1968 Rugby League World Cup
The 1968 Rugby League World Cup tournament was the fourth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held in Australia and New Zealand during May and June in 1968. Contested by the men's national rugby league football teams of the two host countries plus Great Britain and France, for the first time a final to determine the World Cup was specifically pre-arranged (previous finals having only been used when teams finished level on points). Financially it was a profitable venture for the competing nations.


1968 Rugby League World Cup
The 1968 World Cup was the first to be played under limited tackles rules, the number then being four tackles. The round 1 match between Great Britain and Australia attracted an attendance of 62,256, the highest for a World Cup match until 1992. The final was held at the Sydney Cricket Ground; a crowd of 54,290 watched Australia defeat France. The stars of the Australian team in the tournament were skipper Johnny Raper, second-rower Ron Coote, who scored spectacular tries in each and every game, and the dead-shot kicker Eric Simms, who harvested a record 25 goals (50 points).


1968 Rugby League World Cup, Results
France: Jean-Claude Cros; Daniel Pellerin, Michel Molinier, Jean-Pierre Lecompte, André Ferren;Jean Capdouze, Roger Garrigue; Georges Ailleres (c), Yves Bégou, Christian Sabatié,Francis de Nadaï, Henri Marracq, Jean-Pierre ClarNew Zealand: R Tait; R Mincham, H Sinel, P Schultz, E Wiggs;J Bond (c), J Clarke; O Danielson, Colin O'Neil, George Smith,B Lee, J Dixon, A Kriletich; Henry Tatana. After only twelve minutes, New Zealand second-rower Brian Lee was sent off in a match in which the classy French stand-off Jean Capdouze bagged 13 points. The game was also notable for the first World Cup substitution when Adolphe Alésina replaced second-rower Francis de Nadaï.


1968 Rugby League World Cup, Results
A record World Cup crowd of 62,256 saw New Zealand referee John Percival mercilessly penalising Great Britain, with debutant full-back Eric Simms booting a record eight goals in Australia's win.


1968 Rugby League World Cup, Results
Simms repeated the feat of kicking eight goals as he had in the previous match as Australia eventually killed off New Zealand at Brisbane after trailing for much of the game.


1968 Rugby League World Cup, Results
France surprised Britain in a rain-ruined match at Auckland with an uncharacteristically stubborn defensive display and winger Jean-René Ledru, scoring the winning try to qualify for a World Cup Final showdown against Australia.


1968 Rugby League World Cup, Results
In the final preliminary game in Brisbane, Australia's scrum-half back Billy Smith dropped three goals. French winger Jean-René Ledru and Australia's prop Artie Beetson were both sent off.


1968 Rugby League World Cup, Results, Final standings
Australia and France, having finished in first and second places respectively, qualified for the World Cup final.


1968 Rugby League World Cup, Results, Final
The final had been billed a 'debacle' following Great Britain's inexplicable loss to France in Auckland, resulting in France contesting the final against Australia despite having been beaten by Australia seven tries to none two days prior. Nonetheless, it attracted a record crowd of 54,290 for a World Cup Final match.


1968 Rugby League World Cup, Results, Final
The undefeated Australians went into the tournament decider as favourites. However France offered stern resistance and held the Australians to 0–7 at half-time and with quarter of an hour were only 0–12 down before losing 2–20. It was Australia's second World Cup title.


1968 Rugby League World Cup Final
The 1968 Rugby League World Cup Final was the conclusive game of the 1968 Rugby League World Cup tournament and was played between Australia and France on 10 June 1968 at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia.


1968 Rugby League World Cup Final
The final had been billed a 'debacle' following Great Britain's inexplicable loss to France in Auckland, leaving them to contest the final despite being beaten by Australia seven tries to none two days prior. Nonetheless, it attracted a then record crowd of 54,290 for a World Cup Final, though it wasn't the record World Cup attendance as the second match of the tournament between Australia and Great Britain (won 25-10 by Australia) had drawn 62,256 to the SCG, a record that would not fall until 73,631 attended the 1992 World Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.


1968 Rugby League World Cup Final, Background
The 1968 Rugby League World Cup was the fourth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 1960 tournament. The tournament was held in the Australia and New Zealand from 25 May, culminating in the final between Australia and France on 10 June.


1968 Rugby League World Cup Final, Match details
Although it had been anticipated before the tournament that it would be an Australia vs Great Britain WCF, the French surprised by making the Final after defeating both New Zealand and Great Britain in the preliminary games. The match attracted a World Cup Final record crowd of 54,290.


1968 Rugby League World Cup Final, Match details
The undefeated Australians went into the tournament decider as favourites. However France offered stern resistance and held the Australians to 0–7 at half-time and with quarter of an hour were only 0–12 down before losing 2–20. It was Australia's second World Cup title.


1968 Rugby League World Cup squads
This is a list of the teams which played the 1968 Rugby League World Cup.


1968 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
The 1968 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represented Rutgers University in the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. In their ninth season under head coach John F. Bateman, the Scarlet Knights compiled an 8–2 record with their sole losses coming against Army and Cornell. The team won the Middle Three Conference championship and outscored their opponents 276 to 182 . The team's statistical leaders included Rich Policastro with 994 passing yards, Bryant Mitchell with 1,204 rushing yards, and Bob Stonebraker with 448 receiving yards.


1968 Ryukyu Islands legislative election
Ryukyu Islands legislative Islands legislative election, 1968. It was held in November that year.


1968 SANFL Grand Final
The 1968 SANFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football competition. Sturt beat Port Adelaide by 90 to 63.


1968 SANFL season
The 1968 South Australian National Football League season was the 89th season of the top-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia.


1968 SCCA Grand Prix Championship
The 1968 SCCA Grand Prix Championship was the second annual running of the Sports Car Club of America's open wheel automobile racing series later to become known as the SCCA Continental Championship. The championship was open to SCCA Formula A, Formula B  and Formula C cars, with Formula A expanded to include vehicles powered by 5 liter production-based engines, with the Formula A category later being renamed to Formula 5000.


1968 SCCA Grand Prix Championship, Race results
The 1968 SCCA Grand Prix Championship was contested over eight rounds.


1968 SCCA Grand Prix Championship, Points system
Championship points were awarded to drivers on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis.


1968 SMU Mustangs football team
The 1968 Southern Methodist University Mustangs football team represented the Southern Methodist University in the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. The club was victorious in the 1968 Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.


1968 Sacramento State Hornets football team
The 1968 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented Sacramento State College during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season.


1968 Sacramento State Hornets football team
Sacramento State competed in the Far Western Conference (FWC). The Hornets were led by head coach Ray Clemons in his eighth season. They played home games at Charles C. Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California. The team finished the season with a record of eight wins and three losses (8–3, 4–2 FWC). Overall, the team outscored its opponents 245–137 for the season.


1968 Sacramento State Hornets football team
At the end of the season, the Hornets were invited to play in the Pasadena Bowl. In the game, Sacramento State was defeated by Grambling, 7–34. This was the second time Sacramento State had been invited to a bowl game, the previous being the Camellia Bowl in 1964.


1968 Sacramento State Hornets football team, Team players in the NFL
No Sacramento State players were selected in the 1969 NFL Draft.


1968 Salvadoran legislative election
Legislative elections were held in El Salvador on 10 March 1968. The result was a victory for the National Conciliation Party, which won 27 of the 52 seats. Voter turnout was just 36.6%.


1968 San Diego Chargers season
The 1968 Season was the 9th season for the San Diego Chargers as a professional AFL franchise; the team improved on their 8–5–1 record from 1967, finishing at 9–5.


1968 San Diego Chargers season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1968 San Diego State Aztecs football team
The 1968 San Diego State Aztecs football team represented San Diego State College during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season.


1968 San Diego State Aztecs football team
This was San Diego State's last year in the College Division of the NCAA. They had been a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) for the previous 29 years, but competed as an Independent during the 1968 season. The team was led by head coach Don Coryell, in his eighth year, and played their home games at San Diego Stadium in San Diego, California.


1968 San Diego State Aztecs football team
They finished the season undefeated for the second time under Coach Coryell, with nine wins, zero losses, and one tie (9–0–1). At the end of the season, the Aztecs were voted the College Division national champion for the third consecutive year in the UPI Small College Football Poll and No. 2 in the AP Small College Football Poll.


1968 San Diego State Aztecs football team, Team players in the NFL/AFL
The following San Diego State players were selected in the 1969 NFL Draft.


1968 San Diego State Aztecs football team, Team players in the NFL/AFL
The following finished their college career in 1968, were not drafted, but played in the NFL.


1968 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1968 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 19th season in the National Football League, their 23rd overall, and the first for the team with new head coach Dick Nolan.


1968 San Francisco 49ers season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1968 San Francisco Giants season
The 1968 San Francisco Giants season was the Giants' 86th year in Major League Baseball, their eleventh year in San Francisco since their move from New York following the 1957 season, and their ninth at Candlestick Park. The team finished in second place in the National League with an 88–74 record, 9 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. The Giants' opponents scored 529 runs against them, the fewest in franchise history for a 162-game season. The Giants shut out the opposition 20 times, a record for the club's era in San Francisco.


1968 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1968 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1968 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1968 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1968 San Francisco Giants season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1968 San Francisco State Gators football team
The 1968 San Francisco State Gators football team represented San Francisco State College during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season.


1968 San Francisco State Gators football team
San Francisco State competed in the Far Western Conference (FWC). The Gators were led by eighth-year head coach Vic Rowen. They played home games at Cox Stadium in San Francisco, California. The team finished the regular season with a record of five wins and five losses (5–5, 3–3 FWC). For the season the team was outscored by its opponents 125–195.


