
England Championship – Manningham Lancashire League Championship – Runcorn Yorkshire League Championship – Manningham
Rugby union Home Nations Championship 14th Home Nations Championship series is won by Ireland
Skiing The foundation of the Ski-Club of Grenoble by Henry Duhamel.
Speed skating Speed Skating World Championships Men's All-round Champion – Jaap Eden (Netherlands)
Tennis England Wimbledon Men's Singles Championship – Harold Mahony (Ireland) defeats Wilfred Baddeley (GB) 6–2 6–8 5–7 8–6 6–3 Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship – Charlotte Cooper Sterry (GB) defeats Alice Simpson-Pickering (GB) 6–2 6–3 France French Men's Singles Championship – André Vacherot (France) defeats Gérard Brosselin (France) 6–1 7–5 USA American Men's Singles Championship – Robert Wrenn (USA) defeats Fred Hovey (USA) 7–5 3–6 6–0 1–6 6–1 American Women's Singles Championship – Elisabeth Moore (USA) defeats Juliette Atkinson (USA) 6–4 4–6 6–2 6–2
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