1966 Meath Senior Football Championship
Drumree applied to be regraded to the 1967 I.F.C. after winning just one match in this years campaign by virtue of a walk-over.


1966 Meath Senior Football Championship
Gaeil Colmcille (formed in 1964 from the Drumbaragh and Kells Harps clubs) claimed their 1st S.F.C. title on 27 November 1966 after a second replay when defeating Kilbride in the final by 0-8 to 0-6 at Pairc Tailteann. Phil Fay raised the Keegan Cup for the Kells parish outfit.


1966 Meath Senior Football Championship, Team Changes
The following teams have changed division since the 1965 championship season.


1966 Meath Senior Football Championship, Final
The winners and runners up of each group qualify for the final.


1966 Meistaradeildin
The 1966 Meistaradeildin was a season of the Faroe Islands Premier League, the top-level association football league in the Faroe Islands. It was contested by five teams, with KÍ Klaksvík winning the championship.


1966 Memorial Cup
The 1966 Memorial Cup was the 48th annual Memorial Cup competition, organized by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) to determine the champion of "junior A" ice hockey. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Edmonton Oil Kings of the Central Alberta Hockey League in Western Canada. Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario hosted the Final, which featured Bobby Orr, the Generals captain. It was the last of 18 Memorial Cup series to be played at the Gardens. In a best-of-seven series, Edmonton won their second Memorial Cup, defeating Oshawa four games to two. Orr was injured and played sparingly.


1966 Memorial Cup
Lloyd Pollock oversaw the tournament on behalf of the CAHA. A Canadian Press release published on May 13, 1966, credited him for keeping the peace and being unflappable. He was quoted as saying "a big stick can be just as effective as a soft-sell", after he rejected protests from both Wren Blair of Oshawa, and Bill Hunter of Edmonton, for both managers not knowing the regulations. After the conclusion of the series, Pollock announced a $40,000 profit in ticket sales due to playing all of the games at Maple Leaf Gardens, and that the CAHA received 25% of revenue from television broadcasts of the games which would benefit junior hockey.


1966 Memorial Cup, Winning roster
Ron Anderson, Garnet Bailey, Doug Barrie, Brian Bennett, Ron Caley, Craig Cameron, Bob Falkenberg, Al Hamilton, Jim Harrison, Brian Hague, Galen Head, Ted Hodgsen, Kerry Ketter, Ross Lonsberry, Jim Knox, Don McLeod, Jim Mitchell, Harold Myers, Eugene Peacosh, Ross Perkins, Murray Pierce, Dave Rochefort, Ted Rogers, Jim Schraefel, Red Simpson, Ron Walters. Coach: Ray Kinasewich


1966 Memphis State Tigers football team
The 1966 Memphis State Tigers football team represented Memphis State University (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. In its ninth season under head coach Billy J. Murphy, the team compiled a 7–2 record and outscored opponents by a total of 121 to 96. The team played its home games at Memphis Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.


1966 Memphis State Tigers football team
The team's statistical leaders included Terry Padgett with 348 passing yards, Terry Padgett with 539 rushing yards, Dale Brady with 176 receiving yards, and Tom Wallace with 36 points scored.


1966 Men's British Open Squash Championship
The 1966 British Open Championship was held at the Lansdowne Club in London from 13–22 December 1965. Abdelfattah Abou Taleb won his third consecutive title defeating Aftab Jawaid. The competition came under criticism for the modern day physicality which increased the chances of players getting injured, in the first round Ward was taken to hospital following a head injury received whilst playing Jawaid. The champion Taleb also came under fire for his aggressive attitude, particularly in the final.


1966 Men's British Open Squash Championship, Draw and results, Third Place
Kamal Zaghloul beat  Tewfik Shafik 8-10 9-2 9-7 8-10 9-59-0 0-9 9-1 9-6


1966 Men's Softball World Championship
The 1966 ISF Men's World Championship was an international softball tournament and the inaugural World Championship. The tournament was held in Mexico City, Mexico. Eleven nations competed.


1966 Mestaruussarja, Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and KuPS Kuopio won the championship.


1966 Mexican Grand Prix
The 1966 Mexican Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixhuca on 23 October 1966. It was race 9 of 9 in both the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the fifth Mexican Grand Prix and the first to be run under the new three-litre Formula. It was held over 65 laps of the 5 km (3.1 mi) circuit for a race distance of 325 km (202 mi).


1966 Mexican Grand Prix
The race was won by British driver John Surtees driving a Cooper T81-Maserati, his first victory since leaving Scuderia Ferrari to join Cooper. Surtees lead home reigning world champion Australian owner-driver Jack Brabham, driving a Brabham BT20-Repco, H by eight seconds. A lap down in third place, also driving a Brabham BT20, was Brabham's teammate New Zealander Denny Hulme.


1966 Mexican Grand Prix
Surtees's victory promoted him to second place in the championship, vaulting past Austrian driver Jochen Rindt of the Cooper works team.


1966 Mexican Grand Prix, Race report
John Surtees dominated to take his first win since transferring from Ferrari to Cooper in mid season. He took the lead from Jack Brabham on lap 6 and was never challenged. With Jim Clark suffering gearbox problems and both BRMs retiring, Richie Ginther was the only contender left. However he too had mechanical problems, and dropped back. Brabham rallied at the end to close, but Surtees had lapped the entire field up to second. The first year of 3-litre engines had resulted in wins for five different makes of car, using five different engines.


1966 Miami Dolphins season
The 1966 Miami Dolphins season was the team's inaugural year as an expansion franchise in the American Football League (AFL). The Dolphins were the first of two expansion teams in the AFL, founded by Minneapolis attorney-politician Joe Robbie and actor-comedian Danny Thomas. Future Harlem Globetrotters and Montreal Canadiens owner George N. Gillett, Jr. was a minority partner, and the team was led by head coach George Wilson. The franchise was granted in August 1965 for $7.5 million.


