1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Municipal response
The mayor's office prepared a report in the aftermath of the smog, singling out the coal-burning Consolidated Edison company, city buses, and apartment building incinerators as significant contributors to air pollution. The report noted that the change in weather that dispersed the smog "spared the city an unspeakable tragedy," and that if New York City had stagnant smog at the high levels commonly found in Los Angeles, "everyone in the city would have long since perished from the poisons in the air." Consolidated Edison began using a fuel with lower sulfur content, and by June 1969 the city had reduced the level of sulfur dioxide in the air by 28 percent.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Municipal response
In December 1966, the New York City Administrative Code section on pollutant levels in the air was strengthened by a bill that was later described as the "toughest air pollution control bill in the country" at that time. Lindsay announced a plan to install 36 new stations for the Department of Air Pollution Control to measure air pollution levels throughout the city—an upgrade from the sole station in the Harlem Courthouse building. The stations would send data to a central computer using telemetry to create a profile of the city atmosphere. Five of those stations would also send data to the Interstate Sanitation Commission. The city purchased a computer system and equipment from the Packard Bell Corporation for $181,000 ($1.08 million in 2019 dollars).


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Municipal response
In November 1968, the city opened 38 monitoring stations, 10 outfitted with computer equipment. The 10 computerized stations were designed to send data every hour to the central computer, while the other 28 operated manually as backup. The old index system used during the 1966 smog, which produced a single number from multiple measurements, was abandoned as simplistic and unhelpful. The new index system was similar in that it used weather forecasts and measurements of pollutants in the air and had three progressive stages of severity ("alert," "warning," and "emergency") requiring stronger actions by city, industry, and citizens.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Municipal response
The city's actions mitigated air pollution and reduced the likelihood of a major smog event on the same scale. In contrast to dire warnings from the mayor's air-pollution task force in its May 1966 report, a city official said in 1969 "[w]e probably have the possibility of a health catastrophe under control now." The city declared minor smog alerts in 1967 and 1970; conversely, a four-day inversion similar to the Thanksgiving weather of 1966 occurred in September 1969, but it passed without incident—neither smog nor deaths resulted. Norman Cousins, chairman of the mayor's task force, credited the regulations enacted since the 1966 smog for the prevention of a comparable September 1969 event. Cousins wrote in a message to Lindsay:


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Municipal response
New York City's air is cleaner and more breathable today than it was in 1966. ... It is important to ask what would have happened on those days [in September 1969] if the pollution levels had continued to worsen at the same rate of deterioration that occurred from 1964 to 1966. The answer is that there could have been a substantial number of casualties. The fact that an episode did not occur attests to the capability of the City's programs to protect its air resources.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Municipal response
After the passage of strict new state and federal air regulations, the city passed its updated Air Pollution Control Code in 1971, designed in part to address concerns that nitrogen oxides and unburned hydrocarbons had been left insufficiently controlled by the previous changes. By 1972, New York City had cut levels of sulfur dioxide and particulates by half from their peak. According to an article published by the EPA Journal in 1986, those improvements at the city level were "the legacy of concern that emerged after the 1966 Thanksgiving Day smog disaster."


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, States' responses
Prior to 1966, air-pollution control had largely been the responsibility of states and political subdivisions of states like counties and municipalities (cities and towns). The federal government played little role in air-pollution control, and to the extent that it did, its actions supported the efforts of states and local governments. For example, federal law provided resources like research, training, grants to improve state and local programs, and a conference procedure to convene agencies and polluters under the guidance of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Direct regulations—such as, for example, setting emissions standards—were left to states.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, States' responses
The governors of New York (Rockefeller), New Jersey (Hughes), Delaware (Charles L. Terry Jr.), and Pennsylvania (Raymond P. Shafer) met in December 1966 to address air pollution in their region. Each governor pledged to enforce their state's pollution abatement laws and to prevent their own state from becoming a "pollution haven" with lax regulations to attract industry.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, States' responses
At the same meeting, the governors also discussed the possibility of new tax incentives to motivate industry to reduce pollution and the creation of a new interstate compact to set industry standards, which would require adoption by all member states and approval by Congress. Those four states were already members of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), an interstate agency that controls water pollution in the Delaware River. The proposed air-pollution compact was modeled after the DRBC and would function similarly, setting minimum air standards across states and enabling enforcement actions against polluters.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, States' responses
New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut adopted the proposed Mid-Atlantic States Air Pollution Control Compact with the possibility for Delaware and Pennsylvania to join in the future. Its approval by Congress became a policy goal of Rockefeller's failed primary bid for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination. The compact was never approved by Congress and thus never took effect.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, States' responses
After the 1966 smog, "the consequences of state inaction were apparent to the naked eye," public outcry intensified, and the demand for federal intervention increased. New Jersey passed several new air-pollution laws in 1967. Nevertheless, traffic and drifting polluted air from New Jersey remained a major contributor to New York City's pollution problem. Edward Teller—the physicist known for his role in developing the hydrogen bomb and an advisor to Mayor Lindsay on pollution and energy issues—advocated for New York state to adopt stricter sulfur fuel standards than the city.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, States' responses
A leader of the advocacy group Citizens for Cleaner Air criticized the local and state governments at a state public hearing, calling the city's enforcement "in a state of collapse" and, saying the city acting alone "cannot or will not enforce any standard or rule," demanded that the state government increase its role.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, States' responses
Perhaps the most notable critic of New York's inaction was Robert F. Kennedy. On a 1967 tour of pollution sources, Kennedy—then a New York Senator and soon to embark on his 1968 presidential campaign—criticized the city, the states of New York and New Jersey, industry, and the federal government for their failures to adequately address the problem. Kennedy warned, "[w]e are just as close to an air-pollution disaster as we were last Thanksgiving." In Kennedy's view, the solution would have to come from the federal government, as state and local agencies lacked the ability or oversight for the task.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
Air pollution control, already a priority of President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration, became a greater concern after the smog. By early 1967, his statements on air pollution became more rhetorically urgent. In January 1967, Johnson sent a message to Congress entitled "Protecting Our National Heritage," the first section of which was entitled "The Pollution of Our Air" and focused on the problems posed by air pollution. The message was prompted by wide public discussion of the problem following the 1966 smog. Johnson cited the experiences of specific American cities and towns in the message, and highlighted the 1966 smog at length:


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
Two months ago, a mass of heavily polluted air—filled with poisons from incinerators, industrial furnaces, power plants, car, bus and truck engines—settled down upon the sixteen million people of Greater New York.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
For four days, anyone going out on the streets inhaled chemical compounds that threatened his health. Those who remained inside had little protection from the noxious gases that passed freely through cooling and heating systems.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
An estimated 80 persons died. Thousands of men and women already suffering from respiratory diseases lived out the four days in fear and pain.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
Finally, the winds came, freeing the mass of air from the weather-trap that had held it so dangerously. The immediate crisis was ended. New Yorkers began to breathe "ordinary" air again.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
"Ordinary" air in New York, as in most large cities, is filled with tons of pollutants: carbon monoxide from gasoline, diesel and jet engines, sulfur oxides from factories, apartment houses, and power plants; nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and a broad variety of other compounds. These poisons are not so dramatically dangerous most days of the year, as they were last Thanksgiving in New York. But steadily, insidiously, they damage virtually everything that exists.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
Johnson called for a bill regulating toxins in the air and increasing funding for pollution programs. Edmund Muskie, a Senator from Maine and political environmentalist, praised Johnson's words, pledged to hold hearings on the proposals, and would soon sponsor the Johnson administration's bill, which became the Air Quality Act. Muskie also co-sponsored bills in 1967 for research on non-polluting automobiles using either electric or fuel cell technology. While discussing the research bills on the Senate floor, Muskie said "the serious air pollution situation in New York City [in November of 1966] dramatically illustrated what our cities may be facing in the future if an alternative to the [internal] combustion engine is not developed."


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
Congressional interest and public pressure for greater air pollution regulation had existed since the signing of the 1963 Clean Air Act, the first federal legislation on the issue, but further action had been opposed by members of Congress who believed responsibility for air regulation properly lay with the states, not the federal government. Partly in response to the added public pressure spurred by the smog event, Congress passed and Johnson signed the 1967 Air Quality Act, which amended the 1963 Clean Air Act to provide for study of air quality and control methods.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
The Air Quality Act was a significant advancement in the realm of air-pollution regulation, but one that was ultimately ineffective. In Train v. Natural Resources Defense Counsel, a 1975 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice William Rehnquist summarized the law's effect as follows:


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
The focus shifted somewhat in the Air Quality Act of 1967, 81 Stat. 485. It reiterated the premise of the earlier Clean Air Act 'that the prevention and control of air pollution at its source is the primary responsibility of States and local governments.' Its provisions, however, increased the federal role in the prevention of air pollution, by according federal authorities certain powers of supervision and enforcement. But the States generally retained wide latitude to determine both the air quality standards which they would meet and the period of time in which they would do so. The response of the State to these manifestations of increasing congressional concern with air pollution was disappointing. Even by 1970, state planning and implementation under the Air Quality Act of 1967 had made little progress.