1968 San Francisco State Gators football team, Team players in the NFL
No San Francisco State players were selected in the 1969 NFL Draft.


1968 San Jose State Spartans football team
The 1968 San Jose State Spartans football team represented San Jose State College during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season.


1968 San Jose State Spartans football team
San Jose State played as an Independent in 1968. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Harry Anderson, and played home games at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California. The Spartans finished the 1968 season with a record of three wins and seven losses (3–7). Overall, the team was outscored by its opponents 148–403 for the season.


1968 San Jose State Spartans football team, Team players in the NFL/AFL
The following San Jose State players were selected in the 1969 NFL Draft.


1968 Sandown Three Hour Datsun Trophy Race
The 1968 Sandown Three Hour Datsun Trophy Race was a motor race for Production Touring Cars, staged at the Sandown circuit in Victoria, Australia on 15 September 1968. It was the third race in the history of the event which was to become known as the Sandown 500.


1968 Sandown Three Hour Datsun Trophy Race
The race was won by Tony Roberts and  Bob Watson driving a Holden Monaro HK GTS327.


1968 Sandown Three Hour Datsun Trophy Race, Results
Note: Given that there were 31 starters in the event, one starter has not been accounted for in the above results.


1968 Scotland storm
The 1968 Hurricane (or Hurricane Low Q) was a deadly storm that moved through the Central Belt of Scotland during mid January 1968. It was described as Central Scotland's worst natural disaster since records began and the worst gale in the United Kingdom. Some said that the damage resembled what happened during the Clydebank Blitz in 1941. 20 people died from the storm, with 9 dead in Glasgow. 700 people were left homeless. Such high wind speeds in an urban area were equivalent to those witnessed in Paris during Cyclone Lothar in 1999.


1968 Scotland storm
A 134 mph (216 km/h) wind gust was recorded at Great Dun Fell in Cumbria, England. At the time this was the strongest wind gust ever recorded in the United Kingdom, though this was superseded in 1986 when a 173 mph (278 km/h) gust was recorded at Cairn Gorm.


1968 Scotland storm, Meteorological history
The origins of this violent storm appear to be from a cold front near Bermuda on 13 January 1968. The system moved north of the Azores the next day and still appeared as a shallow low pressure area. In the next 24 hours, this low explosively deepened 50 millibars to 956 mb (28.2 inHg) and passed over Central Scotland. The storm continued to move over Northern Europe before dissipating on 18 January 1968.


1968 Scotland storm, Impact, United Kingdom
15 January 1968 began as a mild day, then temperatures grew cooler as the day progressed. The highest temperature on that day was 11.8 °C (53.2 °F) at St. James's Park, London and the lowest was 5.1 °C (41.2 °F) at Lerwick, Shetland. The most rainfall on 15 January in the British Isles was 24.9 mm (0.98 in) at South Barrule. In Glasgow alone, over 300 houses were destroyed and 70,000 homes were damaged. Due to the strong winds, half of Glasgow's council houses were damaged. Many people evacuated the then Europe's tallest flats as they began swaying.


1968 Scotland storm, Impact, United Kingdom
Officials said at least seven ships sank or went adrift in the river Clyde causing hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage. Off the east coast of Scotland, a drilling rig called Sea Quest was set adrift in rough seas. Over a thousand mature trees were downed in the Central Belt, as well as power lines. In total the storm felled 8,000 hectares of forest across Scotland (1.6 million cubic metres of timber). A Glasgow police spokesman said that it was 'absolute havoc' in the city. Electrical power also failed in Glasgow, leaving the whole city in darkness.


1968 Scotland storm, Impact, United Kingdom
In England and Wales, a five-day freeze ended with some roads flooded by up to 3 ft (91 cm) of water. Large waves pounded the English Channel coastline.


1968 Scotland storm, Impact, Rest of Europe
In Denmark, officials in Copenhagen said that eight people died in the country from the storm.


1968 Scotland storm, Aftermath
After the storm moved away, the death toll continued to rise. 30 people died from repairing houses. On 16 January 1968, about 150 troops from Edinburgh came to Glasgow to help with the clean-up operation. There was little national press coverage of the storm, despite it affecting most of northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. An interest-free loan of £500,000 was given by the Labour Government to the affected areas. Singer Frankie Vaughan began to raise funds for the victims of the storm by holding a special concert at Alhambra Theatre in Glasgow.


1968 Scotland storm, Aftermath
After the devastation of the storm in the area, the Glasgow City Council quickly imposed a new policy to improve housing in the city.


1968 Scottish Cup Final
The 1968 Scottish Cup Final was played on 27 April 1968 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 83rd staging of the Scottish Cup. Dunfermline Athletic and Hearts contested the match. Dunfermline Athletic won the match 3–1 with goals from two goals from Pat Gardner and a goal from Ian Lister, Hearts got on the scoresheet through a John Lunn own goal.


1968 Scottish Cup Final
The game was Dunfermline's second and most recent Scottish cup triumph.


1968 Scottish Cup Final
In a thrilling and open game, Hearts had the bulk of the play in the first half but were unable to press home their advantage, so the first half finished goalless. In the second half Dunfermline came out strongly, attacking down the wings and troubling Hearts' defence. Dunfermline went ahead in the 56th minute with a goal from Gardner. Three minutes later Hearts goalkeeper Cruickshank pulled down Paton, Lister scored the penalty to make it 2-0. Five minutes later Hearts replaced Jensen with Moller, this paid dividends as soon after Moller's cross was deflected into the box by Dunfermline's Lunn to make it 2-1. However Hearts' revival was short lived as Gardner scored a spectacular goal in the 73rd minute to make it 3-1.


1968 Segunda División de Chile
The 1968 Segunda División de Chile was the 17th season of the Segunda División de Chile.


1968 Senegalese general election
General elections were held in Senegal on 25 February 1968 to elect a President and National Assembly. After a series of party mergers, the country had become a one-party state, with the Senegalese Progressive Union (UPS) as the sole legal party, As a result, its leader, Léopold Sédar Senghor, was the only candidate in the presidential election and was re-elected unopposed. In the National Assembly election, voters were presented with a list of 80 UPS candidates to vote for. Voter turnout was 94.7% in the presidential election and 93.0% in the National Assembly election.


1968 Senior League World Series
The 1968 Senior League World Series took place from August 13–18 in Gary, Indiana, United States. New Hyde Park, New York defeated West Tampa, Florida in the championship game. It was the third straight title for New York. This was the first SLWS held in Gary.


1968 Sheffield Brightside by-election
The Sheffield Brightside by-election of 15 June 1968 was held after the death of Labour MP (MP) Richard Winterbottom. The seat was very safe, having been won by Labour at the 1966 United Kingdom general election by over 19,000 votes


1968 Sheffield City Council election
The election was held on 9 May 1968, with a third of the council up for vote, alongside three double vacancies in Broomhill, Handsworth and Mosborough. Overall turnout was 33.9%, a continuation of the preceding year's improvement.


1968 Sheffield City Council election
Following on from the previous year's momentous wins by the Conservatives, this historic night seen them surpass those and win control of the council for the first time since 1932, when it won as the Conservative-Liberal combination Progressives party. This election and the previous followed the national trend of Labour suffering massive losses around the country, even in their heartlands, with only two cities left Labour-controlled after these elections - Hull and Stoke - and even there the Tories were making significant inroads.


1968 Sheffield City Council election
The results were met with jubilant scenes in the town hall, where the Conservatives opened bottles of champagne and celebrated. The leader of the Conservative group, alderman Harold Hebblethwaite, remarked:


1968 Sheffield City Council election
"Tonight is a wonderful night. It is a narrow majority, nevertheless, it is a workable majority. This victory is the plum which the Conservative Party have been looking for nationally, and here it is. I am not used to making emotional statements such as 'to the victors the spoils' but it follows naturally from our victory that we shall take the committee chairmanships and deputy chairmanships. We will have to do that to control policy. We have a majority of only four but I would emphasise that if we had had this majority last year with the opportunity to manipulate aldermanic seats our majority on the council floor would have been 14."


1968 Sheffield City Council election
Labour Park councillor Joe Ashton, wrote "we will return" on the wall of the Town Hall whip's office in response to the defeat.


1968 Sheffield City Council election
The Conservatives gained seven seats from Labour in Birley, Darnall, Firth Park, Netherthorpe, Owlerton, Sharrow and Walkley, as well as the sole Independent seat in Mosborough. These gains transformed a narrow deficit in councillors, to a thirteen-strong majority. A poll of voters in the Darnall ward (an invariably Labour-won seat since 1945) was commissioned by the Morning Telegraph four days prior to the election, correctly predicting a Conservative gain with a swing to the Conservatives of 5.5% - a figure that was exceeded by one percent on the night.


1968 Sheffield City Council election
Unfortunately for the Conservatives, the aldermanic elections weren't until 1970, and two-thirds of those currently represented Labour, reducing their majority to just 4, and as such, difficult to govern with. Aside from numerical difficulties, the recent report from the City's Treasurer precipitated financial restraint, so the incoming governments options were one of either cuts to the council's services, or rises in the city's rates.


1968 Sheffield City Council election, Election result
The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the Council after the elections:


1968 Singaporean general election
General elections were held in Singapore on 13 April 1968, its first as a sovereign city-state.


1968 Singaporean general election, Background
Following the resignations of eleven MPs from Barisan Sosialis (BS, Socialist Front) and two other BS MPs leaving Singapore in protest against independence, five by-elections were held within three years but PAP were successful in winning all the seats, resulting in a monopoly.