1966 Miami Dolphins season
Their regular season debut on September 2 began with Joe Auer returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, but the Dolphins lost to the Oakland Raiders, 23–14. Auer was the leading scorer for the season and was named team MVP. With an odd number of teams, each of the nine AFL teams had two bye weeks and played fourteen games. Miami lost its first five games before upsetting the Denver Broncos in the Orange Bowl. The Dolphins defeated the Houston Oilers the following week, but then lost the next six consecutive games.


1966 Miami Dolphins season
In Week 16, Miami won against the Oilers again to finish the season with a 3–11 record. Having defeated the Oilers twice, the Dolphins became the first ever expansion team in the Super Bowl era to sweep a division rival, and the last until the Jacksonville Jaguars did it in 1995 against the Cleveland Browns.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Offseason, AFL Draft
With the first pick overall, the Dolphins selected running back Jim Grabowski out of the University of Illinois. Grabowski was also drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League's draft. The result was a bidding war between the two franchises to obtain Grabowski's services. The Packers signed Grabowski and he played for them for five seasons.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 1
The Dolphins' regular season debut was a home game against the Oakland Raiders on Friday night, September 2; Miami running back Joe Auer returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. An extra point kick by Gene Mingo allowed the Dolphins to lead 7–0 barely into the start of the game. Miami was unable to retain the lead, however, with the Raiders scoring a field goal in the second quarter and two touchdowns (one each in the second and third quarters) – a total of 17 points. In the fourth quarter, the Dolphins narrowed the score with a touchdown reception from Rick Norton to Rick Casares. However, Oakland responded with another touchdown – a 16 yard pass to Tom Mitchell from Tom Flores. The game ended with a 23–14 loss for Miami.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 2
In their first ever intradivisional game, the Dolphins played against the AFL Eastern Division rival New York Jets at the Orange Bowl on Friday night, September 9. Miami trailed the entire game, with the Jets scoring a safety (by tackling Rick Norton in the end zone) and a touchdown in the first quarter. New York added a field goal and a touchdown in the third quarter, while holding Miami scoreless until the fourth quarter. By then, the Dolphins scored a touchdown – a 43-yard reception from Norton to Dave Kocourek. Later in the quarter, Jets quarterback Joe Namath was intercepted by defensive back Pete Jaquess, who returned the ball 27 yards for another touchdown. However, Miami was unable to complete a comeback and lost 19–14.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 3
For their first division rivalry game against the Buffalo Bills on September 18, Miami traveled to the War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo. The Bills dominated the Dolphins throughout the game. In the first quarter, the Buffalo scored three touchdown before Miami kicked a field goal. The Bills then added four touchdowns in the second quarter, versus one by the Dolphins. After the first half, the score was 48–10 in favor of the Bills. The only score in the third quarter was a field goal by Booth Lusteg of Buffalo. Three touchdowns were scored in the fourth quarter, two for Miami and one for Buffalo. The Bills defeated the Dolphins by a score of 58–24, which remains one of the worst losses by Miami in the history of the Bills–Dolphins rivalry.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 5
Coming off their first bye week, the Miami Dolphins traveled to Balboa Stadium in San Diego in Week 5 in search for their first win. The Dolphins began the game with a 10 point lead – a field goal by Gene Mingo and a Karl Noonan touchdown via a 20 yard pass from Dick Wood. However, the Chargers took the lead in the third quarter following two touchdowns and a field goal, with a score of 16–10 as the quarter ended. In the fourth quarter, San Diego put the game away and delivered another blowout for Miami, scoring four touchdowns (28 points), while preventing the Dolphins from receiving additional points. The game ended with a score of 44–10 in favor of the Chargers. The Dolphins win–loss record fell to 0–4.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 6
In a second game against the Oakland Raiders on October 9, the Miami Dolphins traveled to the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. Miami took the lead in the first quarter, with a 47 yard field goal by Gene Mingo. In the second quarter, Oakland took the lead after a touchdown, while Miami re-took the lead with a touchdown of their own. However, before the end of the second quarter, Oakland again re-took the lead with another touchdown. The first half of the game ended with a score of 14–10 in favor of the Raiders. Neither team received additional points in the third quarter. Oakland put the game away in the fourth quarter by scoring another touchdown. The match ended with a 21–10 loss for Miami.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 7
After being on the road since Week 3, the Miami Dolphins returned home in Week 7 for a contest against the Denver Broncos on October 16. Miami scored a touchdown and field goal in the first quarter, with a 67 yard pass from George Wilson to Billy Joe and a Gene Mingo field goal. The Broncos scored a touchdown later in the first quarter. Subsequently, the Dolphins scored one touchdown each in the third and fourth quarters – 1 yard and 3 yard rushes by Joe Auer, respectively. However, Denver was unable to earn additional points following the first quarter. As a result, the Miami Dolphins won the game by a score of 24–7. This was the first win by the franchise and raised their win–loss record to 1–5.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 8
The Dolphins returned to the road again in Week 8, traveling to Rice Stadium to take on the Houston Oilers on October 23. Miami scored first with a touchdown in the first quarter – an 80 yard reception from George Wilson to Bo Roberson. George Blanda of the Oilers kicked a field goal in the second quarter, but the Dolphins responded with another touchdown. In the third quarter, Blanda kicked another field goal, but Gene Mingo of the Dolphins also scored a field goal. Houston finally reached the endzone later in the third quarter to narrow the match to a 4-point game. However, Mingo kicked another field goal in the fourth quarter, ending the game with a 20–13 win for Miami. The Dolphins improved to 2–5.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 10
After the second bye week, Miami returned home for another game against the Buffalo Bills on November 6. As during Week 3, the Bills again dominated the match. After neither club scored in the first quarter, Buffalo scored a touchdown and a field goal in both the second and third quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Bills scored a third touchdown. Later, Buffalo received two points from a safety after Marty Schottenheimer blocked a punt. Miami was unable to score points throughout the game and lost 29–0, their first regular season shutout loss. The Dolphins fell to 2–6.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 11
In the following week, the Dolphins traveled to Municipal Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Miami was quickly overtaken. Kansas City reached a 23 point lead – three touchdowns (one missed extra point) and one field goal – before the Dolphins finally scored a field goal in the second quarter. Miami followed up with a touchdown, but Kansas City scored another touchdown before the end of the quarter. In the third quarter, the Chiefs added another field goal to their score. The Dolphins scored another touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the team fell well short of making a comeback. The game ended with a 34–16 loss for Miami, with their record falling to 2–7.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 12
During Week 12, the Dolphins traveled to Shea Stadium in New York City for their second match-up against the Jets on November 20. Miami built a six point lead in the first quarter with two field goals by Gene Mingo. However, they would not maintain their lead. In the second quarter, the Jets scored a touchdown and a field goal, before adding another touchdown and two additional field goals in the third quarter. Miami, down 23–6 at the close of the third quarter, finally scored again with a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins were unable to overcome the deficit, and New York scored another touchdown before the end of regulation. The game ended with a 30–13 loss for Miami, dropping their record to 2–8.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 13
In their first game against the division rival Boston Patriots, the Dolphins hosted the Patriots at the Orange Bowl on November 27. After neither team scored in the first quarter, the Patriots scored twice in the first quarter, with a touchdown pass from Babe Parilli to Art Graham and then a 32-yard field goal by Gino Cappelletti. The first half of the game closed with a 13-0 lead for Boston. A rushing touchdown by Jim Nance allowed the Patriots to increase their lead to 20-0.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 13
Later in the third quarter, the Dolphins finally scored with a 32-yard pass from Dick Wood to Frank Jackson. In the fourth quarter, another Miami touchdown pass from Wood to Joe Auer for 38 yards further reduced the Patriots lead to 20-14. However, with no additional scores by either team, the game ended with a 20-14 loss for the Miami Dolphins, causing them to fall to 2-9.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 14
For Week 14, the Dolphins traveled to Bears Stadium in Denver for another game against the Broncos on December 4. The game was a low-scoring affair. After neither team scored in the first quarter, Denver put points on the board with a Gary Kroner field goal, before Miami countered with Tom Erlandson scoring a touchdown after returning an interception 26 yards. However, the Broncos responded with a touchdown before the end of the second quarter. Denver scored another touchdown in the third quarter. Following that, neither Miami nor Denver any additional points in the third or fourth quarter. The game ended with a 17–7 loss for Miami, dropping their record to 2–10.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 15
Miami returned home for their second match against Kansas City on December 11. The Chiefs opened up with two Mike Mercer field goals, with one each in the first and second quarters. Later in the second quarter, the Dolphins scored a field goal and a touchdown (with a 2-point conversion) to close the first half 11–6. After no scores in the third quarter, Kansas City was the first team to put more points on the board with a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Miami then scored another touchdown to take the lead in the fourth quarter. However, the Chiefs countered with a touchdown before the game ended. Miami lost by a score of 19–18.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 16
In the final game of their inaugural season, the Dolphins hosted the Oilers at the Orange Bowl on December 18. The Oilers mounted a 14-0 lead before the Dolphins scored – a 27-yard pass from Don Trull to Hoyle Granger in the first quarter and an 11-yard pass from Trull to Larry Elkins. Miami then responded with a 27-yard pass from John Stofa to Joe Auer and a successful 2-point conversion. Houston added seven more points with a 2-yard pass from Trull to Bob McLeod. By the end of the first half of the game, the Oilers led by 21-8.