1966 New York City smog, Political reaction, Federal response
Among contemporaneous critics, John C. Esposito—an environmentalist and affiliate of Ralph Nader—wrote the 1970 book Vanishing Air to accuse Muskie of watering down the bill and adding needless complications to satisfy industry. A 2011 encyclopedia of environmental law article judged that the act "was a failure but it was the first step in federal air pollution control." Calls for greater air pollution regulation in this era culminated with the passage under President Richard Nixon of the 1970 Clean Air Act, which supplanted the Air Quality Act and has been described as the most significant environmental legislation in American history. The 1970 Clean Air Act significantly increased the role of the federal government and, for the first time, imposed air quality requirements on states.


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory
The most widely recognized legacy of the 1966 smog was the political reaction to it, which galvanized the nascent environmental movement in the United States and prompted demand for sweeping air-pollution control laws. The smog has been remembered for various purposes by scientists, historians, journalists, writers, artists, activists, and political commentators.


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory, Compared to the September 11 attacks
The full range of negative health effects arising from the September 11 attacks came to light in the years following the attacks. The 1966 smog serves, along with the earlier major New York City smog events in 1953 and 1963, as a precedent used for comparison with the air effects caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center. The 1966 smog and other historical smog events differ from the September 11 pollution in significant ways that limit their usefulness as a point of comparison.


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory, Compared to the September 11 attacks
Prior New York City smog events were chronic, cumulative, and caused by thousands of small sources, while the air impact of the September was sudden, intense, and the result of a single culpable source. The absence of prior events similar to the September 11 attacks left "a hole in the medical library," and presented medical experts with a challenge in the absence of "hard knowledge about the health consequences of intense brief pollution."


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory, Compared to 21st-century smog in China
Other major air pollution, particularly in China, has been compared to the 1966 smog. Elizabeth M. Lynch, a New York–based legal scholar, said that images of visible air pollution in Beijing from 2012 were "gross" but not "that much different from pictures of New York City in the 1950s and 1960s", specifically referring to the 1952, 1962, and 1966 smog events. Lynch wrote that the Chinese government's increased transparency on the issue was an encouraging sign that pollution in China could be regulated and abated, just as it had in the United States.


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory, Compared to 21st-century smog in China
Similar comparisons between the 1966 smog and Chinese pollution in late 2012 appeared in Business Insider and Slate. USA Today cited the 1966 smog after China issued its first "red alert" air quality warning in December 2015; the same month, an article in The Huffington Post used the 1966 smog to argue that China could follow the United States' model to regulate pollution.


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory, In pop culture
The smog event became a pop cultural referent in the 2010s. The smog figured into the plot of the 2012 Mad Men episode "Dark Shadows", set in New York City during the same Thanksgiving weekend of 1966. A reviewer in The A.V. Club interpreted the writers' use of the smog as a symbolic representation of the character Betty, who spends the episode "longing to enter [Don Draper's] apartment and tear some shit up"—"hover[ing]" and "waiting to poison it from within". The New York City-based indie pop band Vampire Weekend used a photograph of the smog over the city skyline, taken by Neal Boenzi and originally published in The New York Times, for the cover of their 2013 album Modern Vampires of the City.


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory, After the election of Donald Trump
Following the 2016 election of Donald Trump to the presidency, his administration's environmental policy—which included steep budget cuts to the EPA and deregulation—prompted several reflections on the environmental condition of the United States prior to the creation of the EPA.


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory, After the election of Donald Trump
Articles published by The New York Times, Vice Media's tech-news site Motherboard, public radio station WNYC, real-estate news site 6sqft, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) environmental advocacy group connected Trump's declared policy agenda to a risk of returning to a more polluted environment, with each publication evoking the 1966 smog as an example of the potential dangers of defunding and deregulation. David Hawkins, an attorney for NRDC, recalled:


1966 New York City smog, The 1966 smog in cultural memory, After the election of Donald Trump
I was a student at Columbia Law School during the 1966 episode. It was frightening, but while that is the best-known event, heavy pollution was an everyday fact of life those days.


1966 New York City transit strike
In 1966, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) called a strike in New York City after the expiration of their contract with the New York City Transit Authority (TA). It was the first strike against the TA; pre-TWU transit strikes in 1905, 1910, 1916 and 1919 against the then-private transit companies had all failed. There had also been some partial TWU strikes in the 1930s, but no citywide actions. The strike led to the passage of the Taylor Law, which redefined the rights and limitations of unions for public employees in New York.


1966 New York City transit strike
The strikers were led initially by the Irish-born Michael J. "Mike" Quill, the TWU's founder, who had been the union's president since its founding. The strike effectively ended all service on the subway and buses in the city, affecting millions of commuters. It was an ominous beginning for the mayoralty of John V. Lindsay, but is perhaps better remembered for the jailing of Quill and for his death only weeks afterwards.


1966 New York City transit strike, Chronology
The twelve-day strike began on New Year's Day; the last trains rolled at 8:02 am. An injunction to end the strike was issued later that day, under the 1947 Condon-Wadlin Act. On January 2, the union reduced its economic demands, but the TA responded only by getting a judge's order for the arrest of Quill and eight other union leaders. (The others were Matthew Guinan, Frank Sheehan, Daniel Gilmartin, Ellis Van Riper, and Mark Kavanagh of the TWU and John Rowland, William Mangus, and Frank Kleess of the ATU).


1966 New York City transit strike, Chronology
The arrests were set for 1 a.m. on January 4. Quill was obviously in ill health, but immediately before his arrest he told reporters at the Americana Hotel, "The judge can drop dead in his black robes. I don't care if I rot in jail. I will not call off the strike."


1966 New York City transit strike, Chronology
Quill spent little time in jail: his poor health soon had him transferred to Bellevue Hospital and later to Mount Sinai Medical Hospital, leaving TWU Secretary-Treasurer Doug MacMahon (a close associate of Quill's, with him since the union's founding) to lead the strike. On January 10, 15,000 workers picketed City Hall. Negotiations moved forward through mediators, with movement from both sides. At 1:37 A.M. on January 13, MacMahon announced that the union was recommending settlement.


1966 New York City transit strike, Chronology
The package, worth over $60 million, included wages increases from $3.18 to $4.14 an hour, an additional paid holiday, increased pension benefits, and other gains. Gains averaged nine percent for the next eight years. Quill's health at first seemed to be improving; he was actually released from hospital January 25. He gave a speech to the victorious strikers and another press conference at the Americana, but the apparent improvement in his health was an illusion: he died on January 28.


1966 New York City transit strike, Context
Democratic New York City mayor Robert Wagner granted collective bargaining rights to city employees in 1958. This led to the unions replacing Tammany Hall as the city's most powerful political force. Wagner formed a close alliance with the public-sector unions. Reformist Republican John Lindsay won the November 1965 mayoral election by campaigning against the city's often corrupt political machines. With the transit contract set to expire the same day Lindsay would take office, the stage was set for confrontation.


1966 New York City transit strike, Context
Lindsay's "Protestant rectitude" proved no match for the "fiery" Quill. The true sources of power in New York became clear, a point that would be further driven home by 1967 and 1968 teachers strikes and a 1968 strike by sanitation workers. By the time Lindsay ran for re-election in 1969 as the candidate of the Liberal Party of New York, he had made his peace with the public sector unions, and ultimately won their support. However, and partly as a result, the city's social and economic decline was rapidly intensifying.


1966 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
The 32nd New York Film Critics Circle Awards, honored the best filmmaking of 1966.


1966 New York Giants season
The 1966 New York Giants season was the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League (NFL). The season saw the Giants looking to improve on their 7–7 record from 1965. However, they finished in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 1–12–1 record, the worst in franchise history. The 12 losses set a single-season team record that was matched four times before being broken in 2017.


1966 New York Giants season
The 1966 Giants surrendered the most points in NFL history for a 14-game season. They allowed 501 points in 14 games, or an average of 35.8 points per game. This total broke the league record for the most points given up in a season. The next most points allowed by a Giants team was 451 in the 2019 season, which was 16 games. The Giants allowed opponents to score more than 30 points in eight of the 14 games, and gave up over 50 points three times. They are the only team in history to give up 500 points in a 14-game season.


1966 New York Giants season
On November 27, the Giants played the highest-scoring game in NFL history, losing to the Washington Redskins, 72–41. It was the first of three straight games in which the Giants gave up more than 45 points; they allowed 49 points against the Cleveland Browns and 47 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers.


1966 New York Giants season, Schedule
With the addition of the expansion Atlanta Falcons, the NFL had an odd number (15) of teams. This necessitated the use of bye weeks. The Giants received the most centrally located bye, in Week 8, thus perfectly dividing their season into two 7-game halves. They lost all seven games after the break. (In contrast, the expansion Falcons were 0–8 before they got their bye in Week 9, but 3–3 afterwards.)


1966 New York Giants season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1966 New York Jets season
The 1966 New York Jets season was the seventh season for the team in the American Football League (AFL). The season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–8–1 record from 1965 under head coach Weeb Ewbank. The Jets finished the season 6–6–2.


1966 New York Jets season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1966 New York Mets season
The 1966 New York Mets season was the fifth regular season for the Mets. They went 66–95 and finished 9th in the NL. They were managed by Wes Westrum. They played home games at Shea Stadium.


1966 New York Mets season
1966 marked the first season in which the Mets avoided a last place finish, as well as the first time they did not lose at least 100 games.