1968 Singaporean general election, Background, Campaign
BS boycotted the elections on the grounds that Singapore's independence was "phoney" and several opposition parties heeded its call. The leaders of Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura (formerly the local branch of the UNMO), Ahmad Haji Taff, and the Singapore Chinese Party (formerly the local branch of the MCA), Chng Boon Eng, turned up but did not file their nominations. Three precedents were made in this election: the fewest seats (seven) contested in a general election, and the first time PAP was returned to power on nomination day and the first time it won all seats. Walkovers also became a perpetual feature in every succeeding general election until 2015.


1968 Singaporean general election, Electoral system
The 58 members of Parliament were elected in 58 single-member constituencies, an increase from 51 in the 1963 elections. The constituencies introduced or removed in the election, as well as constituencies with changes of boundaries, were shown on the table:


1968 Six Hour Le Mans
The 1968 Six Hour Le Mans was an endurance motor race open to Sports Cars and Touring Cars. The event was staged at the Caversham circuit in Western Australia on 3 June 1968.


1968 Six Hour Le Mans, Results
15th: No 33, B Cole, B Cleaver, Austin-Healey Sprite, 163 laps17th: No 8, Rod Waller/Bob Webb, Repco Holden Sports, 160 laps18th: No 51, Mal McKiggan, Fiat 850 Coupe, 160 laps19th: No 12, Rod Mitchell, Peugeot, 159 laps20th: No 52, Ken Glasgow, Morris Minor, 152 laps21st: No 35, Ray Johnson, P Dover, Holden, 150 laps22nd: No 21, Norm Scott, Peugeot 203, 149 laps25th: No 15, John Collins, Jim Currie, Bob Biltoft, Holden, 132 laps


1968 Sligo Senior Football Championship
This is a round-up of the 1968 Sligo Senior Football Championship. St. Patrick's Dromard, led by Sligo star Micheal Kearins, were crowned champions for the first time, after a win over their West Sligo rivals Easkey in the final.


1968 Sligo Senior Football Championship, Sligo Senior Football Championship Final
Team:T. CumminsF. LeonardA. BolandT. McMunnS. DoneganJ. CuffeJ. KilgallonM. Kearins (0-5)J. KilgannonP. Kearins (0-1)R. BolandP. McMunn (0-1)T. Leonard (1-0)S. Beckett (0-1)P. Cummins


1968 Sligo Senior Football Championship, Sligo Senior Football Championship Final
Team:J. ConlonM. TaylorJ.P. McGuireS. WeirF. LyonsT. RoddyV. CuffeE. MullenT.J. LyonsO. McHugh (0-1)M. Kenny (0-1)M. McHugh (1-0)P.J. SloyaneS CallearyS. Rolston


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election
The Alberta Social Credit leadership convention, 1968, took place in the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on December 4, 1968, to select a candidate to replace Ernest Manning as leader of the Social Credit Party of Alberta. Because Social Credit enjoyed a substantial majority in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta at the time and because convention dictates that the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta asks the leader of the largest party in the legislature to form government, the contest was a de facto selection of the next Premier of Alberta. Harry Strom, long-time Minister of Agriculture and later Minister of Municipal Affairs in Manning's government, came out on top of a six-person field on the second ballot.


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, Background
Ernest Manning had been Social Credit's leader and premier of Alberta since he was selected by his caucus to succeed deceased party founder William Aberhart in 1943. Though still not an old man, he had decided to retire as premier after a record-setting 25 years, sensing the mood of change that was beginning to grip the province - his son, Preston Manning, claimed in 2003 that his father was concerned that Social Credit might lose the next election.


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, Background
Social Credit had never held a leadership contest before. As founder, Aberhart had emerged as the unquestioned leader in advance of the 1935 election, and Manning was the obvious and unanimous choice of his caucus after Aberhart's death in 1943.


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, Background
The initial favourite was Anders Aalborg, Manning's provincial treasurer. He wanted the job, but declined to enter the race due to health concerns. This left the field open to other, less well-known, candidates.


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, Candidates
There were five candidates for most of the pre-convention period, with veteran Alfred Hooke entering at the last minute before the convention. The candidates were


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, Campaign
The campaign aroused little interest, and a poll in the Spring of 1968 found that well over half of respondents had not selected a candidate (the same poll placed Taylor in the lead with 9.8% of the vote, followed by Strom at 5.3% and Reierson and 3.6%). Strom enjoyed the strongest organization, and entered the convention as the favourite.


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, The convention
As delegates arrived at the December 4 convention, they were greeted by an enormous red and white billboard supporting Reierson and a rock band supporting Gerhart. Inside the convention centre, an oom-pah band was trying to get a snake dance going. Party secretary Orvis Kennedy was trying to prevent a resolution in favour of the Social Credit youth branch, endorsing the legalization of marijuana from making the convention floor (he succeeded).


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, The convention
The convention was attended by delegates elected by party members by constituency. A candidate required a majority of votes to win. On the first ballot, Strom led with 47.6% of the vote, well ahead of the other candidates (Taylor, in second place, had 16.5%). Hooke, in last place, was automatically eliminated, and Gerhart, in a disappointing fifth, dropped out as well. The third place Reierson made his way to the stage to make an announcement, but was physically obstructed by Kennedy.


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, The convention
Breaking free, Reierson complained "I never thought I'd live to see the day that a Social Credit candidate would be denied the right to speak to his own supporters" announcing his withdrawal and endorsement of Taylor. Walt Buck, in fourth place, stayed on the ballot, despite entreaties from the Taylor and Reierson camps.


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, The convention
On the second ballot, Strom retained his large lead, although Taylor gained ground. Well above the majority threshold, he was elected leader.


1968 Social Credit Party of Alberta leadership election, Aftermath
Harry Strom became premier of Alberta a week after the convention. However, his government proved unable to deal with the province's desire for change, and was soundly defeated in the 1971 election by Peter Lougheed's Progressive Conservatives, marking the end of the thirty-five year Social Credit dynasty in Alberta, and the beginning of the Progressive Conservatives' still-longer tenure.


1968 South African Grand Prix
The 1968 South African Grand Prix, formally the 2nd AA Grand Prix of South Africa (Afrikaans: Tweede AA Suid-Afrikaanse Grand Prix), was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami Circuit on Monday 1 January 1968. It was race 1 of 12 in both the 1968 World Championship of Drivers and the 1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The 80-lap race was won by two time World Drivers' Champion and 1965 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Clark for Lotus-Ford after starting from pole position.


1968 South African Grand Prix
The race is significant as not only the last Formula One race to be won by Clark, but also the last in which he ever competed, due to his fatal crash at the Hockenheimring in Germany three months later. At this race Team Gunston became the first Formula One team to paint their cars in the livery of their sponsors when they entered a private Brabham for John Love and an LDS for Sam Tingle.


1968 South African Grand Prix
The first six slots on the grid were filled by either previous or future world champions. However the reigning champion, Denny Hulme, only started in ninth.


1968 South African Grand Prix
This was also Mike Spence's final race, as he too was killed a few months later, while practising for the 1968 Indianapolis 500.


1968 South African Grand Prix
Clark broke many records during the weekend, such as leading the most Grands Prix (43), having the most laps led (1,943), having the most perfect weekends (11), achieving the most pole positions (33) and finally achieving 25 race wins, beating Juan Manuel Fangio's 11-year-old record.


1968 South African presidential election
The South African presidential election of 1968 resulted in the unanimous election of Jacobus Johannes Fouché of the National Party by the South African Parliament. Fouché was elected to the ceremonial post of State President of South Africa on February 19, 1968, and was sworn in on April 10, 1968. He was the only South African State President to serve a full seven-year term, which ended on 9 April 1975.


1968 South American Junior Championships in Athletics
The seventh South American Junior Championships in Athletics were held in São Paulo, Brazil, at the Estadio Atlético de São Bernardo do Campo between September 8–14, 1968.


1968 South American Junior Championships in Athletics, Participation (unofficial)
Detailed result lists can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History" website. An unofficial count yields the number of about 176 athletes from about 8 countries:  Argentina (39),  Brazil (34), Chile (38), Colombia (5), Ecuador (5), Paraguay (17), Peru (23), Uruguay (15).


1968 South American Junior Championships in Athletics, Medal summary
Medal winners are published for men and womenComplete results can be found on the "World Junior Athletics History" website.


1968 South American Open
The 1968 Buenos Aires tennis tournament was a combined men's and women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club in Buenos Aires in Argentina. It was the first open edition of the tournament and was held from 4 November through 11 November 1968. Roy Emerson and Ann Jones won the singles titles.


1968 South American Open, Winners, Men's Doubles
Andrés Gimeno /  Fred Stolle defeated  Rod Laver /  Roy Emerson 6–3, 4–6, 7–5, 6–1


1968 South American Open, Winners, Women's Doubles
Rosie Casals /  Ann Jones defeated  Julie Heldman /  Mabel Vrancovich 6–1, 6–2


1968 South American Open, Winners, Mixed Doubles
Julie Heldman /  Herb Fitzgibbon defeated  Edson Mandarino /  Norma Baylon 6–3, 6–4


1968 South American Open – Singles
Roy Emerson won in the final 9–7, 6–4, 6–4 against Rod Laver.


1968 South Australian state election
The 1968 South Australian State election was held in South Australia on 2 March 1968. All 39 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election; 38 of the 39 contests were won by candidates from Australia's two major political parties. The incumbent Australian Labor Party (led by Premier of South Australia Don Dunstan) and the Liberal and Country League (led by Leader of the Opposition Steele Hall) both won 19 seats. The sole independent candidate to win a race, Tom Stott of the Ridley electorate, joined with the LCL's 19 seats to form a coalition government that held a 20 to 19 majority, thus defeating the Dunstan Labor government.