1966 Miami Dolphins season, Schedule, Game summaries, Week 16
The third quarter saw a 48-yard touchdown pass from Stofa to Frank Jackson, cutting the Oilers' lead to 21-15. In the fourth quarter, Houston scored again with a 1-yard rush from Trull. The Dolphins scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter, via a 4-yard pass from Stofa to Bill Cronin and a 14-yard pass from Stofa to Auer. With no further scores by either team, the game ended with a 29-28 win for the Miami Dolphins. Miami ended their season with a win-loss record of 3-11.


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


1966 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1966 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami as an independent during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. Led by third-year head coach Charlie Tate, the Hurricanes played their home games at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Miami finished the season with a record of 8–2–1 and a victory in the Liberty Bowl over Virginia Tech.


1966 Miami Redskins football team
The 1966 Miami Redskins football team was an American football team that represented Miami University during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. In their fourth season under head coach Bo Schembechler, the Redskins won the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship, compiled a 9–1 record (5–1 against MAC opponents), and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 229 to 76.


1966 Miami Redskins football team
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Bruce Matte with 845 passing yards, Joe Kozar with 633 rushing yards, and John Erisman with 600 receiving yards.


1966 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 1966 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. Michigan State lodged a 9–0–1 record, with a season-concluding tie against Notre Dame which is considered among the greatest games in college football history. The College Football Researchers Association selected Michigan State as national champion, while the Helms Athletic Foundation, National Football Foundation (NFF), and Poling System selected them as co-national champion. Notre Dame claimed the AP and Coaches selections and earned a consensus title with a majority of selectors.