1966 New York Mets 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


1966 New York Mets 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


1966 New York Mets season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1966 New York Mets season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1966 New York Mets season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1966 New York Yankees season
The 1966 New York Yankees season was the 64th season for the Yankees. The team finished with a record of 70–89, finishing 26.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. New York was managed by Johnny Keane and Ralph Houk. The Yankees played at Yankee Stadium. Keane managed his final MLB game in early May, and died the following January at the age of 55.


1966 New York Yankees season
The Yankees finished in 10th place, although arguably a "strong" tenth. It was the first time they had finished in last place since 1912, their last year at the Hilltop. The Yankees would not finish in last place again for another twenty four years.


1966 New York Yankees season
On September 22, a paid attendance of 413 was announced at the 65,000-seat Yankee Stadium. WPIX announcer Red Barber asked the TV cameras to pan the empty stands as he commented on the low attendance. Although denied the camera shots on orders from the Yankees' head of media relations, he said, "I don't know what the paid attendance is today, but whatever it is, it is the smallest crowd in the history of Yankee Stadium, and this crowd is the story, not the game." By a horrible stroke of luck, that game was the first for CBS executive Mike Burke as team president. A week later, Barber was invited to breakfast where Burke told him that his contract would not be renewed.


1966 New York Yankees 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


1966 New York Yankees 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


1966 New York Yankees season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1966 New York Yankees season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1966 New York Yankees season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1966 New York gubernatorial election
The 1966 New York gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966 to elect the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York.


1966 New York state election
The 1966 New York state election was held on November 8, 1966, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, the state comptroller, the attorney general and the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, as well as all members of the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate. Besides, 15 delegates-at-large to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967 were elected on the state ticket, and three delegates each in the 57 senatorial districts.


1966 New York state election, Background
Chief Judge Charles S. Desmond would reach the constitutional age limit of 70 years at the end of the year.


1966 New York state election, Background
In 1965, the New York State Assembly districts had been re-apportioned to 165 numbered districts. This was ruled to be unconstitutional in 1966, and the number was reduced to 150 for this election.


1966 New York state election, Nominations
The Socialist Labor state convention met on April 3, and nominated Milton Herder, owner of a Manhattan advertising agency, for Governor; Doris Ballantyne 2d, a bookkeeper in the party's national office, for Lieutenant Governor; and John Emanuel for Comptroller.


1966 New York state election, Nominations
The Socialist Workers Party met on July 24, and nominated Judith White, a "28-year-old brunette," for Governor; Richard Garza for Lieutenant Governor; Ralph Levitt for Comptroller; and taxi driver Paul Boutelle for Attorney General. They filed a petition to nominate candidates in September. If the age was given correctly, Judith White was actually ineligible for the office; since 1822, the state Constitution requires a minimum age of thirty years to be elected governor.


1966 New York state election, Nominations
The Conservative state convention met on September 7 at Saratoga Springs, New York, and nominated Prof. Paul L. Adams, an enrolled Republican, for Governor; Kieran O'Doherty for Lieutenant Governor; Benjamin R. Crosby, of Riverdale, for Comptroller; and Mason L. Hampton, Jr., for Attorney General; and endorsed the Republican senior associate judge Stanley H. Fuld for Chief Judge.


1966 New York state election, Nominations
The Democratic state convention met on September 7 at Buffalo, New York, and nominated New York City Council President Frank O'Connor for Governor on the first ballot. Howard J. Samuels was the only other contender. The convention met again on September 8, and nominated Samuels for Lieutenant Governor, revolting against the party bosses who had selected Orin Lehman. They completed the ticket with Mayor of Buffalo, New York Frank A. Sedita for Attorney General; re-nominated the incumbent Comptroller Levitt; and endorsed the Republican senior associate judge Stanley H. Fuld for Chief Judge.


1966 New York state election, Nominations
The Republican state convention met on September 8 at Rochester, New York, and renominated the incumbents Rockefeller, Wilson and Lefkowitz; and completed the ticket with Oneida County Executive Charles T. Lanigan for Comptroller; and senior associate judge Stanley H. Fuld for Chief Judge.


1966 New York state election, Nominations
The Liberal state convention met on September 8, and nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., for Governor on the first ballot, polling 209 out of 312 votes. They also nominated the Rev. Donald S. Harrington for Lieutenant Governor;  for Attorney General; and endorsed the Democratic incumbent Comptroller Levitt for re-election and the Republican senior associate judge Stanley H. Fuld for Chief Judge.


1966 New York state election, Result
Almost the whole Republican ticket was elected, and only the Democratic Comptroller Levitt managed to stay in office with the help of the Liberals.


1966 New York state election, Result
Note: The vote for Governor is used to define ballot access; for automatic access are necessary 50,000 votes.


1966 New York state election, Delegates to the Constitutional Convention
The delegates-at-large were elected on party lists; the candidates' names did not appear on the ballot.


1966 New York state election, Delegates to the Constitutional Convention
99 Democrats, 82 Republicans, three Liberals and two Conservatives were declared elected to the New York State Constitutional Convention of 1967; among them 10 Democrats, three Liberals (Harrington, Dubinsky, Rose) and two Republicans at-large. One Democratic seat in the 33rd District (The Bronx) was contested in the courts, and the New York Court of Appeals declared it a tie, ordering a special election which was won by a Republican. Thus the Convention had a Democratic/Liberal majority of 101 against 85 Republicans and Conservatives. The new state constitution proposed by this body was ultimately rejected by the voters at the subsequent election.


1966 New Zealand Grand Prix
The 1966 New Zealand Grand Prix was a race held at the Pukekohe Park Raceway on 8 January 1966. The race had 19 starters.


1966 New Zealand Grand Prix
It was the 13th New Zealand Grand Prix, and doubled as the opening round of the 1966 Tasman Series. Graham Hill won his second consecutive NZGP.


1966 New Zealand gallantry awards
The 1966 New Zealand gallantry awards were announced via a special honours list dated 5 September 1966, and recognised four New Zealand military personnel for gallant and distinguished services in operations in South Vietnam.


1966 New Zealand general election
The 1966 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 35th term. It saw the governing National Party win a third consecutive term in office. It was also the first time since the 1943 election that a minor party won a seat in Parliament.


1966 New Zealand general election, Background
The National Party had established its second administration following the 1960 elections, and had been re-elected in the 1963 election. Keith Holyoake remained Prime Minister. The Labour Party experienced a leadership change shortly before the 1966 elections: Arnold Nordmeyer, who was closely associated with an unpopular previous Labour government, was replaced by the younger Norman Kirk. Labour remained disunited, however, with ongoing leadership problems undermining Kirk's position. Disagreement between unionists and non-unionists regarding economic policy also weakened the party.


1966 New Zealand general election, Background
One significant issue that divided National and Labour in the 1966 elections was the question of New Zealand's participation in the Vietnam War. Under National, New Zealand contributed a small number of troops, which Holyoake strongly defended during  the election campaign. Labour, by contrast, made the recall of troops one of its key policies; former Labour leader Walter Nash was a particularly strong critic of the war.


1966 New Zealand general election, Background, MPs retiring in 1966
Eight National MPs and two Labour MPs intended to retire at the end of the 34th Parliament.


1966 New Zealand general election, The election
The date for the main 1966 elections was 26 November. 1,409,600 people were registered to vote. Turnout was 86.0%, a number relatively low for the time. The number of seats being contested was 80, a number which had been fixed since 1902. It was, however, the last election in which the number of seats was set at this level.


1966 New Zealand general election, Election results, Party standings
The 1966 election saw the governing National Party retain office by an eight-seat margin. It had previously held office by a ten-seat margin — the drop was a result of losing the Hobson seat to Social Credit's Vernon Cracknell. National won a total of forty-four seats, while the Labour Party remained static on thirty-five. In the popular vote, the parties were closer — National won 43.6% to Labour's 41.4%. The Social Credit Party won 14.5% of the vote and one seat.


1966 New Zealand general election, Election results, Initial MPs
The table below shows the results of the 1966 general election:


1966 New Zealand rugby league season
The 1966 New Zealand rugby league season was the 59th season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, International competitions
New Zealand lost two Test matches to Great Britain. Canterbury lost to Great Britain 6-53. Auckland then lost 12-11 in the last minute to Great Britain in the final match of the tour, meaning Great Britain had completed the eight match tour undefeated. The Auckland team was selected by Des Barchard, Bruce Robertson and Gary Phillips and included Roger Tait, Brian Reidy, Gary Bailey, Lester Mills, Roy Christian, Doug Ellwood, Paul Schultz, Roy Roberts, Bill Schultz, Oscar Danielson, Eddie Moore, Victor Yates and captain Bruce Castle.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, International competitions
New South Wales Country toured New Zealand, defeating Northland 13-0 and Canterbury 21-12 before losing to Auckland 23-2.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, International competitions
Roy Christian won the New Zealand Rugby League's player of the year award.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, National competitions, Northern Union Cup
Auckland again held the Northern Union Cup at the end of the season.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, National competitions, Inter-district competition
Auckland won the Rothmans trophy, defeating Wellington 37-21 in the final.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Auckland
Marist won the Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial Trophy, Roope Rooster	and Stormont Shield. They defeated Ponsonby 24-7 in the final. Otahuhu won the Rukutai Shield. City Newton won the Sharman Cup.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Auckland
Roy Christian from Otahuhu won the Lipscombe Cup while Bruce Castle from Ellerslie won the Rothville Trophy.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Auckland
Marist were coached by Neville Denton and included Tony Kriletich, captain Brian Reidy, Oscar Danielson and Bill and Paul Schultz. Ponsonby included Jack Fagan, Bill Snowden and Gary Bailey, who all left at the end of the year.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Wellington
Mirimar and Waterside shared the Wellington Rugby League's Appleton Shield.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Canterbury
Mike Morgan (Linwood) won the A.G.Bailey Challenge Cup as the leading tryscorer.