1968 South Australian state election, Outcome
The election saw the Liberal and Country League opposition form a minority government, winning the same number of seats in the House of Assembly as the incumbent Australian Labor Party government, despite the fact that Labor won 53.2 percent of the two-party vote, and the LCL only 46.8. This result was due to what had become known as the Playmander − an electoral malapportionment that had previously resulted in the LCL also forming government despite having a clear minority of the statewide two-party vote in 1944, 1953 and 1962.


1968 South Australian state election, Outcome
Labor lost the seats of Murray and Chaffey to the LCL. Murray was decided by a mere 21 votes, which, if they had gone in the other direction, would have secured Labor's return for a second term of government.


1968 South Australian state election, Outcome
The LCL were able to form minority government in the hung parliament with confidence and supply from the long-serving crossbench independent MP Tom Stott, who held the balance of power. Stott, a good friend of former Premier Playford, and an opponent of Labor, agreed to support the LCL and became Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly. This allowed the LCL to form government by one seat.


1968 South Australian state election, Outcome
LCL leader Steele Hall had served as Leader of the Opposition for two years before becoming Premier. Young and handsome, he was also the first Australian state premier to sport sideburns. Indeed, the 1968 election, fought between Hall and his opponent Don Dunstan, was described by the Democratic Labor Party as the battle of "the matinée idols".


1968 South Australian state election, Outcome
The 1968 election was also notable for the result in the seat of Millicent. Labor won the seat by a single vote. However, a by-election was triggered by a decision of the Court of Disputed Returns. The by-election saw Labor increase their margin. Notably, turnout increased at the by-election.


1968 South Australian state election, Subsequent electoral reform
Hall was embarrassed that the LCL was even in a position to govern despite having clearly lost in terms of actual votes. Acknowledging that the obvious unfairness of the election result put him in a politically unacceptable position, he decided to institute electoral reforms to weaken the malapportionment of the Playmander.


1968 South Australian state election, Subsequent electoral reform
Since 1936, the House of Assembly had comprised 39 seats – 13 in metropolitan Adelaide, and 26 in the country. That was in accordance with the requirement of the State Constitution that there be two country seats for every one in Adelaide. However, by 1968, Adelaide accounted for two-thirds of the state's population, a nearly-exact reversal of the situation three decades earlier. Although the population in metropolitan areas outnumbered that in rural areas 620,000 to 450,000, the number of members representing the rural areas was twice that allotted to metropolitan areas.


1968 South Australian state election, Subsequent electoral reform
The most populous metropolitan seats had five to ten times as many voters as the least populous rural seats. For instance, the rural seat of Frome had 4,500 formal votes, while the metropolitan seat of Enfield had 42,000 formal votes. At the election, the LCL won only three metropolitan seats – Burnside, Mitcham and Torrens. However, Labor lost two country seats to the LCL, which resulted in a hung parliament.


1968 South Australian state election, Subsequent electoral reform
Hall's reforms included increasing the size of House of Assembly to 47 seats – 28 metropolitan seats and 19 rural seats – the increase of 15 metropolitan seats more than doubling the previous number. Because country areas remained over-represented, the change fell short of the "one vote one value" that Labor had demanded. The most populous metropolitan seats still contained double the number of voters in the least populous rural seats. Nevertheless, while the rural weighting remained, Adelaide would now elect a majority of the legislature.


1968 South Australian state election, Subsequent electoral reform
Even at its height in the 1940s and 1950s, the LCL had been all but non-existent in Adelaide. Under the circumstances, the reforms made it a near-certainty that Labor would win the next election; indeed, conventional wisdom held that Hall was well aware he had effectively made Dunstan premier for a second time.


1968 South Australian state election, Subsequent collapse of minority government and further reforms
Eventually, Hall and Stott fell out over the proposed Chowilla Dam. Stott wanted the dam built in his electorate, while Hall thought its construction was not justified. Constituent pressure forced Stott to vote against the Hall government, leading to an early election – the 1970 South Australian state election – which was fought on much fairer electoral boundaries. As expected, Dunstan led Labor to a decisive victory. Further reforms replaced the Playmander with a "one vote one value" system after the 1975 election, at which Labor retained government despite a two-party-preferred vote of 49.2 percent.


1968 South Australian state election, Subsequent collapse of minority government and further reforms
A further reform was effected following the 1989 election, at which Labor retained government despite a two-party vote of 48.1 percent. It was enacted that the Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission should redraw electoral boundaries after each election, with the objective that the party which received over 50 percent of the state-wide two-party vote at the forthcoming election should win the majority of seats. South Australia is the only state that redistributes electoral boundaries on the basis of the two-party vote. One element of the Playmander remains to this day − the change from multi-member electorates to single-member electorates.


1968 South Australian state election, Results
South Australian state election, 2 March 1968House of Assembly << 1965–1970 >>


1968 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 1968 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. The Gamecocks finished the season 4–6 overall.


1968 South Dakota Coyotes football team
The 1968 South Dakota Coyotes football team was an American football team that represented the University of South Dakota in the North Central Conference (NCC) during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. In its third season under head coach Joe Salem, the team compiled a 9–1 record (5–1 against NCC opponents), finished in second place out of seven teams in the NCC, and outscored opponents by a total of 299 to 173. The team played its home games at Inman Field in Vermillion, South Dakota.


1968 South Dakota gubernatorial election
The 1968 South Dakota gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1968.


1968 South Dakota gubernatorial election
Incumbent Republican Governor Nils Boe did not stand for re-election.


1968 South Dakota gubernatorial election
Republican nominee Frank Farrar defeated Democratic nominee Robert Chamberlin with 57.65% of the vote.


1968 Southeastern 500
The 1968 Southeastern 500 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on March 17, 1968, at Bristol International Speedway in  Bristol, Tennessee. Highlights of this racing event were later shown on the classic Car and Track television show on most CBS stations.


1968 Southeastern 500
The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s.


1968 Southeastern 500, Race report
A total distance of 500 laps was accomplished at this event; with Bobby Allison acquiring the last-place position due to stock car engine problems on lap 41. Stan Meserve would fall out with engine failure on lap 54. Driveshaft problems would end Paul Goldsmith's day on lap 60 while terminal vehicle damage would end Jerry Grant's day on lap 72. An accident would claim the vehicle of G.C. Spencer on lap 91 while an oil leak would take Roy Tyner out the race on lap 104.


1968 Southeastern 500, Race report
Clyde Lynn's incredibly disappearing tail end of his vehicle eventually stalled his racing hopes on lap 445. While the first 100 laps of this race event were a David Pearson and Richard Petty show, it would be LeeRoy Yarbrough would compete against Pearson in the closing laps of this event. All 36 of the qualifying drivers were born in the United States of America. Henley Gray would become the lowest-finishing driver to actually complete the event; albeit more than 100 laps behind the lead-lap competitors.


1968 Southeastern 500, Race report
David Pearson would best Richard Petty by a distance of three seconds after racing at each other's throats for more than three hours; Petty drove the last 25 laps of the race without any brakes. More than 19,000 ardent NASCAR followers would see a race marred by eleven caution flags for a duration of 81 laps. Richard Petty's qualifying speed of 88.582 miles per hour (142.559 km/h) would see him blaze through the field during solo qualifying runs.


1968 Southeastern 500, Race report
Cale Yarborough would spend some time as the leader of the race before an incident involving the back of his vehicle would end his day of racing on lap 237. Roy Trantham would make his introduction into the NASCAR Cup Series scene in this race while Serge Adams would exit stage left from NASCAR racing after the conclusion of this event. Doug Cooper also enjoyed his final NASCAR Grand National Series race at this event before retiring.


1968 Southeastern 500, Race report
Individual race earnings ranged from the winner's share of $25,415 ($186,855 when adjusted for inflation) to the last-place finisher's portion of $500 ($3,676 when adjusted for inflation). NASCAR handed out a grand total of $86,285 to all the competitors who qualified for this racing event ($634,381 when adjusted for inflation).


1968 Southeastern 500, Race report
At least ten notable crew chiefs were recorded as officially attending this race; including Ray Hicks, Jake Elder, Glen Wood, Junior Johnson and Banjo Matthews.


1968 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1968 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from February 29 – March 2, 1968, at the original Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Davidson Wildcats, led by head coach Lefty Driesell, won their second Southern Conference title and received the automatic berth to the 1968 NCAA Tournament.


1968 Southern Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, Format
The top eight finishers  of the conference's nine members were eligible for the tournament. Teams were seeded based on conference winning percentage. The tournament used a preset bracket consisting of three rounds.


1968 Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team
The 1968 Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team represented the University of Southern Illinois in the 1968 NCAA University Division baseball season. The Salukis played their home games at Abe Martin Field. The team was coached by Joe Lutz in his 3rd season at Southern Illinois.


1968 Southern Illinois Salukis baseball team
The Salukis lost the College World Series, defeated by the USC Trojans in the championship game.


1968 Southern Illinois Salukis football team
The 1968 Southern Illinois Salukis football team was an American football team that represented Southern Illinois University (now known as Southern Illinois University Carbondale) as an independent during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. Under second-year head coach Dick Towers, the team compiled a 6–3 record. The team played its home games at McAndrew Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.


1968 Southern Jaguars football team
The 1968 Southern Jaguars football team was an American football team that represented Southern University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season.


1968 Southern Miss Southerners football team
The 1968 Southern Miss Southerners football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southern Mississippi as an independent during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season. In their twentieth year under head coach Thad Vann, the team compiled a 4–6 record.


1968 Southwark London Borough Council election
Elections to Southwark Council were held in May 1968. The whole council was up for election. Turnout was 20.7%. There were 23 wards.


1968 Southwark London Borough Council election
This election had aldermen as well as councillors. Labour got all ten aldermen as well as 33 directly elected councillors.