1966 Michigan State Spartans football team, Game summaries, Notre Dame
The 1966 Michigan State vs. Notre Dame football game ("The Game of the Century") remains one of the greatest, and most controversial, games in college football history. The game was played in Michigan State's Spartan Stadium on November 19, 1966. Michigan State entered the contest 9–0 and ranked #2, while Notre Dame entered the contest 8–0 and ranked #1. Notre Dame elected not to try to score on its final series, thus the game ended in a 10–10 tie with both schools receiving national champion selections.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1966 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. In its eighth year under head coach Bump Elliott, Michigan compiled a 6–4 record (4–3 against conference opponents), tied for third place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 236 to 138.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team
After opening the season with non-conference victories over Oregon State and California, Michigan lost three consecutive games, including losses to No. 1 Michigan State and No. 9 Purdue. The team then won four of its final five games, including a 17–3 victory over rival Ohio State.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team
Right end Jack Clancy was the team captain and the recipient of the team's most valuable player award. He set a school record and led the Big Ten with 1,077 receiving yards and received both All-American and All-Big Ten honors.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team
The team's other statistical leaders included quarterback Dick Vidmer with 1,609 passing yards, Dave Fisher with 672 rushing yards, and Jim Detwiler with 60 points scored. Detwiler's 60 points led the Big Ten, and Vidmer's passing yards ranked second behind Bob Griese of Purdue.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
After winning a Big Ten Conference championship in 1964, culminating with a victory over Oregon State in the 1965 Rose Bowl, Michigan compiled a disappointing 4–6 record and tied for seventh place in the Big Ten during the 1965 season.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
Starters returning on offense from the 1965 team included halfback Carl Ward, end Jack Clancy, and fullback Dave Fisher. Quarterback Dick Vidmer, who started three games in 1965, returned as the team's starting quarterback in 1966. Jim Detwiler, who missed most of the 1965 season and underwent ACL surgery on his knee, returned to the 1966 squad and became the Big Ten's leading scorer. A key player who did not return from the 1965 offense was offensive tackle Tom Mack who was chosen by the Los Angeles Rams with the second overall pick in the 1966 NFL Draft.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
On defense, Rich Volk and Mike Bass returned at the cornerback positions, and Frank Nunley returned at linebacker. Key players who did not return from the 1965 squad included All-American defensive tackle Bill Yearby and linebacker Tom Cecchini who became a member of Michigan's coaching staff.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
The coaching staff also underwent changes in 1966. In February, Michigan added Don James (inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997) and George Mans to replace defensive assistants Bob Hollway and Don Dufek Sr. Y. C. McNease was also added as ends and linebackers coach in April, replacing Jack Nelson. William A. Dodd, who played fullback and halfback for Michigan in 1962 and 1963, was hired in June as the freshman football coach, freeing up Dennis Fitzgerald to join the varsity coaching staff.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Preseason
Michigan's 1966 recruiting class included two players who were later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame: quarterback (later converted to safety) Tom Curtis and end Jim Mandich. Other members of the 1966 recruiting class were end Phil Seymour, halfback Garvie Craw, linebacker Cecil Pryor, tight end Mike Hankwitz, and quarterback Barry Pierson.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Oregon State
On September 17, 1966, Michigan opened its season with a 41–0 victory over Oregon State before a crowd of 56,097 at Michigan Stadium. Jack Clancy set a Michigan record with 10 receptions for 197 yards. Dick Vidmer completed 12 of 18 passes for 258 yards. Michigan tallied 502 yards of offense in the game. The defense held Oregon State to 193 yards of total offense.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, California
On September 24, 1966, Michigan defeated California before a crowd of 40,000 at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California. Carl Ward and Dave Fisher scored Michigan's touchdowns, and Rick Sygar kicked a field goal and two extra points. Fisher had 90 rushing yards on 19 carries. Jack Clancy caught eight passes for 93 yards.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, North Carolina
On October 1, 1966, Michigan (ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll) lost to North Carolina, 21–7, before a crowd of 88,233 at Michigan Stadium. Michigan took a 7–0 lead on a touchdown run by Dave Fisher in the first quarter. Two interceptions thrown by Dick Vidmer and two fumbles by Carl Ward allowed North Carolina back into the game. The Detroit Free Press wrote: "The Wolverines fumbled, bumbled, stumbled, and tumbled out of the ranks of unbeaten college football teams."