1966 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Other Competitions
Greymouth Marist defeated Hornby 23-4 to win the Thacker Shield.


1966 Newfoundland general election
The 1966 Newfoundland general election was held on 8 September 1966 to elect members of the 34th General Assembly of Newfoundland. It was won by the Liberal party.


1966 Newfoundland general election, Further reading
This Newfoundland and Labrador-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1966 Newfoundland general election, Further reading
This elections in Canada-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1966 Nigerian counter-coup
The 1966 Nigerian counter-coup, or the so-called "July Rematch", was the second of many military coups in Nigeria. It was masterminded by Lt. Colonel Murtala Muhammed and many northern military officers. The coup began as a mutiny at roughly midnight on July 28, 1966 and was a reaction to the killings of Northern politicians and Officers by some soldiers on January 15, 1966 (see 1966 Nigerian coup d'état).


1966 Nigerian counter-coup
The July mutiny/counter coup resulted in the murder of Nigeria's first military Head of State General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi and Lt Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi (who was hosting a visiting Aguiyi-Ironsi) in Ibadan by disgruntled northern non-commissioned officers (NCOs). Upon the termination of Ironsi's government, Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon was appointed Head of State by the July 1966 coup conspirators.


1966 Nigerian counter-coup, Reasons for the counter-coup
According to historian Max Siollun northern soldiers had a list of grievances following the aborted January 15, 1966, coup which led to the planning of the counter-coup. A list of their grievances were:


1966 Nigerian coup d'état
The 1966 Nigerian coup d'état began on 15 January 1966, when mutinous Nigerian soldiers led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna killed 22 people including the Prime Minister of Nigeria, many senior politicians, many senior Army officers (including their wives), and sentinels on protective duty. The coup plotters attacked the cities of Kaduna, Ibadan, and Lagos while also blockading the Niger and Benue River within a two-day span of time before the coup plotters were subdued.


1966 Nigerian coup d'état
The General Officer Commanding the Nigerian Army, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, was compelled to take control of the government of a country in upheaval, inadvertently putting Nigeria's nascent democracy on hold. His ascendancy to power was deemed a conspiracy by the coup plotters, who were mainly Igbo officers, to pave the way for General Aguiyi-Ironsi to be Head of State of Nigeria. Consequently, the retaliatory events by Northern members of the Nigerian Army that led to deaths of many innocent Igbo soldiers and civilians caused the Nigerian Civil War.


1966 Nigerian coup d'état, Background
In August 1965 a group of Army majors (Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Timothy Onwuatuegwu, Chris Anuforo, Don Okafor, Humphrey Chukwuka, and Adewale Ademoyega) began plotting a coup d'état against incumbent Prime Minister Abubakar Balewa. The coup was planned because according to the majors, the men at the helm of affairs were running Nigeria aground with their corrupt ways. Ministers under them were living flamboyant lifestyles and looting public funds at the expense of ordinary citizens.


1966 Nigerian coup d'état, Background
The president of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe left the country in late 1965, first for Europe, then on a cruise to the Caribbean. Under the law, the Senate president, Nwafor Orizu, became acting president during his absence and assumed all the powers of the office.


1966 Nigerian coup d'état, Coup
In the morning of 15 January 1966, at a meeting with some local journalists in Kaduna seeking to find out what was going on, it was brought to Major Nzeogwu's attention that the only information about the events then was what was being broadcast by the BBC. Nzeogwu was surprised because he had expected a radio broadcast of the rebels from Lagos. He is said to have "gone wild" when he learnt that Emmanuel Ifeajuna in Lagos had not made any plans whatsoever to neutralize Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi who was the Commander of the Army. Therefore, Nzeogwu hurriedly drafted a speech which was broadcast on Radio Kaduna sometime around 12 a.m. and in which he declared martial law over the Northern Provinces of Nigeria.


1966 Nigerian coup d'état, Aftermath
Acting President Nwafor Orizu made a nationwide broadcast, after he had briefed President Nnamdi Azikiwe on the phone about the decision of the cabinet, announcing the cabinet's "voluntary" decision to transfer power to the armed forces. Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi then made his own broadcast, accepting the "invitation". On 17 January, Major General Ironsi established the Supreme Military Council in Lagos and effectively suspended the constitution.


1966 Nigerian coup d'état, Casualties
Regarding the casualties, the coup conspirators claimed their purge post-coup targeted members or supporters of the anterior regime and had been targeted for purely political reasons instead of being a racial purge focused on certain ethnic groups or clans; furthermore, they also claimed the list of people targeted was small and composed of only 8 people, half of them foreigners who were to be arrested not killed, and that the casualties had occurred as collateral damage of the coup. These claims were clarified by a member of the trio that formed the coup, Adewale Ademoyega, who published them in Nigeria in 1981 in a book titled Why We Struck outlining their reasons and motivations in which he mentioned:


1966 Nigerian coup d'état, Casualties
" There was no decision at our meeting to single out any ethnic group for elimination. Our intentions were honourable, our views were national and our goals were idealistic. Even those earmarked for arrest, four were northerners, two were Westerners and two were Easterners. "


1966 Nigerian coup d'état, Casualties
Below is a comprehensive list of casualties from the coup.


1966 Nippon Professional Baseball season
The 1966 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the 17th season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).


1966 Niuean general election
General elections were held in Niue on 9 April 1966.


1966 Niuean general election, Campaign
Five of the fourteen seats in the Legislative Assembly had only a single candidate, with the other nine constituencies seeing a contest between two and four candidates.


1966 Niuean general election, Aftermath
Following the elections, Robert Rex was elected as Leader of Government Business on 26 April. Siakisoni, Strickland and Talipule were also elected onto the Executive Council. A Member System was introduced later in the year, with Rex becoming responsible for Public Works and Electricity, Siakisoni for Police and Prison Affairs, Strickland for Radio and Telephone Services and Talipule for the Post Office.


1966 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
The 1966 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Tar Heels were led by eighth-year head coach Jim Hickey and played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.


1966 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team
The 1966 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team, also known as the Nodaks, was an American football team that represented the University of North Dakota in the North Central Conference (NCC) during the 1966 NCAA College Division football season. In its ninth year under head coach Marvin C. Helling, the team compiled an 8–2 record (5–1 against NCC opponents), tied with North Dakota State for the NCC championship, defeated Parsons in the Pecan Bowl, and outscored opponents by a total of 338 to 154. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Grand Forks, North Dakota.


1966 North Dakota State Bison football team
The 1966 North Dakota State Bison football team was an American football team that represented North Dakota State University during the 1966 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the North Central Conference. In their first year under head coach Ron Erhardt, the team compiled a 8–2 record and finished as NCC co-champion.


1966 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 1966 North Indian Ocean cyclone season had no bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with peaks in May and November. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west of India.


1966 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.


1966 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Cyclone Thirteen (13B)
A cyclone struck Madras, India on November 3, killing over 50 people and leaving 800,000 people homeless.


1966 Northeast Louisiana State Indians football team
The 1966 Northeast Louisiana State Indians football team was an American football team that represented Northeast Louisiana State College (now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe) in the Gulf States Conference during the 1966 NCAA College Division football season. In their third year under head coach Dixie B. White, the team compiled a 7–3 record.


1966 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team
The 1966 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Northern Arizona University (NAU) as an independent during the 1966 NAIA football season. In their second year under head coach Andy MacDonald, the Lumberjacks compiled a 6–4 record and outscored opponents by a total of 202 to 159.


1966 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team
The team played its home games at Lumberjack Stadium in Flagstaff, Arizona.


1966 Northern Illinois Huskies football team
The 1966 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University during the 1966 NCAA College Division football season. The Huskies were led by 11th-year head coach Howard Fletcher.


1966 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 1966 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. In their third year under head coach Alex Agase, the Wildcats compiled a 3–6–1 record (2–4–1 against Big Ten Conference opponents) and finished in a tie for seventh place in the Big Ten Conference.


1966 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Bill Melzer with 1,171 passing yards, Bob McKelvey with 459 rushing yards, and Roger Murphy with 777 receiving yards.


1966 Norwegian Football Cup
Fredrikstad  won the Norwegian Cup after beating Lyn 3-2 on 30 October 1966. The goal scorers for Fredrikstad were Bjørn Borgen in the 33rd and 59th minute, and Arne Pedersen in the 89th minute. For Lyn, Harald Berg scored in the 54th minute and Ole Stavrum scored in the 57th minute.


1966 Norwegian Football Cup
This was Fredrikstad's ninth cup. 30,355 spectators attended the final at Ullevaal stadion. The referee was Hans Granlund.