1968 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football team
The 1968 Southwestern Louisiana Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in the Gulf States Conference during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. In their eighth year under head coach Russ Faulkinberry, the team compiled an 8–2 record and were Gulf States Conference champions.


1968 Soviet Class A Second Group
The 1968 Soviet Class A Second Group was the sixth season of the Soviet Class A Second Group football competitions that was established in 1963. It was also the 28th season of the Soviet second tier league competition.


1968 Soviet Class B
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Frietjes (talk | contribs) at 23:06, 18 March 2020 (→Central Asia). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1968 Soviet Class B
1968 Soviet Class B was a Soviet football competition at the Soviet third tier.


1968 Soviet Top League
20 teams took part in the league with FC Dynamo Kyiv winning the championship.


1968 Soviet nuclear tests
The Soviet Union's 1968 nuclear test series was a group of 17 nuclear tests conducted in 1968. These tests  followed the 1967 Soviet nuclear tests series and preceded the 1969 Soviet nuclear tests series.


1968 Spanish Grand Prix
The 1968 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama Circuit on 12 May 1968. It was race 2 of 12 in both the 1968 World Championship of Drivers and the 1968 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was the first race after the death of former double World Champion Jim Clark, who had died in a non-championship Formula Two event in Hockenheim, Germany the previous month. Clark had led the drivers' championship before this race, on 9 points, after he won in the first race in South Africa.


1968 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
Following Jim Clark's death in Germany, and the death of his replacement Mike Spence during practice for the Indianapolis 500 just five days before the race, team principal Colin Chapman opted not to come to Spain for the first championship Spanish Grand Prix since 1954, still being devastated by the losses. Graham Hill was the only works Lotus driver; a second car was entered for Jackie Oliver but could not be set up in time.


1968 Spanish Grand Prix, Background
The race saw the first appearance of Team Lotus in the red, gold and white colors of Imperial Tobacco's Gold Leaf brand as their title sponsor instead of the traditional British racing green, making them the first works team to paint their cars in the livery of their sponsors. Jackie Stewart was absent due to a wrist injury he sustained while driving in a Formula Two race, so it was up to Jean-Pierre Beltoise to debut the new Matra MS10.


1968 Spanish Grand Prix, Report
During qualifying, Ferrari's Chris Amon took his first ever pole position with Graham Hill for the mourning Team Lotus down in sixth place.


1968 Spanish Grand Prix, Report
Lotus fate turned however during the race on Sunday, contested in searing heat. Pedro Rodríguez took the lead at the start in his BRM, followed by Beltoise, Amon and Hulme. The Frenchman moved into the lead on lap 12, only to drop back four laps later with engine troubles. Amon was now back in the lead, followed closely by Rodriguez until the Mexican spun and crashed on lap 28. While he waited for his mechanics to pick up the car, spectators "descended on the car like vultures and stripped off the mirrors, seat, windscreen and nose cowling".


1968 Spanish Grand Prix, Report
These retirements elevated Hill to second place behind Amon, who suffered a fuel pump failure on lap 58, handing Hill, who had been a mile behind, first place and victory. Hulme was close behind Hill, but when his McLaren lost second gear, he needed to back off and the Englishman cruised home. Beltoise recovered from his mechanical troubles and recorded the fastest lap of the race.


1968 Spanish Guinean constitutional referendum
A constitutional referendum was held in Spanish Guinea on 11 August 1968, in order to prepare the country for independence from Francoist Spain. The new constitution would create a presidential republic with a 35-seat unicameral parliament, and was supported by 64.32% of voters with a turnout of 91.7%. Elections were held according to the new constitution in September.


1968 Spanish Guinean constitutional referendum
In a 1963 referendum voters had voted in favor of autonomy from Spain.


1968 Spanish Guinean general election
General elections were held in Spanish Guinea on 22 September 1968 to elect a President and National Assembly that would lead the country when it gained independence as Equatorial Guinea later that year. A second round of the presidential election was held on 29 September.


1968 Spanish Guinean general election
Francisco Macías Nguema of the Popular Idea of Equatorial Guinea led the field in the first round, advancing to a runoff with Prime Minister Bonifacio Ondó Edu. With the endorsement of eliminated candidates Atanasio Ndongo and Edmundo Bossio, Macías Nguema defeated Edu in the runoff. Edu's National Unity Movement of Equatorial Guinea and Ndongo's National Liberation Movement of Equatorial Guinea won ten seats each in the National Assembly, while the Popular Idea won eight. Voter turnout was 67 percent in the first round and 79 percent in the second round.


1968 Spanish Guinean general election
After Macias Nguema's victory, he appointed Ndongo as Equatorial Guinea's first Foreign Minister and Bossio as Vice-President, while he ordered Edu's execution shortly after independence. To date, it has been the only free election ever held in Equatorial Guinea. Over the next four years, Macias Nguema consolidated his power step by step; in 1970 he set up the United National Workers' Party as the only legally permitted party in the country and by 1972 he had declared himself President for Life with dictatorial powers. As a result, the 1968 elections would be the last contested elections held in the country until 1993.


1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games
The First International Special Olympics Games (Summer Special Olympics) were held in Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, United States, on July 20, 1968. Some of the smaller indoor events were held in the Conrad Hilton Hotel on Michigan Avenue.


1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games
1,000 athletes from 26 U.S. states, and Canada competed in track and swimming. Swimming included 25 meter races, and track had short distance runnings, ball throws, and standing long jump.


1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games
The athlete's oath was introduced at these games by founder Eunice Shriver at the opening ceremony. The oath is,   "Let me win. But if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt."


1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games
Notable athletes volunteered at the games, including Jesse Owens, Rafer Johnson, George Armstrong, and Stan Mikita.


1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games, Planning
The inception of the concept for the Special Olympics came from Anne McGlone (now Anne Burke), at the time a  physical education teacher working for the Chicago Park District. In 1967, while teaching special needs children, she had the idea to host a citywide track meet for such children. She asked Park District Superintendent Erwin "Red" Weiner and Park District Board President William McFetridge for permission to organize it.


1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games, Planning
The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation had provided earlier funding to special needs programs in the Park District, thus McFetridge believed that Eunice Kennedy Shriver might be wiling to provide funding for such an event. In early 1968, McGlone wrote to Shriver proposing the event, and within days received an enthusiastic response from Shriver. The event evolved from a track meet into an Olympics-style event for special needs children.


1968 Special Olympics Summer World Games, Planning
To assist in organizing the event, they received help from Dr. William H. Freeberg of Southern Illinois University (an expert in recreation for children with disabilities). They also received the assistance of Parks Board vice president Dan Shannon and McFetridge's assistant Ed Kelly. The event began to take a national, then later even an international, scale as planning advanced.


1968 Speedway World Pairs Championship
The 1968 Speedway World Pairs Championship was the unofficial FIM Speedway World Pairs Championship. The final took place in Kempten, West Germany. The championship was won by Sweden (24 points) who beat Great Britain (21 points) and Norway (16 points). Although unofficial at the time it is now regarded as being a major event and is listed in all speedway lists.


1968 Speedway World Team Cup
The 1968 Speedway World Team Cup was the ninth edition of the FIM Speedway World Team Cup to determine the team world champions.


1968 Speedway World Team Cup
The final took place at Wembley Stadium in London. The title was won by for the first time by the Great Britain national speedway team. The previous eight editions had all been won by Sweden (five wins) and Poland (three wins).


1968 Speedway World Team Cup, World final
Ivan Mauger - 12Nigel Boocock - 10Martin Ashby - 8Barry Briggs - 7Norman Hunter - 3


1968 Speedway World Team Cup, World final
Ove Fundin - 11Bengt Jansson - 7Anders Michanek - 7Olle Nygren - 3Torbjörn Harrysson - 2


1968 Speedway World Team Cup, World final
Edmund Migoś - 8Edward Jancarz - 6Andrzej Wyglenda - 2Henryk Glücklich - 2Paweł Waloszek - 1


1968 Speedway World Team Cup, World final
Antonín Kasper Sr. - 3Luboš Tomíček Sr. - 2Jan Holub I 1Jaroslav Volf 1


1968 St. John's Redmen baseball team
The 1968 St. John's Redmen baseball team represented the St. John's University in the 1968 NCAA University Division baseball season. The Redmen played their home games at Alley Pond Park. The team was coached by Jack Kaiser in his St. John's University in his 13th year at St. John's.