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Michigan State
On October 8, 1966, Michigan lost to Michigan State, 20–7, before a crowd of 78,833 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State came into the game ranked No. 1 and favored by 14 points and led, 7–0, as the fourth quarter began. Michigan was held to 47 rushing yards. Michigan quarterback Dick Vidmer threw a school record 47 passes, completing 18 for 168 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jim Detwiler in the fourth quarter. Michigan's offense was hampered by the strong rushing of Spartan defender Bubba Smith.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Purdue
On October 15, 1966, Michigan lost to Purdue, 22–21, before a crowd of 79,642 at Michigan Stadium. A safety, a blocked punt, and two lost fumbles contributed to Michigan's third consecutive loss. Michigan led, 21–14, when Rick Sygar fielded a punt at the goal line and was tackled for a safety. Purdue next blocked a Michigan punt from the Michigan eight-yard line and recovered the loose ball for a touchdown. Dick Vidmer completed 13 of 18 passes for 208 yards, while the Michigan defense held Bob Griese to 63 yards and intercepted two of his passes. Michigan's Dave Fisher rushed for 120 yards on 20 carries.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Minnesota
On October 22, 1966, Michigan defeated Minnesota, 49–0, before a homecoming crowd of 71,749 at Michigan Stadium. The margin of victory was the largest in the history of the Little Brown Jug rivalry to that point. The victory broke a three-game losing streak for the Wolverines. Jack Clancy caught 10 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Jim Detwiler had 16 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns. Dick Vidmer completed 15 of 19 passes for 212 yards. Rick Sygar returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown and kicked seven extra points.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Wisconsin
On October 29, 1966, Michigan defeated Wisconsin, 28–17, before a crowd of 52,881 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Michigan's fullback Dave Fisher was the leading rusher in the Big Ten Conference prior to the game and totaled 99 yards and scored a touchdown in the first half, but he suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter. Jim Detwiler added two touchdowns for Michigan, and Carl Ward also scored a touchdown. Michigan totaled 232 rushing yards and 71 passing yards, while Wisconsin totaled 127 rushing yards and 185 passing yards.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Illinois
On November 5, 1966, Michigan lost to Illinois, 28–21, before a crowd of 59,322 in a snow storm at Michigan Stadium. The outcome was the only Illinois victory in the seven-year rivalry between head coaching brothers Bump Elliott and Pete Elliott. Michigan led, 21–14, at the start of the fourth quarter. Illinois narrowed Michigan's lead on a 60-yard punt return for touchdown by Mick Smith. The extra point was missed, and Michigan led, 21–20. Later in the fourth quarter, Michigan had the ball at Illinois' six-yard line and appeared to be driving for a clinching touchdown. Illinois safety Bruce Sullivan intercepted Dick Vidmer's pass at the two-yard line and returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown. Illinois successfully passed for a two-point conversion.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Northwestern
On November 12, 1966, Michigan defeated Northwestern, 28–20, before a crowd of 58,556 at Michigan Stadium. Dick Vidmer passed for 170 yards, including touchdown passes of 49 yards to Jim Detwiler and 33 yards to Jack Clancy. Vidmer also scored on a one-yard run, and Carl Ward also scored on a five-yard run. The Detroit Free Press wrote: "There were so many fundamental mistakes, it looked like romper room football. The same mistakes that have plagued Michigan all season threatened an upset in this home finale. Fumbles, dropped passes, missed tackles, bad passes from center on punts and botched-up punt returns."


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Ohio State
On November 19, 1966, Michigan defeated Ohio State, 17–3, before a crowd of 83,403 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan totaled 382 yards of offense, including 272 rushing yards. Jim Detwiler rushed for 140 yards on 20 carries, including a seven-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Michigan also scored on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Dick Vidmer to Clayton Wilhite in the third quarter. Vidmer passed for 110 yards to give him Michigan's career and season passing records. Jack Clancy had three receptions for 59 yards to conclude the season with a Big Ten record 1,079 receiving yards. Bo Rein had 82 rushing yards and 59 receiving yards for Ohio State. The loss gave Woody Hayes his second losing record in 16 seasons at Ohio State.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Postseason
With a 4–3 conference record (6–4 overall), Michigan tied with Illinois for third place in the Big Ten Conference. Michigan outscored all opponents by a combined total of 236 to 138. Undefeated Michigan State won the conference championship and was ranked No. 2 in the final AP Poll.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Postseason
At Michigan's annual football bust held on November 21, 1966, center Joe Dayton was selected to serve as the captain of the 1967 Michigan Wolverines football team.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Postseason
Michigan end Jack Clancy set new Big Ten records with 76 receptions and 1,077 receiving yards. He won numerous postseason awards, including the following:


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Postseason
Defensive back Rick Volk also received multiple postseason awards, including first-team All-American honors from Time and The Sporting News, and first-team All-Big Ten honors from the AP and UPI.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Postseason
Other Michigan players receiving All-Big Ten honors in 1966 were: Jim Detwiler (AP-1, UPI-1); Frank Nunley (AP-1, UPI-1); Dave Fisher (AP-2, UPI-1); Don Bailey (UPI-1); Carl Ward (AP-2, UPI-2); Henry Hanna (AP-2); James Hribal (AP-2); and John Rowser (UPI-2).


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Season summary, Postseason
Six Michigan players were selected to play in postseason all-star games: Jack Clancy, Rick Volk, and Dave Fisher in the East–West Shrine Game; Carl Ward and Don Bailey in the North–South Shrine Game; and Frank Nunley in the Senior Bowl and Blue–Gray Football Classic.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Personnel, Letter winners
The following players received varsity letters for their participation on the 1966 football team.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Personnel, Coaching staff
Michigan's 1966 coaching, training, and support staff included the following persons.


1966 Michigan Wolverines football team, Statistical leaders
Michigan's individual statistical leaders for the 1966 season include those listed below.


1966 Michigan gubernatorial election
The 1966 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1966. Incumbent Republican George W. Romney defeated Democratic nominee Zolton Ferency with 60.54% of the vote.


1966 Milan–San Remo
The 57th running of the Milan–San Remo cycling classic was held on March 20, 1966. The race was won by 20-year old Belgian Eddy Merckx, the first of seven victories of the Cannibal in the monument race.


1966 Milan–San Remo, Summary
After the Turchino, 17 riders were in the breakaway, but they were joined by a large peloton before the Poggio. Raymond Poulidor, looking for a second win, broke clear on the Poggio, but was caught before entering San Remo. A large group rushed to the finish on the Via Roma, with Italian champion Michele Dancelli leading out the sprint. Young Belgian Eddy Merckx, on his way to cycling legend, beat Italian Adriano Durante by centimeters, winning his very first international classic. At 20, he became the youngest winner of the Classicissima ever. According to legend, his mother in Belgium fainted with emotion in front of the television.


1966 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
The 1966 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1966 Big Ten Conference football season. In their 13th year under head coach Murray Warmath, the Golden Gophers compiled a 4–5–1 record and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 160 to 124.