1966 Norwegian Football Cup
Fredrikstad's winning team: Per Mosgaard, Kjell Andreassen, Jan Hermansen, Arne Pedersen, Hans Jacob Mathisen, Roar Johansen, Bjørn Borgen, Tore Hansen, Per Kristoffersen, Thor Spydevold and Jan Aas.


1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1966 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Irish, coached by Ara Parseghian, ended the season undefeated with nine wins and one tie, winning a national championship. The Fighting Irish earned a consensus title after beating No. 10 Oklahoma 38–0 in Norman, tying unbeaten and No. 2 Michigan State 10–10, and ending the season defeating No. 10 USC, 51–0, in the Coliseum The 1966 squad became the eighth Irish team to win the national title and the first under Parseghian. The Irish outscored their opponents 362–38. The 10–10 tie between The Spartans and the Irish remains one of the controversial games of college football, and is considered today to be one of the great "games of the century".


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game
The 1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game is considered one of the greatest and most controversial games in college football history played between Michigan State and Notre Dame. The game was played in Michigan State's Spartan Stadium on November 19, 1966. Michigan State entered the contest 9–0 and ranked No. 2, while Notre Dame entered 8–0 and ranked No. 1. Notre Dame elected not to try for a score on the final series; thus, the game ended in a 10–10 tie.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game
Notre Dame went on to win or share the national title in fourteen polls (including the AP and UPI); Michigan State won or shared in three minor polls, and Alabama, who finished with the only undefeated and untied record, won two minor polls. Notre Dame was coached by Ara Parseghian and Michigan State was coached by Duffy Daugherty, both school legends.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Introduction
Notre Dame, which had last won a national championship in 1964 (non consensus), ranked No. 1 both the AP and Coaches' polls. Defending National Champion Michigan State, who had finished the 1965 season No. 1 in the UPI Coaches' poll, but was upset by UCLA in the Rose Bowl the previous year, entered the game ranked No. 2 in the polls. The Fighting Irish, whose bid for a national championship two years earlier was snuffed out by USC, were hungry, while the Spartans had history and home-field advantage on their side.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Introduction
This was the first time in 20 years that a college football matchup was given the "Game of the Century" tag by the national media, and ABC had the nation's viewers in its grip, with equal parts Notre Dame fans and Michigan State fans. It was the tenth time in the 30-year history of the AP poll that the No. 1 team played the No. 2 team. The Spartans had defeated Notre Dame the prior year 12–3 holding Notre Dame to minus-12 yards rushing.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Introduction
A fortuitous quirk in scheduling brought these two teams together late in the season. They were not even supposed to meet when the 1966 schedules were first drawn up. Michigan State had only nine games scheduled (even though they were allowed to have ten; the Big Ten did not allow teams to schedule ten regular season games until 1964) while Notre Dame was originally scheduled to play Iowa that week, as had been the custom since 1945. However, in 1960, the Hawkeyes suddenly dropped the Irish from their schedule, from 1964 onward (the 1963 Notre Dame-Iowa game was cancelled following the Assassination of John F. Kennedy). Michigan State was available and agreed to return to Notre Dame's schedule in 1965–66.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Introduction
The game was not shown live on national TV. Each team was allotted one national television appearance and two regional television appearances each season. Notre Dame had used their national TV slot in the season opening game against Purdue. ABC executives did not even want to show the game anywhere but the regional area, but pressure from the West Coast and the South (to the tune of 50,000 letters) made ABC air the game on tape delay.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Introduction
ABC relented and blacked out the Michigan State-Notre Dame game in two states (reportedly North Dakota and South Dakota), so it could technically be called a regional broadcast. It would also be the first time a college football game was broadcast to Hawaii and to U.S. troops in Vietnam. The official attendance was announced at 80,011 (111% capacity) and was the most attended game in Michigan State football history at the time (the current record is 80,401 on Sept. 22, 1990 vs. Notre Dame).


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Introduction
The ABC broadcast was watched by 33 million viewers and had a 22.5 rating, but it was not televised again for 37 years until ESPN Classic re-aired it on November 27, 2003. Discovered in an ABC library vault two years earlier in 2001, the telecast footage is mostly intact with the exception of the missing first quarter.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Game summary
Before and during the game, Notre Dame was mired in injury problems: Irish quarterback Terry Hanratty was knocked out after getting sacked in the first quarter by Spartan defensive lineman Bubba Smith. Starting Notre Dame running back Nick Eddy was out entirely after hurting his shoulder by slipping on ice while getting off the train in East Lansing. Center George Goeddeke wrenched his ankle on a punt play.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Game summary
Michigan State jumped out to a 7–0 lead behind a five-yard touchdown run by Regis Cavender early in the second quarter. Later in the half, MSU added a field goal (by barefooted Hawaiian Dick Kenney). But the Irish came back, quickly scoring a touchdown on a 34-yard pass thrown by backup quarterback Coley O'Brien over the outstretched hand of MSU safety Jess Phillips to halfback Bob Gladieux. MSU took a 10–7 lead into the locker room at the half.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Game summary
Notre Dame started the second half in prime position to score after recovering a fumble on the Michigan State 32-yard line on the Spartans' first play from scrimmage. However, the Irish gave the ball right back to MSU on an interception.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Game summary
Perhaps the best second-half scoring opportunity for MSU occurred during a pass thrown from Jimmy Raye to Gene Washington. The speedy wide receiver had outrun Raye's deep pass and Notre Dame's defensive backfield. Washington was forced to double back, and in so doing was caught by the defense.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Game summary
Notre Dame tied the game on the first play of the fourth quarter on Joe Azzaro's 28-yard field goal. Tom Schoen's second interception on consecutive plays from scrimmage by Michigan State put Notre Dame in a position to take the lead, but Azzaro's 41-yard field goal attempt with 4:38 left on the clock missed by inches to the right.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Game summary
After a Michigan State punt Notre Dame had the ball on its own 30-yard line with 1:24 left. They needed about 40 yards for a game-winning field goal. But coach Ara Parseghian, not wanting to risk a turnover that could hand the game to the Spartans, chose to run the ball five times, preserving the tie and Notre Dame's No. 1 ranking.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Game summary
While this final drive included a fourth-down conversion by Notre Dame from its own 39-yard line, Michigan State nonetheless played the situation more aggressively, calling three time-outs in an attempt to perhaps get the ball back and start a potential game-winning drive of their own.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Game summary
After making a first down with ten seconds left, O'Brien dropped back to pass and was sacked by Bubba Smith. On the last play of the game, O'Brien gained five yards on a quarterback sneak. The game ended in a 10–10 tie.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Notre Dame play-calling controversy
Ara Parseghian's decision to exclusively run the ball in the last one-and-a-half minutes and not play more aggressively to either win the game or risk losing it has drawn criticism from fans and sportswriters alike. Echoing one of the great idioms of Notre Dame lore, college football expert Dan Jenkins led off his article on the game for Sports Illustrated by sarcastically saying that Parseghian chose to "Tie one for the Gipper". Parseghian's strategy showed that he was "arrogantly sure that Notre Dame could win the polls with a tie, not just over Michigan State but also over an undefeated and untied Alabama".


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Notre Dame play-calling controversy
Until his death in 2017, however, Parseghian defended his end-of-the-game strategy, which left many fans feeling disappointed at the game not having some sort of resolution. According to the same article, Parseghian cited his team's field position and the dynamics of the game as reasons why he hadn't played more aggressively: "We'd fought hard to come back and tie it up. After all that, I didn't want to risk giving it to them cheap. They get reckless and it could cost them the game. I wasn't going to do a jackass thing like that at this point. [ ...] My starting quarterback, starting center, starting left tackle and all my top guys were over on the bench with me. We hadn't completed a pass in the last seven or eight attempts."


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Aftermath
The most famous president of each school, Notre Dame’s Father Theodore Hesburgh and MSU’s John Hannah, together went into each locker room to console and congratulate the players. The two visionary leaders served for several years on the Civil Rights Commission beginning in the late 1950s and sat together during the MSU-Notre Dame battles.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Aftermath
The tie resulted in 9–0–1 seasons for both Michigan State and Notre Dame. The final AP and Coaches' polls put the Irish and Spartans at No. 1 and No. 2, ranking both teams above the undefeated, and two time defending national champion 11–0–0 Alabama. Both schools shared the MacArthur Bowl.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Aftermath
Notre Dame beat USC 51–0 the next week, completing an undefeated (but tied) regular season and solidifying its No. 1 claim. The Irish did not accept bowl bids between 1926 and 1969 (see below), and Michigan State was the victim of two Big Ten rules that would be rescinded a few years later: The same school could not represent the league in the Rose Bowl in back-to-back seasons (rescinded in December 1971, effective for the 1972 season), and no Big Ten school could play in a bowl game other than the Rose Bowl (rescinded for the 1975 season). So despite being Big Ten Champions and undefeated in the regular season, the Spartans could not play in the Rose Bowl, or indeed any bowl game.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Aftermath
Players for both schools earned tremendous accolades for the season including All American honors. In the 1967 NFL draft, Michigan State had four players drafted within the first eight picks of the first round


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Aftermath
After (but not necessarily as a result of) Eddy's injury while debarking from the train in East Lansing, Notre Dame football never traveled to away games by train again. Both teams now make the 160-mile trip by bus.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Legacy, 40th anniversary
On September 23, 2006, Michigan State and Notre Dame commemorated the 40th anniversary of the game. Michigan State wore "throwback" jerseys and helmets from the 1960s era. Notre Dame declined to wear throwback jerseys or helmets. 45 members from the original '66 squad returned. In addition, 1965 and 1966 All American Bubba Smith had his No. 95 jersey retired at halftime, becoming only the third person in Michigan State history with such an honor. Notre Dame won the game 40–37, after coming back from a 16-point deficit and scoring 19 straight points to win.