1968 St. John's Redmen baseball team
The Redmen won District II to advance to the College World Series, where they were defeated by the Southern Illinois Salukis.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season
The 1968 St. Louis Cardinals season was the 49th season the team was in the National Football League (NFL). The team improved on their previous output of 6–7–1, winning nine games. Despite the improvement, they failed to qualify for the playoffs for the 20th consecutive season.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season
The 1968 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 87th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 77th season in the National League. The Cardinals went 97–65 during the season, winning their second consecutive NL pennant, this time by nine games over the San Francisco Giants. They lost in 7 games to the Detroit Tigers in the 1968 World Series. The Cardinals would not return to postseason until 1982.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season
Following the season, Major League Baseball announced plans to split both the National and American Leagues into East and West divisions starting with the 1969 season in order to accommodate the inclusion of two new franchises to each league. The Cardinals were assigned to the new National League East division. Originally, the Cardinals were placed in the National League West division. However, the New York Mets, wanting to compensate for the loss of home games against the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, desired three extra games against the Cardinals, the two-time defending NL champions.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season
The Cardinals were thus moved to the National League East division along with the Chicago Cubs, who wished to maintain their long-standing rivalry with the Cardinals. The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds were correspondingly shifted to the National League West despite both being east of St. Louis and Chicago, a configuration maintained until 1993.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, Regular season
Pitcher Bob Gibson won both the MVP Award and the Cy Young Award this year, with a 1.12 ERA, 22 wins, and 268 strikeouts. From June 2 to July 30, Gibson allowed only two earned runs in ninety-two innings pitched. For the season, opposing batters only had a batting average of .184, and an on-base percentage of .233 against Gibson. Gibson also won a Gold Glove this year, as did shortstop Dal Maxvill and outfielder Curt Flood.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, 1968 World Series
Although essentially the same team as the previous year, they faced a tougher American League opponent in the Detroit Tigers, who had also won their pennant easily, behind the 31-win season of Denny McLain. Even though both Gibson and McLain were league MVPs that season, another Tigers starter, Mickey Lolich, stole the show, becoming the last pitcher to date to win three complete games in a single Series. Gibson excelled again in this World Series, winning Games 1 and 4. He had 17 strikeouts in Game 1 and totaled 35 strikeouts in the Series, both still World Series records.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, 1968 World Series
The Cardinals advanced to a 3–1 series lead, but the Tigers completed an improbable comeback by winning the final three games of the series to claim the championship, 4 games to 3. It was St. Louis' last Series appearance until 1982, and their last Series before MLB adopted its divisional format.


1968 St. Louis Cardinals season, 1968 World Series
AL Detroit Tigers (4) vs. NL St. Louis Cardinals (3)


1968 Stanford Indians football team
The 1968 Stanford Indians football team represented Stanford University during the 1968 NCAA University Division football season.


1968 Stanford Indians football team, Season
The Indians led by sixth-year head coach John Ralston. On the field, the offense was headed by future Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett, in his first season as starting quarterback, and senior wide receiver Gene Washington.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1968 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1967–68 season, and the culmination of the 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues. The Canadiens swept the best-of-seven series in four games. It was the first Stanley Cup Finals after the NHL expansion to twelve teams.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals
Although the series was a sweep, it was a much more intense and close-fought series than anyone had expected, as all four games were decided by one goal, two went to overtime, and the other two saw the winning goal scored in the third period. The Blues were the only first-year franchise to play for the Stanley Cup in the post-expansion era, until the Vegas Golden Knights participated in the Stanley Cup Finals a half-century later.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
This was the first Stanley Cup championship after the 1967 NHL expansion. All of the new teams were placed in the West Division, all the Original Six teams were put in the East Division, and the playoffs were organized so that divisional champions would play off for the Stanley Cup.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
Montreal defeated the Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks to advance to the finals as the East Division champion.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
St. Louis would defeat the Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars to advance to the finals as the West Division champion.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries
The Montreal Canadiens finished first in the East Division with 94 points. The St. Louis Blues finished third in the West Division with 70 points. In this year's four-game regular season series, there were three wins for Montreal and one tie.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries
Coming into the series, most people were expecting the established Canadiens to blow the first-year Blues out of the water; after all, the Canadiens had dominated the East with 42 wins, while the Blues hadn't even finished with a winning record, with just 27 wins. However, what ended up happening would turn heads, as the Blues proceeded to put up a fight, riding the back of their goaltender, Glenn Hall.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game three
Glenn Hall was sensational, especially in game three when the Canadiens outshot the Blues 46–15. Wrote Red Burnett, the dean of hockey writers then: "A number of Hall's saves were seemingly impossible. Experts walked out of the Forum convinced no other goaltender had performed so brilliantly in a losing cause." In the overtime of game three, Hall made a spectacular save on Dick Duff and then, standing on his head, made another save. "It was a heartbreaker to see," said Burnett. "After the saves on Duff, Bobby Rousseau came and batted home the second rebound." Hall's heroics even in defeat earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Game four
With their backs against the wall, the Blues put everything to the test, rallying from an early one-goal deficit to take the lead into the third period. However, Montreal was not to be denied and won the Stanley Cup in game four as J. C. Tremblay fired home the winning goal. When the game ended, the fans came on the ice to celebrate, and balloons, hats and programs were thrown from the stands. Jean Béliveau, in a cast and crutches from his broken ankle, with Ralph Backstrom accepted the Cup from NHL president Clarence Campbell and the players did a victory lap with the Cup.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Aftermath
Less than twelve minutes after the Canadiens won the Cup, Canadiens coach Toe Blake announced his retirement. He gave the reason that it had been a hard season, but the real reason was that his wife was dying of cancer and he wanted to spend his time with her. The celebration became a mournful event with players paying tribute to Blake, many in tears. He won eight Cups as the Canadiens' coach and three others as a player with the Canadiens and Montreal Maroons, the former being a record that stood for thirty-four years.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries, Aftermath
None other than Bowman, the runner-up team's head coach in this Finals, would be the one to break Blake's record: he won the Cup with the Canadiens in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992, and with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997, 1998, and 2002.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The 1968 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Jean Beliveau by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Canadiens 3–2 win over the Blues in game four.


1968 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, to decide the 1968 championship of the National Hockey League (NHL) was the first after the expansion from six to twelve teams. The playoff system was thus expanded from a four-team to an eight-team tournament, and was designed so that four of the new expansion teams would qualify for the postseason.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs
The defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs did not qualify and a new champion would be crowned. The Montreal Canadiens would defeat the St. Louis Blues in four straight to win the Stanley Cup.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Format
All of the 'Original Six' teams were placed in the new Eastern Division, and all of the new teams placed in the new Western Division. Each division contributed four playoff teams. Division teams then played off to produce a divisional champion, and the two divisional champions played off in the Final to win the Stanley Cup.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Format
The imbalance between the new teams and old was readily apparent in the standings. All four of the East Division teams had a better record than the top team in the West.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series
All series but Bruins-Canadiens had a game postponed after the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Quarterfinals, (E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E3) Boston Bruins
The Montreal Canadiens were the best regular season team, earning 94 points. The Boston Bruins earned 84 points to finish third in the East Division. This was the thirteenth playoff series between these two rivals, with Montreal winning ten of their twelve previous series. Their most recent series had come in the 1958 Stanley Cup Finals, which Montreal won in six games. These teams split their ten-game regular season series.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Quarterfinals, (E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E3) Boston Bruins
The Bruins, making their first appearance in the playoffs since 1959, were swept in four games.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Quarterfinals, (E2) New York Rangers vs. (E4) Chicago Black Hawks
The New York Rangers earned 90 points to finish second in the East Division. The Chicago Blackhawks finished fourth in the East Division with 80 points. This was the second playoff series between these two teams. Their only previous series came in the 1931 semifinals, where Chicago won the two-game total goals series 3 goals to 0. New York earned eleven of twenty points in this year's regular season series.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Quarterfinals, (E2) New York Rangers vs. (E4) Chicago Black Hawks
The Black Hawks, led by Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita upset the Rangers in six to set up a Montreal-Chicago East Division showdown.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Quarterfinals, (W1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (W3) St. Louis Blues
The Philadelphia Flyers were West Division Champions, earning 73 points. The St. Louis Blues earned 70 points to finish third in the West Division. This was the first playoff series for both teams. Philadelphia earned sixteen of twenty points in this year's regular season series.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Quarterfinals, (W1) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (W3) St. Louis Blues
Philadelphia was upset by the Blues, led by goaltender Glenn Hall and coached by future Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, in seven games.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Quarterfinals, (W2) Los Angeles Kings vs. (W4) Minnesota North Stars
The Los Angeles Kings finished second in the West Division with 72 points. The Minnesota North Stars earned 69 points to finish fourth in the West Division. This was the first playoff series for both teams. Minnesota earned fourteen of twenty points in this year's regular season series.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Semifinals, (E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E4) Chicago Black Hawks
This was the 14th playoff series between these two teams. Their most recent series previous to this one was in the 1965 Stanley Cup Finals, which Montreal won four games to three. Montreal earned fourteen of a possible twenty points from the ten 1967-1968 regular season matchups between the two teams.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Semifinals, (E1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (E4) Chicago Black Hawks
The Black Hawks could not provide another upset, and lost to the Canadiens in five games, giving Montreal their only defeat of the playoffs.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Semifinals, (W3) St. Louis Blues vs. (W4) Minnesota North Stars
St. Louis earned twelve of twenty points in this year's regular season series.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Semifinals, (W3) St. Louis Blues vs. (W4) Minnesota North Stars
Ron Schock's goal in double OT, called the "Midnight Goal" by many hockey fans, gave the Blues the series and sent them to the Stanley Cup Final.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Finals
The Montreal Canadiens advanced to their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup Final, having won the championship in 1965 and 1966. The St. Louis Blues beat out the five other teams also playing in their inaugural season to reach the Final. Montreal earned seven of eighth points in this year's regular season series.


1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, Series, Finals
Blues coach Scotty Bowman, a long-time member of the Canadiens organization was unable to spur the Blues to an upset. The Canadiens, led by Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard swept the series in four games.


1968 State College of Iowa Panthers football team
The 1968 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the State College of Iowa—now known as University of Northern Iowa—in the 1968 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the North Central Conference.


1968 State of the Union Address
The 1968 State of the Union Address was given by the 36th president of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, on Wednesday, January 17, 1968, to the 90th United States Congress. He reported this, "And I report to you that I believe, with abiding conviction, that this people—nurtured by their deep faith, tutored by their hard lessons, moved by their high aspirations—have the will to meet the trials that these times impose."


1968 Sudanese parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Sudan between 12 April and 2 May 1968. The election followed the resignation of a third of the members of the Assembly elected in 1965. The result was a victory for the new Democratic Unionist Party, formed by a merger of the National Unionist Party and the People's Democratic Party in December 1967 and led by President Ismail al-Azhari, which won 101 of the 218 seats. Voter turnout was 61.0%.