1966 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
Linebacker Tim Wheeler received the team's Most Valuable Player award. Defensive lineman Ron Kamzelski and defensive lineman Bob Stein were named Academic All-Big Ten.


1966 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
Total attendance at five home games was 248,248, an average of 49,600 per game. The largest crowd was against Iowa.


1966 Minnesota Twins season
The 1966 Minnesota Twins finished 89–73, second in the American League. 1,259,374 fans attended Twins games, the second highest total in the American League.


1966 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
In the June 9 game against the Kansas City Athletics, the Twins set a major-league record that still stands, by hitting five home runs in their half of the seventh inning. Only a Sandy Valdespino groundout amidst the onslaught kept them from being consecutive. Rich Rollins homered to drive in two, followed by solo shots by Zoilo Versalles, Tony Oliva, Don Mincher and Harmon Killebrew, with his second of the day.


1966 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
On July 21, in a 1-0 three-hit win over the Washington Senators, pitcher Jim Merritt struck out seven consecutive batters in the middle innings to set an American League record.


1966 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
Against the California Angels on August 18, the Twins turned their first-ever triple play, off a grounder by Frank Malzone. The play went Rich Rollins to César Tovar to Harmon Killebrew to retire the side.


1966 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
Jim Kaat won an AL best 25 games. Kaat became the first pitcher in the history of the American League to win 25 games but not win the Cy Young Award. Kaat also won his fifth Gold Glove. He led the AL in: wins, games started, complete games, innings pitched, batters faced, most hits allowed, fewest walks per nine innings and strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Sporting News named Kaat the AL Pitcher of the Year.


1966 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
Tony Oliva led the AL with 191 hits. Harmon Killebrew again led the team with 39 HR and 110 RBI.


1966 Minnesota Twins season, Regular season
Four Twins made the All-Star Game: first baseman Harmon Killebrew, outfielder Tony Oliva, catcher Earl Battey, and pitcher Jim Kaat.


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


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


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


1966 Minnesota Vikings season
The 1966 season was the Minnesota Vikings' sixth in the National Football League. Sixth-year head coach Norm Van Brocklin resigned at the end of the season, after the team finished with a 4–9–1 record.


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


1966 Minnesota gubernatorial election
The 1966 Minnesota gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1966. Republican Party of Minnesota candidate Harold LeVander defeated Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party challenger Karl Rolvaag.


1966 Minnesota lieutenant gubernatorial election
The 1966 Minnesota lieutenant gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 1966. Republican Party of Minnesota candidate James B. Goetz defeated Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party challenger Robert E. Short.


1966 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team
The 1966 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. After the season, head coach Paul E. Davis was fired, along with athletic director Wade Walker.


1966 Missouri Tigers football team
The 1966 Missouri Tigers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Missouri in the Big Eight Conference (Big 8) during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The team compiled a 6–3–1 record (4–2–1 against Big 8 opponents), finished in a tie for third place in the Big 8, and outscored opponents by a combined total of 121 to 116. Dan Devine was the head coach for the ninth of 13 seasons. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.


1966 Missouri Tigers football team
The team's statistical leaders included Charlie Brown with 576 rushing yards, Gary Kombrink with 433 passing yards and 645 yards of total offense, Chuck Weber with 157 receiving yards, and Bill Bates with 27 points scored.


1966 Missouri Tigers football team, Game summaries, Kansas
The 75th meeting between the two rivals was a defensive struggle that was finally broken in the third quarter. On third-and-seven from their own 46, Earl Denny caught a pass from Gary Kombrink in stride at the Kansas 38 and went in to score.


1966 Mokokchung Town by-election
In 1966, a bye-election was held in for the Mokokchung Town seat of the Legislative Assembly of the Indian state of Nagaland. The by-election was needed because of the death of the sitting MLA, Khelhoshe Sema. The election was won by the Independent candidate A. Longkumer, who won 905 votes, whilst the runner-up got 853 votes.


1966 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1966 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco on 22 May 1966. It was race 1 of 9 in both the 1966 World Championship of Drivers and the 1966 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the first World Championship event of a new era for Formula One, for which engine regulations were altered from 1.5 litres of maximum engine displacement to 3.0 litres. The race was the 24th Monaco Grand Prix.


1966 Monaco Grand Prix
The race was won by British driver Jackie Stewart driving a BRM P261. He took a forty-second victory over the Ferrari 246 of Italian driver Lorenzo Bandini. It was Stewart's second Grand Prix victory after winning the Italian Grand Prix the previous year. Stewart's team-mate, fellow Briton Graham Hill finished a lap down in third position in his BRM P261. The only other driver to be classified as a finisher was American driver Bob Bondurant driving a BRM P261 entered privately by Team Chamaco Collect.


1966 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
The first World Championship race of the new 3-litre engine formula was held in Monaco. Few teams were ready for the new regulations with several teams starting the race with 1965 engines still in place, or had adapted heavier sports car racing engines to suit.


1966 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
Some sessions were filmed for the movie Grand Prix. It was the debut race of the McLaren racing team, and the Repco V8 in the back of Brabham's new 1966 BT19 chassis. The McLaren team debuted not in New Zealand's traditional racing colours of green, black and silver, but instead in white and green in order for Grand Prix director John Frankenheimer to be able to use the McLaren as a double for the fictional Yamura cars in the film.


1966 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
John Surtees, though still recovering from a crash at Mosport Park, led for 14 laps from Jackie Stewart, Jochen Rindt and Denny Hulme until his differential broke, handing the lead to Stewart. Hulme retired whilst Graham Hill and Jim Clark disputed third place before Clark's suspension gave out. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Bandini was smashing the lap record before having to ease off to prevent the front brakes wearing out. Stewart won from Bandini with Graham Hill third and Bob Bondurant fourth the only other car past the line in a race of extreme attrition.