1966 Notre Dame vs. Michigan State football game, Legacy, 50th anniversary
On September 16, 2016, Notre Dame commemorated the 50th anniversary of the game. Members of the 1966 Notre Dame team appeared on the field prior to the game.


1966 Oakland Raiders season
The 1966 Oakland Raiders season  was their seventh season in Oakland and in the American Football League. Led by first-year head coach John Rauch, the Raiders played their home games  in the new Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, and finished at 8–5–1, second place in the Western division.


1966 Oakland Raiders season
In April 1966, AFL commissioner Joe Foss resigned and was succeeded by Al Davis, the head coach and general manager of the Raiders. Offensive backs coach Rauch was promoted to head coach and Scotty Stirling became the general manager. After the AFL–NFL merger agreement in June was made without his involvement, Davis resigned in late July; he returned to the team, but did not coach again.


1966 Oakland Raiders season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1966 Ohio Bobcats football team
The 1966 Ohio Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Ohio University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. In their ninth season under head coach Bill Hess, the Bobcats compiled a 5–5 record (3–3 against MAC opponents), finished in fourth place in the MAC, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 183 to 149.


1966 Ohio Bobcats football team
The team's statistical leaders included Bob Houmard with 641 rushing yards, Ron Delucca with 655 passing yards, and Jay Maupin with 447 receiving yards.


1966 Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team
The 1966 Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team represented Ohio State University in the 1966 NCAA University Division baseball season. The team was coached by Marty Karow in his 16th season at Ohio State.


1966 Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team
The Buckeyes won the College World Series, defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the championship game.


1966 Ohio State Buckeyes baseball team, Buckeyes in the 1966 MLB Draft
The following members of the Ohio State Buckeyes baseball program were drafted in the 1966 Major League Baseball Draft.


1966 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1966 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. The Buckeyes compiled a 4–5 record.


1966 Ohio gubernatorial election
The 1966 Ohio gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966. Incumbent Republican Jim Rhodes defeated Democratic nominee Frazier Reams Jr. with 62.18% of the vote.


1966 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1966 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. Led by first-year head coach Jim Mackenzie, they played their home games at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and competed as members of the Big Eight Conference.


1966 Oklahoma Sooners football team
A longtime assistant at Arkansas, Mackenzie was hired in December 1965.


1966 Oklahoma Sooners football team
Following one of the worst seasons in program history, the Sooners improved to 6–4, defeated rival Texas for the first time in nine years, and upset undefeated rival Nebraska on Thanksgiving, Mackenzie was named the Coach of the Year in the Big Eight.


1966 Oklahoma Sooners football team, Postseason, NFL/AFL draft
The following players were drafted into the National Football League or American Football League following the season.


1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team
The 1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team represented Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in the 1966 NCAA University Division baseball season. The Cowboys played their home games at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The team was coached by Chet Bryan in his second season at Oklahoma State.


1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team
The Cowboys reached the College World Series, finishing as the runner up to Ohio State.


1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The 1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma State University during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season.


1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team, Game summaries, Oklahoma
Oklahoma State defensive backs Charlie Trimble and Willard Nahrgang stopped Oklahoma tailback Ron Shotts at the two on the conversion play to preserve their second straight win over the Sooners.


1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team, After the season
The 1967 NFL/AFL Draft was held on March 14–15, 1967. The following Cowboys were selected.


1966 Oklahoma gubernatorial election
The 1966 Oklahoma gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966, and was a race for the Governor of Oklahoma. Republican Dewey F. Bartlett defeated Democrat Preston J. Moore and Independent H. E. Ingram.


1966 Ole Miss Rebels football team
The 1966 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Rebels were led by 20th-year head coach Johnny Vaught and played their home games at Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi and Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson. The team competed as members of the Southeastern Conference, finishing in fourth. After starting 2–2 on the year, the Rebels began a six-game winning streak with a come-from-behind victory over upset-minded Southern Miss on homecoming. Ole Miss ended the regular season at 8–2, and were ranked 12th in the final Coaches Poll, which was conducted before bowl season. The AP Poll ranked only ten teams at the time. The Rebels were invited to the 1966 Bluebonnet Bowl, where they were shutout by Texas, 0–19.


1966 Omloop Het Volk
The 1966 Omloop Het Volk was the 21st edition of the Omloop Het Volk cycle race and was held on 5 March 1966. The race started and finished in Ghent. The race was won by Jo de Roo.


1966 Open Championship
The 1966 Open Championship was the 95th Open Championship, held 6–9 July at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Jack Nicklaus won the first of his three Claret Jugs, one stroke ahead of runners-up Doug Sanders and Dave Thomas. It was the sixth of eighteen major titles for Nicklaus and marked the completion of the first of his three career grand slams.


1966 Open Championship
This was the first Open to be scheduled over four days, with one round each day, finishing on Saturday. Previous editions had played the third and fourth rounds on Friday. The U.S. Open changed to a four-day schedule the previous year in 1965, moving its final round from Saturday afternoon to Sunday. The Open Championship operated on a Wednesday through Saturday schedule through 1979.


1966 Open Championship
It was the final Open for 1964 champion Tony Lema, who died in a plane crash two weeks later, hours after the PGA Championship.


1966 Open Championship
Nicklaus has described Muirfield as "the best golf course in Britain." He later developed a championship golf course and community in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb north of his hometown of Columbus. Opened in 1974, Nicklaus named it Muirfield Village and it hosts his Memorial Tournament, a top invitational event on the PGA Tour since 1976.


1966 Open Championship, Round summaries, Second round
Amateurs: Shade (-1), Cole (+4), Townsend (+6), Bonallack (+7),Millensted (+12), Smith (+13), Falkenburg (+22)


1966 Orange Bowl
The 1966 Orange Bowl was the 32nd edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, January 1. The final game of the 1965–66 bowl season, it matched the third-ranked and undefeated Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Eight Conference and the #4 Alabama Crimson Tide of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).


1966 Orange Bowl
This was the second year that the Orange Bowl was played at night on New Year's Day, after the other college football bowl games. Due to losses by both #1 Michigan State in the Rose Bowl and #2 Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl earlier in the day, the game had turned into a de facto national championship game, as the AP would be taking a final post-bowl vote for the first time ever. Slightly favored, Alabama won, 39–28.


1966 Orange Bowl, Game summary
Alabama scored first on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Steve Sloan to Ray Perkins. In the second quarter, Nebraska's Bob Churchich threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Tony Jeter to tie the game at seven. Alabama's Les Kelly scored on a four-yard touchdown run as the Crimson Tide regained the lead at 14–7. Sloan and Perkins connected again from eleven yards out, then Alabama  recovered the ensuing onside kick; a 19-yard field goal David Ray in the final minute gave the Crimson Tide a commanding 24–7 lead at halftime.


1966 Orange Bowl, Game summary
In the third quarter, Churchich threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Ben Gregory as Nebraska narrowed the deficit to 24–13. Steve Bowman scored from a yard out, and a successful two-point conversion, increased the Tide's lead to 32–13.


1966 Orange Bowl, Game summary
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Churchich ran in from a yard to make it 32–20. Alabama answered with a time-consuming drive, with Bowman scoring on a three-yard run, which put the lead back to nineteen points at 39–20 with just over eight minutes remaining. Churchich threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jeter with less than three minutes to go for the last score as Alabama won 39–28. Quarterback Sloan was named the game's outstanding player.


1966 Orange Bowl, Aftermath
In the final AP poll, Alabama climbed to first for the national championship, while Nebraska dropped to fifth.


1966 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 1966 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. Four home games were played on campus in Corvallis at Parker Stadium and two at Multnomah Stadium in Portland.


1966 Oregon State Beavers football team
Under second-year head coach Dee Andros, the Beavers were 7–3 overall and 3–1 in the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU, later Pacific-8 Conference, or Pac-8). Only one of the four conference teams from the state of California was on the schedule; champion USC shut out OSU in Portland.


1966 Oregon State Beavers football team
Following a 1–3 start, OSU won its last six games, and were ranked nineteenth in the final UPI Coaches Poll.


1966 Oregon State Beavers football team
The starting quarterbacks this season were senior Paul Brothers and sophomore Steve Preece. Workhorse senior fullback Pete Pifer became the school's all-time leading rusher, overtaking Sam Baker.


1966 Oregon State Beavers football team, Game summaries, Oregon
On a very muddy field at Parker Stadium, Beaver fullback Pete Pifer became the first in AAWU history to run for more than 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons with 130 yards on 31 carries. Pifer and his backfield teammates, Paul Brothers and Bob Grim, combined for 284 total yards of the Beavers' offense.


1966 Oregon Webfoots football team
The 1966 Oregon Webfoots football team represented the University of Oregon in the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. Three home games were played on campus in Eugene at Hayward Field and one at Multnomah Stadium in Portland.