1968 Sudanese parliamentary election
In contrast, since the last election the Umma Party had fractured, with competing wings being led by Sadiq al-Mahdi and Imam al-Hadi al-Mahdi. Whilst Sadiq's Umma party emerged as the stronger of the two wings, Sadiq actually lost his own seat in the election to a rival from the Imam wing. In total the various Umma party affiliates won some 827,289 votes, or 45.46% of the vote, compared to the 40.8% won by the DUP. The Umma affiliates won only 72 seats, in contrast to the 90 seats won at the previous election.


1968 Sugar Bowl
The 1968 Sugar Bowl was the 34th edition of the college football bowl game, played at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Monday, January 1. The unranked LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) rallied to top the undefeated and sixth-ranked Wyoming Cowboys of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), 20–13.


1968 Sugar Bowl
Entering the bowl season, Wyoming was the only undefeated team in the nation among major schools, but LSU was favored by a touchdown, largely because it had faced a tougher schedule than the Cowboys and virtual home field advantage, as the Tigers were playing just eighty miles (130 km) from their campus.


1968 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
The first game of a major bowl tripleheader (Rose, Orange) on NBC, it kicked off at 1 pm CST. Following morning rains, the game was played on soggy natural turf in clammy 45 °F (7 °C) temperatures.


1968 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
After a scoreless first quarter, Wyoming drove eighty yards and scored on a one-yard sweep run from halfback Jim Kiick; Jerry DePoyster added field goals of 24 and 49 yards and the Cowboys led 13–0 at halftime.


1968 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
In the third quarter, LSU running back Glenn Smith came off of the bench and scored on a one-yard touchdown run, making the score 13–7. In the fourth quarter, Tiger quarterback Nelson Stokley completed touchdown passes of eight and fourteen yards to end Tommy Morel as LSU rallied for a 20–13 win. The last score occurred with more than four minutes remaining; quarterback Paul Toscano advanced the Cowboys deep into LSU territory, but Wyoming flanker Gene Huey was tackled in-bounds on the five-yard line and time ran out.


1968 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
Smith, a third-string sophomore, entered the game late in the third quarter and was named the game's most valuable player.


1968 Sugar Bowl, Aftermath
This was the only victory for the Southeastern Conference (SEC) this bowl season: Ole Miss lost the Sun Bowl, Alabama the Cotton, and Tennessee the Orange.


1968 Sugar Bowl, Aftermath
LSU's next major bowl appearance was three years later in the Orange Bowl. They did not return to the Sugar Bowl until 1985, and their next major bowl win was the 2002 Sugar Bowl.


1968 Suisse Open Gstaad
The 1968 Suisse Open Gstaad was a combined men's and women's professional tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts in Gstaad, Switzerland. It was the 23rd edition of the tournament and was held from July 22 through July 28, 1968. Cliff Drysdale and Annette du Plooy won the singles titles.


1968 Suisse Open Gstaad, Winners, Men's Doubles
John Newcombe /  Dennis Ralston defeated  Mal Anderson /  Tom Okker 8–10, 12–10, 12–14, 6–3, 6–3


1968 Suisse Open Gstaad, Winners, Women's Doubles
Rosie Reyes /  Annette du Plooy defeated  Helen Amos /  Elena Subirats 6–1, 6–3


1968 Suisse Open Gstaad, Winners, Mixed Doubles
Julie Heldman /  Torben Ulrich defeated  Massimo di Domenico /  Elena Subirats 6–2, 6–2


1968 Sulawesi earthquake
The 1968 Sulawesi earthquake struck Indonesia on August 14. It had a Richter magnitude of 7.4, spawned a large tsunami, and killed roughly 200 people.


1968 Sulawesi earthquake, Damage and casualties
The earthquake had a Richter magnitude of 7.4. It created a tsunami with wave heights of 8 m (26 ft) to 10 m (33 ft), which soon traveled onto Sulawesi. The most extensive waves reached 300 m (980 ft) inland, destroying 700 homes and killing around 200 people.


1968 Sulawesi earthquake, Geology
The earthquake ruptured along Palu-Koro fault in Manimbaja Bay. It caused subsidence that decreased elevations by as much as 2 m (6 ft 7 in) to 3 m (9.8 ft) along the coast. It also appeared to uplift at least one of the Togian Islands.


1968 Sulawesi earthquake, Geology
The earthquake was near the Celebes Sea; it sank the island of Tuguan.


1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics (Spanish: Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad (Spanish: Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 (Spanish: México 1968), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968 in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Olympic Games to be staged in Latin America and the first to be staged in a Spanish-speaking country. They were also the first Games to use an all-weather (smooth) track for track and field events instead of the traditional cinder track, as well as the first example of the Olympics exclusively using electronic timekeeping equipment.


1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Games were the third to be held in the last quarter of the year, after the 1956 Games in Melbourne and the 1964 Games in Tokyo. The 1968 Mexican Student Movement was crushed days prior, hence the Games were correlated to the government's repression.


1968 Summer Olympics
The United States won the most gold and overall medals for the last time until 1984.


1968 Summer Olympics, Host city selection
On 18 October 1963, at the 60th IOC Session in Baden-Baden, West Germany, Mexico City finished ahead of bids from Detroit, Buenos Aires and Lyon to host the Games.


1968 Summer Olympics, Olympic torch relay
The 1968 torch relay recreated the route taken by Christopher Columbus to the New World, journeying from Greece through Italy and Spain to San Salvador Island, Bahamas, and then on to Mexico. American sculptor James Metcalf, an expatriate in Mexico, won the commission to forge the Olympic torch for the 1968 Summer Games.


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, South Africa
After the 1964 refusal to participate, South Africa - under its new leader John Vorster - had made diplomatic overtures to improve relations with neighbouring countries and internationally, suggesting legal changes to allow South Africa to compete with an integrated, multiracial team internationally. The nominal obstacle behind South Africa's exclusion thus removed, the country was thus provisionally invited to the Games, on the understanding that all segregation and discrimination in sport would be eliminated by the 1972 Games.


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, South Africa
However, African countries and African American athletes promised to boycott the Games if South Africa was present, and Eastern Bloc countries threatened to do likewise. In April 1968 the IOC conceded that "it would be most unwise for South Africa to participate". It was thus the first Olympics where South Africa was positively excluded, which endured until the 1992 Olympics.


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, Tlatelolco massacre
Responding to growing social unrest and protests, the government of Mexico had increased economic and political suppression, against labor unions in particular, in the decade building up to the Olympics. A series of protest marches in the city in August gathered significant attendance, with an estimated 500,000 taking part on 27 August. President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz ordered the occupation of the National Autonomous University of Mexico in September, but protests continued. Using the prominence brought by the Olympics, students gathered in Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco to call for greater civil and democratic rights and showed disdain for the Olympics with slogans such as ¡ No queremos olimpiadas, queremos revolución! ("We don't want Olympics, we want revolution! ").


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, Tlatelolco massacre
Ten days before the start of the Olympics, the government ordered the gathering in Plaza de las Tres Culturas to be broken up. Some 5000 soldiers and 200 tankettes surrounded the plaza. Hundreds of protesters and civilians were killed and over 1000 were arrested. At the time, the event was portrayed in the national media as the military suppression of a violent student uprising, but later analysis indicates that the gathering was peaceful prior to the army's advance.


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, Black Power salute
On 16 October 1968, African American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the gold and bronze medalists in the men's 200-meter race, took their places on the podium for the medal ceremony wearing human rights badges and black socks without shoes, lowered their heads and each defiantly raised a black-gloved fist as the Star Spangled Banner was played, in solidarity with the Black Freedom Movement in the United States. Both were members of the Olympic Project for Human Rights.


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, Black Power salute
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Avery Brundage deemed it to be a domestic political statement unfit for the apolitical, international forum the Olympic Games were intended to be. In response to their actions, he ordered Smith and Carlos suspended from the US team and banned from the Olympic Village. When the US Olympic Committee refused, Brundage threatened to ban the entire US track team. This threat led to the expulsion of the two athletes from the Games.


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, Black Power salute
Peter Norman, the Australian sprinter who came second in the 200 m race, also wore an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge during the medal ceremony. Norman was the one who suggested that Carlos and Smith wear one glove each. His actions resulted in him being ostracized by Australian media and a reprimand by his country's Olympic authorities. He was not sent to the 1972 games, despite several times making the qualifying time, though opinions differ over whether that was due to the 1968 protest. When Australia hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, he had no part in the opening ceremony, though the significance of that is also debated. In 2006, after Norman died of a heart attack, Smith and Carlos were pallbearers at Norman's funeral.


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, Věra Čáslavská
In another notable incident in the gymnastics competition, while standing on the medal podium after the balance beam event final, in which Natalia Kuchinskaya of the Soviet Union had controversially taken the gold, Czechoslovakian gymnast Věra Čáslavská quietly turned her head down and away during the playing of the Soviet national anthem. The action was Čáslavská's silent protest against the recent Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.


1968 Summer Olympics, Controversies, Věra Čáslavská
Her protest was repeated when she accepted her medal for her floor exercise routine when the judges changed the preliminary scores of the Soviet Larisa Petrik to allow her to tie with Čáslavská for the gold. While Čáslavská's countrymen supported her actions and her outspoken opposition to Soviet control (she had publicly signed and supported Ludvik Vaculik's "Two Thousand Words" manifesto), the new regime responded by banning her from both sporting events and international travel for many years and made her an outcast from society until the fall of communist regime in Czechoslovakia.