1966 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
New rules meant that cars had to complete 90% of the race distance to be classified and eligible for points, meaning that whilst Guy Ligier and Jo Bonnier were still racing, they were considered far enough behind to have actually retired. To this day, this race holds the record for having the fewest classified finishers in a single race in Formula One history.


1966 Mongolian National Championship
The 1966 Mongolian National Championship was the third recorded edition of the Mongolian National Championship for football, with the first tournament taking place in 1955 and no tournament held the previous year. It would appear however that championships were contested between 1956 and 1963, as sources note that a team called Aldar won the title on numerous occasions during that time. Nonetheless, the 1966 national championship was won by Khudulmur (literally: Labour or Workers and also romanised as Hödölmör), their second title following victory in the 1964 championship.


1966 Mongolian legislative election
Parliamentary elections were held in Mongolia on 26 June 1966. At the time, the country was a one-party state under the rule of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party. The MPRP won 234 of the 287 seats, with the remaining 53 seats going to non-party candidates, who had been chosen by the MPRP due to their social status. Voter turnout was reported to be 100%, with only 14 registered voters failing to cast a ballot.


1966 Montana Grizzlies football team
The 1966 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 1966 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the Big Sky Conference (Big Sky). The Grizzlies were led by third-year head coach Hugh Davidson, played their home games at Dornblaser Field, and finished the season with a record of one win and eight losses (1–8, 0–4 Big Sky).


1966 Montana State Bobcats football team
The 1966 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1966 NCAA College Division football season. In its fourth season under head coach Jim Sweeney, the team compiled an 8–3 record (4–0 against Big Sky opponents) and won the conference championship.


1966 Montreal municipal election
The 1966 Montreal municipal election took place on October 23, 1966, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Mayor Jean Drapeau was re-elected to another four-year term in office with little opposition.


1966 Montreal municipal election, Post-election changes
The municipality of Saint-Michel was annexed into Montreal on October 25, 1968. Elections for Saint-Michel's four wards were held on December 1, 1968.


1966 Montserratian general election
General elections were held in Montserrat in 1966. The result was a victory for the Montserrat Labour Party, which won five of the seven seats in the Legislative Council. MLP leader William Henry Bramble remained Chief Minister.


1966 Montserratian general election, Campaign
A total of 20 candidates contested the elections; the MLP had a full slate of seven candidates, the Montserrat Workers' Progressive Party nominated five, with the remaining eight running as independents.


1966 Mr. Olympia
The 1966 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held in September 1966 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. It was the 2nd Mr. Olympia competition held.


1966 Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
The 1966 Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship was the third staging of the Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Munster Council. The championship, which was open to the champion clubs of 1966, began on 19 March 1967 and ended on 20 August 1967.


1966 Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
On 20 August 1967, Carrick Davins won the championship after a 2-17 to 1-11 defeat of Ballygunner in the final at  Clonmel Sportsfield. It remains their only championship title.


1966 Munster Senior Club Hurling Championship
Mick Roche from the Carrick Davins club was the championship's top scorer with 3-19.


1966 Myers Brothers 250
The 1966 Myers Brothers 250 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on August 27, 1966, at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.


1966 Myers Brothers 250, Background
Bowman Gray Stadium is a NASCAR sanctioned 1⁄4-mile (0.40 km) asphalt flat oval short track and longstanding football stadium located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is one of stock car racing's most legendary venues, and is referred to as "NASCAR's longest-running weekly race track". Bowman Gray Stadium is part of the Winston-Salem Sports and Entertainment Complex and is home of the Winston-Salem State University Rams football team. It was also the home of the Wake Forest University football team from 1956 until Groves Stadium (later BB&T Field) opened in 1968.


1966 Myers Brothers 250, Race report
The race took one hour and twenty-one minutes to complete. Three cautions slowed the race for sixteen laps. Notable speeds for this race were: 45.928 miles per hour (73.914 km/h) as the average speed and 54.348 miles per hour (87.465 km/h) for the pole position speed. Because the paved oval course only spanned 0.250 miles (0.402 km), speeds on this track emulated that of America's Interstate Highway System.


1966 Myers Brothers 250, Race report
Fifteen thousand fans came to see David Pearson defeat Richard Petty by ten seconds. There were 23 American-born drivers and one foreign driver (Don Biederman). Dale Inman was one of three most notable crew chiefs in the race along with Frankie Scott and Bud Hartje.


1966 Myers Brothers 250, Race report
Curtis Turner and Bobby Allison were involved in a crash that got them disqualified from the race in addition to police intervention. However, no charges were laid. The incident started on lap eight of the race and the two drivers would knock and spin each other for approximately ten laps. Both vehicles were eventually tossed out as they came out of a demolition derby. However, Allison and Turner eventually became friends again but this incident would be the most heinous in pre-modern NASCAR history. Turner would eventually die in 1970 from an airplane crash which would also take the life of professional golfer Clarence King.


1966 Myers Brothers 250, Race report
The transition to purpose-built racecars began in the early 1960s and occurred gradually over that decade. Changes made to the sport by the late 1960s brought an end to the "strictly stock" vehicles of the 1950s.


1966 Myers Brothers 250, Finishing order
* Driver failed to finish race † Driver is deceased


1966 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1966 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 29th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. This tournament featured the game with the most points scored. Al Tucker received the MVP award for the second time this year.


1966 NAIA Men's Basketball Tournament, 1966 NAIA bracket, 3rd place game
The third place game featured the losing teams from the national semifinalist to determine 3rd and 4th places in the tournament. This game was played until 1988.


1966 NAIA football season
The 1966 NAIA football season was the eleventh season of college football sponsored by the NAIA.