1966 Oregon Webfoots football team
Under sixteenth-year head coach Len Casanova, the Ducks were 3–7 overall and 1–3 in the AAWU (later Pacific-8 Conference, or Pac-8). Only one of its four teams from the state of California was on the schedule, Stanford in Portland, the sole conference victory.


1966 Oregon Webfoots football team
Oregon tied for sixth in the AAWU and were outscored 129 to 118. The team's statistical leaders included Mike Barnes with 710 passing yards, Steve Jones with 542 rushing yards, and Scott Cress with 402 receiving yards.


1966 Oregon Webfoots football team
This was the final season for Casanova as head coach and for varsity football at Hayward Field; Autzen Stadium debuted in 1967 with new head coach Jerry Frei, who was previously the offensive line coach. Casanova became the athletic director and retired in 1970.


1966 Oregon gubernatorial election
The 1966 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1966. Republican nominee Tom McCall defeated Democratic nominee Robert W. Straub to win the election.


1966 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo)
1966 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo) was the 60th water polo championship in Hungary. There were ten teams who played three-round match for the title.


1966 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo), Final list
* M: Matches W: Win D: Drawn L: Lost G+: Goals earned G-: Goals got P: Point


1966 Ottawa municipal election
The city of Ottawa, Canada held municipal elections on December 5, 1966.


1966 PGA Championship
The 1966 PGA Championship was the 48th PGA Championship, played July 21–24 at the South Course of Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Al Geiberger won his only major championship, four strokes ahead of runner-up Dudley Wysong.


1966 PGA Championship
Sam Snead, age 54, was co-leader and leader after the first two days, but shot 75 in the third round on Saturday. Geiberger carded a two-under 68 to lead by four strokes over Wysong, who shot a 66. Both shot two-over 72 on Sunday as both bogeyed the first two holes. The lead shrunk to two as Wysong birdied the third while Geiberger bogeyed the fourth, but then birdied the fifth and ninth holes to regain the four-stroke advantage.


1966 PGA Championship
The 1966 championship was originally scheduled to be held at Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colorado, a suburb south of Denver. A flash flood of the adjacent South Platte River in June 1965 caused significant damage to the course and forced a postponement. Firestone was scheduled to host in 1967, so the venues swapped years.


1966 PGA Championship
This was the second of three PGA Championships at the South Course, which previously hosted in 1960 and later in 1975. It is the current venue for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, which began in 1976 as the "World Series of Golf" on the PGA Tour,  preceded by the American Golf Classic, which debuted in 1961.


1966 PGA Championship, Lema and wife killed
Hours after the championship's conclusion on Sunday, Tony Lema and his wife Betty were among four fatalities in a chartered private plane crash near the Indiana-Illinois border. Lema, age 32, had finished tied for 34th and was heading west to a Monday tournament in the Chicago area. Both pilots of the twin-engine Beechcraft Bonanza were also killed as they attempted an emergency landing on a golf course in Lansing, Illinois, near the destination airport.


1966 PGA Tour
The 1966 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to November 27. The season consisted of 40 official money events. Billy Casper won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. Casper was the leading money winner with earnings of $121,945. He was voted the PGA Player of the Year and also won the Vardon Trophy for the lowest scoring average.


1966 PGA Tour, Tournament results
The following table shows all the official money events for the 1966 season. "Date" is the ending date of the tournament. The numbers in parentheses after the winners' names are the number of wins they had on the tour up to and including that event. Majors are shown in bold.


1966 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
This is a list of the 1966 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates. The tournament was played over 144 holes at the PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in late October. The tournament represented the totality of the year's PGA Tour Qualifying School; there were no local or regional sections. There were 99 players in the tournament and 32 earned their tour cards. Harry Toscano was medalist with a 4-under-par 572.


1966 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
In general, the "1966 class was considered substantially stronger" than the inaugural class from the previous year. A full year after qualifying school, 12 players were still playing full-time on the PGA Tour.


1966 Pacific Tigers football team
The 1966 Pacific Tigers football team represented the University of the Pacific during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season.


1966 Pacific Tigers football team
Pacific competed as an independent in 1966, and played home games in Pacific Memorial Stadium in Stockton, California. In their first season under head coach Doug Scovil, the Tigers finished with a record of four wins and seven losses (4–7), and were outscored 211–303.


1966 Pacific Tigers football team
While not a winning record, the 1966 season was an improvement; four wins were as many as they had the previous three seasons combined.


1966 Pacific hurricane season
The 1966 Pacific hurricane season started on May 15, 1966, and ended November 30, 1966. The season was of little note. Hurricane Blanca traveled 4,300 miles, setting a new record. During September and October of the year, Hurricane Helga and Tropical Storms Kirsten, Lorraine, and Maggie hitting Mexico. Kirsten caused 8 deaths and US$5.6 million (equivalent to $44.67 million in 2020) in damages in Mexico.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Adele
On the morning of June 20, the first tropical depression of the season formed south of Mexico. It initially went west-northwestward. On the afternoon of June 21, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Adele. It continued north until the evening of June 22, when it strengthened into a category 1 hurricane and sharply recurved west. It made landfall west of Manzanillo, Mexico on the evening of June 24 and dissipated that day. Extensive damage was caused by Adele in Mexico but no deaths were reported. Adele was the shortest lived hurricane of the season.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Two
On June 28, a tropical depression formed west of Central America. It remained weak and dissipated two days later, never threatening land. Tropical Depression Two caused no reports of damages or deaths.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Blanca
On the evening of August 2, a tropical storm formed south of Mexico, skipping tropical depression strength. It initially went west-northwest until the evening of August 4 when it reached category 1 hurricane status. Blanca eventually leveled off as it headed westward. On the morning of August 7, Blanca weakened into a tropical depression after weakening into a tropical storm two days later. During the afternoon of that day, Blanca crossed into the Central Pacific as a 30-mile per hour tropical depression. Blanca  regained tropical storm status on August 9 as it went northwestward.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Blanca
Blanca continued stair-stepping as it dissipated on August 12 while northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii. As Blanca never affected land, there were no reports of damages or deaths. Blanca set a record for the farthest traveling storm that formed in the Eastern Pacific by traveling 4,300 miles during its life. (1957's Hurricane/Typhoon Della traveled 5,000 miles, but formed in the Central Pacific.)