1968 Summer Olympics, Sports
The 1968 Summer Olympic program featured 172 events in the following 18 sports:


1968 Summer Olympics, Sports, Demonstration sports
The organizers declined to hold a judo tournament at the Olympics, even though it had been a full-medal sport four years earlier. This was the last time judo was not included in the Olympic games.


1968 Summer Olympics, Participating National Olympic Committees
East Germany and West Germany competed as separate entities for the first time at a Summer Olympiad, and would remain so through 1988. Barbados competed for the first time as an independent country. Also competing for the first time in a Summer Olympiad were British Honduras (now Belize), Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (as Congo-Kinshasa), El Salvador, Guinea, Honduras, Kuwait, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and the United States Virgin Islands. Singapore returned to the Games as an independent country after competing as part of the Malaysian team in 1964. Suriname and Libya actually competed for the first time (in 1960 and 1964, respectively, they took part in the Opening Ceremony, but their athletes withdrew from the competition.)


1968 Summer Olympics, Boycotting countries
North Korea withdrew from the 1968 Games because of two incidents that strained its relations with the IOC. First, the IOC had barred North Korean track and field athletes from the 1968 Games because they had participated in the rival Games of the New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) in 1966. Secondly, the IOC had ordered the nation to compete under the name "North Korea" in the 1968 Games, whereas the country itself would have preferred its official name: "Democratic People's Republic of Korea".


1968 Summer Olympics, Medal count
These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1968 Games. Host Mexico won 9 medals in total.


1968 Summer Olympics medal table
This is the full table of the medal table of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.


1968 Summer Olympics medal table
These rankings sort by the number of gold medals earned by a country. The number of silvers is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze. If, after the above, countries are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically. This follows the system used by the IOC, IAAF and BBC. Athletes from 44 countries have won at least one medal.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay
The 1968 Summer Olympics torch relay took part as part of the build-up to the 1968 Summer Olympics hosted in Mexico City, Mexico. The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece, and retraced the steps of Christopher Columbus, discoverer of the New World. This theme celebrated the link between Latin-American and Mediterranean civilizations.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay
At the end of the relay the Olympic cauldron was for the first time lit by a female athlete. Mexican hurdler Enriqueta Basilio was chosen to complete the final leg of the 2,500 km running relay. The torch had covered a total distance of 13,620 km including the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay
While the relay was largely successful it was marred by problems when exchanging the flame from one torch to another. Runners in Barcelona and Medinaceli were burned by small explosions as a lit torch came into contact with an unlit one.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Torch
American sculptor James Metcalf, an expatriate, won the commission to forge the torch for the Games. There were two torch designs used throughout the relay: Type A and Type B. The Type B torch was designed to follow the theme of the logo. It is grooved along its length and features a three-dimensional "MEXICO 68" at the top. It is kept at a Spanish private club, Real Sociedad de Tenis de la Magdalena in Santander, Spain.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Torch
The torch used as a fuel source a compressed mix of nitrates, sulphur, alkaline metal carbonates, resins and silicones. It burned with a red-yellow flame. Problems with the torch occurred in Barcelona and then again in Medinaceli which saw minor explosions burn some torch-bearers. The cause was investigated and then attributed to "the too-rapid contact of a lighted torch with an unlighted one". Precautions were put in place to prevent further incidents.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Torch-bearers
For the first time runners from different nations took part in the relay. In each previous torch relay the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for the host nation provided all the torch-bearers, but for this event each country through which the torch passed was allowed to select their own representatives.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Route
The route was designed to replicate that taken by Christopher Columbus in his first visit to the New World. Three locations were seen as key to the route:


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Route
The flame was lit in Olympia and then taken to Athens where a ceremony greeted it on 24 August 1968. From there runners carried the torch to the port of Piraeus and it was taken aboard the Greek destroyer HNS Navarino. The vessel sailed to Genoa, arriving there on 27 August where, outside the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, a special tribute was held. The following day saw the flame begin its journey to Barcelona aboard the palinuro', an Italian Navy training vessel.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Route
The relay crossed several Spanish provinces on its way to Palos de la Frontera, finally being carried into the port by Cristóbal Colón Carbajal, a direct descendant of Columbus. The crossing of the Atlantic Ocean began on 12 September and was overseen by the Spanish government who provided the Princesa for the journey.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Route
On 29 September 1968 the Flame arrived just outside San Salvador at the original landing site of Columbus's first voyage. A celebration organised in conjunction with the Bahamas Olympic Association marked the first time that the Flame had been to the New World. At the end of the festivities the Flame was taken aboard the Mexican destroyer ARM Durango. The ship arrived in Veracruz on 6 October with the torch being swam ashore by a relay of seventeen swimmers. From there the Mexican runners started their journey, and the Flame arrived at the Olympic Stadium Estadio Olímpico Universitario on 12 October.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Route
In total the relay spanned 13,620 km (8,460 mi), of which 2,530 km (1,570 mi) was on foot and 11,090 km (6,890 mi) was on water.


1968 Summer Olympics torch relay, Relay elements, Lighting of the cauldron
The cauldron was for the first time lit by a female athlete, Mexican hurdler Enriqueta Basilio. Basilio entered the Estadio Olímpico Universitario and ran a lap around the track before ascending the ramp up to the cauldron.


1968 Summer Paralympics
The 1968 Summer Paralympics (Hebrew: המשחקים הפאראלימפיים בקיץ 1968) were the third Paralympic Games to be held. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), they were known as the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games at the time. The games were originally planned to be held alongside the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, but in 1966, the Mexican government decided against it due to difficulties. The Israeli government offered to host the games in Tel Aviv, a suggestion that was accepted.


1968 Summer Paralympics
The opening ceremony took place in the Hebrew University stadium at the Givat Ram campus in Jerusalem and the games took place in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, at the Israel Sports Center for the Disabled. The closing ceremony took place in the Tel Aviv Trade Center. Therefore, these games were the first in Paralympic history to not be held concurrently with the Olympic Games.


1968 Summer Paralympics, Sports
Lawn bowls was included in the program for the first time. In wheelchair basketball, a women's team event was added, as was a 100 m wheelchair race for men in athletics.


1968 Summer Paralympics, Medal table
The top ten listed NOCs by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation, Israel, is highlighted.


1968 Summer Paralympics, Participating delegations
Twenty-eight delegations took part in the Tel Aviv Paralympics. Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, India, Jamaica, New Zealand, South Korea and Spain took part in the Summer Paralympics for the first time.


1968 Summer Paralympics, Participating delegations
Having made its Paralympic Games début four years earlier, South Africa continued to compete at the Paralympics, by sending a delegation to the Tel Aviv Games. It was, at the time, banned from the Olympic Games due to its policy of apartheid, but it was not banned from the Paralympics until 1980.


1968 Summer Paralympics medal table
The 1968 Summer Paralympics was an international multi-sport event held in Tel Aviv, Israel, from November 4 to 13, 1968, in which athletes with physical disabilities competed against one another. The Paralympics  are run in parallel with the Olympic Games; these Games were originally planned to be held alongside the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, but two years prior to the event the Mexican government pulled out due to technical difficulties. At the time, the event was known as the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games. The Stoke Mandeville Games were a forerunner to the Paralympics first organized by Sir Ludwig Guttmann in 1948. This medal table ranks the competing National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) by the number of gold medals won by their athletes.


1968 Summer Paralympics medal table
A total of 576 medals were awarded in 10 sports. Athletes from 22 of the 28 competing NPCs won at least one medal with the United States taking both the most gold, with 33, and most in total, with 99. Host nation Israel won 62 medals at the Games, 18 gold, 21 silver and 23 bronze. Zipora Rubin-Rosenbaum won gold medals in the club throw, javelin, shot put and pentathlon and a silver medal in the discus for the host nation. South Africa, who were banned from the Olympic Games because of the policy of apartheid, were invited to the Paralympics and won a total of 26 medals.


1968 Summer Paralympics medal table
Italian athlete Roberto Marson, who had previously won two gold medals in athletics at the 1964 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, was proclaimed the outstanding athlete of the Games. He won ten gold medals, three in athletics field events, three in swimming and four in wheelchair fencing. Ed Owen of the United States won medals in three different sports; four golds and a bronze in athletics, two golds in swimming and a silver in wheelchair basketball.


1968 Summer Paralympics medal table, Medal table
The ranking in this table is based on information provided by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and is consistent with IPC convention in its published medal tables. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals the athletes from a nation have won (in this context, a "nation" is an entity represented by a National Paralympic Committee). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically by IPC country code.


1968 Summer Paralympics medal table, Medal table
Two bronze medals were awarded in each dartchery, snooker, table tennis and lawn bowls event. Some swimming events did not award silver or bronze medals.


1968 Sun Bowl
The 1968 Sun Bowl featured the Arizona Wildcats and the Auburn Tigers.


1968 Sun Bowl, Background
The Wildcats had finished tied for 2nd in the Western Athletic Conference in their second year under Coach Mudra, improving from 3–6–1 the previous year to earn their first bowl appearance since 1949. The Tigers had finished tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in their first bowl game since 1965. This was the first Sun Bowl for either team. This was the first Sun Bowl broadcast by CBS. The partnership of CBS and the Sun Bowl is the longest continuous relationship between a bowl game and one TV network.


1968 Sun Bowl, Game summary
A John Riley 52-yard field goal and a 65-yard touchdown pass from Loran Carter to Mickey Zofko gave the Tigers a 10-0 lead after one quarter. The Wildcats responded with a Steve Hurley 32 yard field goal and a Hal Arnason 12 yard touchdown catch from Bruce Lee (with 54 seconds remaining in the half) to make it tied at 10 after one half of play. In the second half, Auburn took control in the span of 24 seconds. Tommy Taylor scored from 9 yards out to make it 17-10.