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Connie
On August 7, a tropical storm was identified southwest of the Baja California Peninsula and named Connie. It continued westward until three days later when Connie began to move northwest while remaining a tropical storm. During the morning of August 12, the storm crossed into the Central Pacific. The next morning, Connie was deemed to have become a hurricane with winds of 85 miles per hour. Connie was stable in intensity until the 15th when she weakened into a tropical storm while southeast of the Big Island of Hawaii. Connie dissipated while almost directly south of Kihei on Maui. Connie caused no reported damage or deaths in Hawaii.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane  Dolores
On August 16, a tropical storm was identified south of Manzanillo, Mexico and was named Dolores, the eight tropical depression of the season. During the afternoon of August 18, Dolores was noted to have more organization and became a hurricane. Dolores time as a hurricane was brief, Dolores weakened 24 hours after being upgraded. Dolores continued on her northwestward trek until August 23 when she became quasi-stationary and began to weaken. Dolores dissipated on August 25 while far away from land.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Eileen
On August 22, an area of low pressure gained enough organization and became Tropical Depression Ten. Two days later, the depression strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Eileen. Eileen headed northwest-ward as the slowly became stronger. On the morning of August 26, Eileen rapidly strengthened and became the seasons 5th hurricane. Eileen stayed this was for 36 hours and her minimum pressure of 990 mbar was recorded.. Just before she recurved, she weakened into a tropical storm as she moved over cooler waters. As she continued to recurve sharply, and on the night of August 28 (PDT time) she weakened into a remnant low. During the 26th, a ship sailed through the hurricane but there was no reported damage aboard the ship. Eileen also caused no deaths.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Francesca
Tropical Depression Eleven formed due south of La Paz, Mexico on September 5. The next morning, the depression became the season's sixth tropical storm and was named Francesca. Francesca entered a period of rapid strengthening for six hours as the storm's winds increased by 35 mph (56 km/h) and became the season's sixth hurricane. After this period of strengthening, Francesca leveled out and remained a hurricane until the morning of September 9 when it weakened prior to a southward dive as the result of interacting with nearby Tropical Storm Gretchen.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Francesca
Francesca continued to trek southward until the evening of September 11, when the storm very sharply recurved. Subsequently, Francesca weakened into a tropical depression as it went due east for 36 hours. Francesca degenerated into a remnant low on the morning of September 16. Francesca was the longest lived hurricane of the season by lasting eleven days. Wave action from Francesca and Hurricane Helga caused beach erosion throughout California.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Gretchen
During the evening of September 7, a tropical disturbance that was near Hurricane Francesca became Tropical Storm Gretchen, bypassing the depression stage. Gretchen did not strengthen during her lifetime due to her proximity to Francesca and was nearly absorbed by her because Francesca disorganized Gretchen, the last advisory was issued on September 11. Because Gretchen never affected land, there was no damage or deaths reported from it.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Helga
On the morning of September 9, a tropical wave spawned Tropical Depression Thirteen. The storm was quickly to intensify and was named six hours later. The tropical storm began to curve north and on September 12 Helga became the eighth, and last hurricane of the season. She remained at that intensity for 36 hours and then began to weaken. She had weakened into a tropical storm when she made landfall on the Baja California Peninsula and weakened into a tropical depression. The depression dissipated on the 17th while in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Helga caused the death of one person in California and also caused beach erosion throughout California and the Baja California Peninsula. The combined wave action from Helga and Francesca caused extensive damage throughout the region.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Ione
On September 10, Tropical Depression Fourteen formed west of Tropical Storm Helga. The depression was slow to organize and became Tropical Storm Ione during the afternoon of the 12th. Ione's time as a tropical storm was brief and the last advisory was issued the next morning due to land interaction that weakened the system. Even though Ione dissipated near Mexico, the remnant low brought rain to Mexico. No deaths or damages were reported due to Ione when she was warned upon. While she was a low, there is no information.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Depression Twenty-Two
On September 10 a tropical depression was located by the Joint Hurricane Warning Center (JHWC) and was designated Tropical Depression Twenty-two and was heading westward. During the morning of the 12th, the depression passed 240 miles south of the island of Hawaii. It dissipated that night. The depression caused heavy rainfall throughout the Hawaiian Islands during the 12th. The reason that this depression was named 22 is unknown, but it is probably because it was numbered with the Western Pacific storm numbers.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Joyce
During the late evening of September 14, Tropical Depression Fifteen formed far away from land. The depression took a long time to strengthen and became a tropical storm for only 24 hours late in its life before cooler waters took hold of the system and made it a remnant low on September 20. Joyce was one of the shortest lasting storms of the season.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Kirsten
Six days after Joyce dissipated, a new tropical depression formed while southwest of the Baja California Peninsula. This depression, like Joyce before it, took a long time to become named. The depression finally became named  storm on September 28 while nearing landfall. Kirsten made landfall during the late morning of September 28 on the Baja California Peninsula. She made another landfall near Los Mochis, Mexico later that day. Kirsten rapidly dissipated over land the next morning. Kirsten caused at least eight deaths in Ciudad Obregón and an estimated damage of $5.6 million (equivalent to $44.67 million in 2020). Despite this, Kirsten was not retired, although the name Kirsten was not used in 1970 due to a possible misspelling. In 1970, the name Kristen was used as a "K" name instead, but in 1974, the "K" name was changed back to Kirsten.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Lorraine
Near the end of the season Tropical Depression Sixteen formed while south of Mexico. The depression quickly intensified and became a tropical storm and was named Lorraine. Lorraine made landfall west of Tecoman, Mexico and quickly dissipated. Lorraine brought rain to Mexico in areas that would get rain from Tropical Storm Maggie (see below) a few days later. Lorraine caused no reports of damage or deaths in Mexico.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Maggie
On October 16, Tropical Depression Eighteen formed while south of Mexico. The depression, like Joyce and Kirsten before it took a long time to become a tropical storm. Finally on October 18 the depression strengthened and became Tropical Storm Maggie, the final tropical storm of the season. Maggie brought torrential rains to areas affected by Lorraine earlier in the month as she paralleled the Mexican coast. She finally made landfall near Manzanillo, Mexico and weakened into a tropical depression while near Puerto Vallarta. The depression briefly emerged off the coast before making landfall near Puerto Vallarta for the last time. Maggie dissipated shortly afterward. Maggie caused no reports of damages or deaths.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Other systems, Tropical Storm Kathy
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center and Japan Meteorological Agency, on September 20 Tropical Storm Kathy crossed the International Dateline, entering into CPHC's area of responsibility; however, this storm wasn't included into CPHC database. The storm eventually became extratropical on September 21 over open waters.


1966 Pacific hurricane season, Storm names
No names were retired from this list, so it was reused in the 1970 season. Except for the name Kirsten, which was replaced by Kristen in that season, possibly due to a clerical error.


1966 Pacific typhoon season
The 1966 Pacific typhoon season was an active season, with many tropical cyclones having severe impacts in China, Japan, and the Philippines. Overall, there were 49 tropical depressions declared officially or unofficially, of which 30 officially became named storms; of those, 20 reached typhoon status, while 3 further became super typhoons by having winds of at least 240 km/h (150 mph). Throughout the year, storms were responsible for at least 997 fatalities and $377.6 million in damage; however, a complete record of their effects is unavailable.


1966 Pacific typhoon season
It is widely accepted that wind estimates in the Western North Pacific during the reconnaissance era prior to 1988 are subject to great error. In many cases, intensities were grossly overestimated due to a combination inadequate technology and a lesser understanding of the mechanics behind tropical cyclones as compared to the present day. Additionally, methodologies for obtaining wind estimates have changed over the decades and is not the same today as in 1966.


1966 Pacific typhoon season
A joint reanalysis of typhoons from 1966 to 1987 was conducted by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University and the United States Naval Research Laboratory in 2006 to correct some of these errors. Many storms in 1966 received strength reductions as a result of this study; however, the results of the research have not been implemented into the official database. Notably the number of major typhoons, Category 3-equivalent or higher on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, was reduced from eight to six, including the removal of a Category 5.


1966 Pacific typhoon season
The western Pacific basin covers the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Storms that form east of the date line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1966 Pacific hurricane season. Tropical Storms formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) also monitored systems in the basin; however, it was not recognized as the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center until 1968.


1966 Pacific typhoon season
Tropical depressions that enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility are assigned a name by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), which can result in the same storm having two names; in these cases both storm names are given below, with the PAGASA name in parentheses.


1966 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Irma (Klaring)
115 mph Typhoon Irma hit the eastern Samar on May 15. It weakened over the island, but re-intensified rapidly to a 140 mph typhoon in the Sibuyan Sea before hitting Mindoro on the 17th. After weakening to a tropical storm, Irma turned northward to hit western Luzon as a 95 mph typhoon on the 19th. It accelerated to the northeast, and became extratropical on the 22nd. The extratropical remnant raced northeast before abruptly slowing on May 23 well to the east of Japan. During that time, it temporarily turned north while moving erratically. The system later acquired a general eastward track by May 26 and accelerated once more before dissipating near the International Date Line on May 29.


1966 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Irma (Klaring)
Severe damage took place across the Philippines, with Leyte suffering the brunt of Irma's impact. Twenty people lost their lives across the country. Preliminary reports indicated that Tacloban incurred $2.5 million in damage. A gasoline explosion near Manila that killed 12 people and injured 18 others was partially attributed to the typhoon. On May 17, the 740 ton vessel Pioneer Cebu sailed directly into the storm over the Visayan Sea off the coast of Malapascua Island after ignoring warnings to remain at port. Carrying 262 people, the ship struck a reef while battling rough seas in the typhoon.


1966 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Irma (Klaring)
Passengers began abandoning the sinking vessel soon thereafter under the captain's orders while message about the ship's sinking was relayed by the radio operator. A large wave then struck the ship on its side, capsizing and submerging it entirely. Of the passengers and crew, 122 went down with the ship, including captain Floro Yap, while 140 managed to escape. Rescue operations lasted nearly two days, with many of the survivors being stranded in shark infested waters for upwards of 40 hours. Of the survivors, 130 were picked up by a rescue ship while 10 others were found on nearby islands.


1966 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Irma (Klaring)
Only five bodies were recovered in the area while the rest were presumed to be lost with the ship in an area referred to as the "graveyard of ships." A trading vessel, the Banca Alex, also sank off the coast of Cebu with 80 people aboard; 60 were later rescued while 20 others were never found.


1966 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Judy (Deling)
Southern Taiwan bore the brunt of Judy's impact, with gusts in the region reaching 120 km/h (75 mph). The high winds cut electricity throughout the port of Kaohsiung. Rainfall on the island peaked at 291.2 mm (11.46 in). A total of 18 people lost their lives while 14 were injured across the island. More than 1,000 homes sustained damage, of which 363 homes were destroyed. The banana crop suffered extensive damage in southern Taiwan, with two provinces reporting 70 percent lost. Total losses to the crop reached $25 million. Total damage amounted to NT$373.5 million. While over the South China Sea, a U.S. Navy aircraft with four crewmen crashed in the storm. A four-day search-and-rescue mission found no trace of the men.


1966 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Super Typhoon Kit (Emang)
The incipient disturbance that became Super Typhoon Kit was first identified on June 20 near Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. The JMA designated that system as a tropical depression that day as the system moved steadily westward. The JTWC followed suit with this classification on June 22 following an investigation by reconnaissance. Early the next day, the depression acquired gale-force winds and was dubbed Tropical Storm Kit. Turning to the northwest, Kit developed a 35–55 km (20–35 mi) wide eye and reached typhoon status late on June 23.


1966 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Super Typhoon Kit (Emang)
Rapid intensification ensued late on June 24 into June 25; Kit's central pressure dropped 51 mbar (hPa; 1.5 inHg) in 18 hours from 965 mbar (hPa; 28.50 inHg) to 914 mbar (hPa; 26.99 inHg). During this time, Kit's eye contracted to 13 to 17 km (8.1 to 10.6 mi). At 06:00 UTC on June 26, the JMA estimated Kit's pressure to have abruptly dropped to 880 mbar (hPa; 25.99 inHg), which would rank it among the top ten most intense tropical cyclones on record.