1966 NAIA football season
The season was played from August to November 1966, culminating in the 1966 NAIA Championship Bowl, played this year on December 10, 1966 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.


1966 NAIA football season
Waynesburg defeated Wisconsin State–Whitewater in the Championship Bowl, 42–21, to win their first NAIA national title.


1966 NASA T-38 crash
The 1966 NASA T-38 crash occurred when a NASA Northrop T-38 Talon crashed at Lambert Field in St. Louis, Missouri, on February 28, 1966, killing two Project Gemini astronauts, Elliot See and Charles Bassett. The aircraft, piloted by See, crashed into the McDonnell Aircraft building where their Gemini 9 spacecraft was being assembled. The weather was poor with rain, snow, fog, and low clouds. A NASA panel, headed by the Chief of the Astronaut Office, Alan Shepard, investigated the crash. While the panel considered possible medical issues or aircraft maintenance problems, in addition to the weather and air traffic control factors, the end verdict was that the crash was caused by pilot error.


1966 NASA T-38 crash
In the aftermath of the crash, the backup crew of Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan were moved up to the primary position for the Gemini 9 mission, scheduled for early June. Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin, who had formerly been the backup for Gemini 10, became the mission's backup crew, and through the normal rotation were assigned as prime crew for Gemini 12. Without the Gemini experience, it is unlikely that Aldrin would have been assigned to the Apollo 11 mission, during which he became the second man to walk on the Moon.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Accident
See and Bassett were the prime crew assigned to the Gemini 9 mission. They and the backup crew for the mission, Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan, were flying to St. Louis from their normal training base in Houston, Texas, for two weeks of simulator training for rendezvous and docking procedures at McDonnell Aircraft, the prime contractor for the Gemini spacecraft. It was a routine flight that they had made many times previously.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Accident
See and Bassett flew in one Northrop T-38A Talon jet trainer, tail number NASA 901 (Air Force serial number 63-8181), with See at the controls and Bassett in the rear seat. A second T-38, NASA 907, carried Stafford and Cernan in the same configuration. The two aircraft took off from Ellington Air Force Base in Texas at 7:35 a.m. CST, with See in the lead and Stafford in wing position.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Accident
Weather at Lambert Field in St. Louis was poor, with rain, snow, and fog, broken clouds at 800 feet (240 m) and a cloud ceiling of 1,500 feet (460 m), requiring an instrument approach. When the two aircraft emerged below the clouds shortly before 9 am, both pilots realized that they had missed the outer marker and overshot the runway.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Accident
See then elected to perform a visual circling approach, a simplified landing procedure allowing flight under instrument rules, as long as the pilot can keep the airfield and any preceding aircraft in sight. The reported weather conditions at the airport were adequate for this type of approach, but visibility was irregular and deteriorating rapidly. Stafford began to follow See's plane, but when he lost sight of it in the clouds, he instead followed the standard procedure for a missed approach and pulled his aircraft up, back into the clouds for another attempt at an instrument landing.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Accident
See completed a full circle to the left at an altitude of 500 to 600 feet (150 to 180 m), and announced his intention to land on the southwest runway (24). With landing gear down and full flaps, the plane dropped quickly but too far left of the runway. See turned on his afterburner to increase power while pulling up and turning hard right. Seconds later, at 8:58 a.m. CST, the plane struck the roof of McDonnell Building 101 on the northeast side of the airport. It lost its right wing and landing gear on impact, then cartwheeled and crashed in a parking lot beyond the building which was in use as a construction staging area.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Accident
Both astronauts died instantly from trauma sustained in the crash. See was thrown clear of the cockpit and was found in the parking lot still strapped to his ejection seat with the parachute partially open. Bassett was decapitated on impact; his severed head was found later in the day in the rafters of the damaged assembly building.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Accident
Inside Building 101, 17 McDonnell employees and contractors received mostly minor injuries from falling debris. The crash set off several small fires inside the building, and caused minor flooding from broken pipes and sprinklers. See and Bassett died within 500 feet (150 m) of the spacecraft that they were to have flown in orbit, which was in the final stages of assembly in another part of Building 101. Spacecraft S/C9 was undamaged, but a piece of debris from the T-38's wing struck the unfinished S/C10 spacecraft.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Accident
Stafford and Cernan, still circling in the clouds in the second T-38, had no idea what had happened to their flight partners. Air traffic controllers were confused by the two planes in flight attempting different abort actions after the initial missed approach, and no one on the ground knew who was in the crashed plane. After some delay, Stafford and Cernan were asked to identify themselves and given permission to land, but they were not informed of the crash until on the ground. Although personally distraught over the loss of his close colleagues and friends, Stafford acted as NASA's chief contact on the scene until other personnel arrived to relieve him later in the day.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Investigation and aftermath
NASA immediately appointed a seven-member panel to investigate the crash, headed by their Chief of the Astronaut Office, Alan Shepard. While the panel weighed possible medical issues, aircraft maintenance problems, weather conditions, and air traffic control factors, their end verdict was pilot error, citing See's inability "to maintain visual reference for a landing" as the primary cause of the crash. See was described as a "cautious and conservative" pilot in the accident report. In his memoir, chief astronaut Deke Slayton was less diplomatic, calling See's piloting skills "old-womanish." Others, including Neil Armstrong, who had worked with See on the backup crew for Gemini 5, have since defended See's piloting ability.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Investigation and aftermath
Since the crash did not affect space flight operations and the spacecraft itself was undamaged—it was shipped to NASA two days after the crash—the accident caused neither delays nor engineering changes in the U.S. space program.


1966 NASA T-38 crash, Investigation and aftermath
However, the loss of the Gemini 9 crew did cause NASA to reshuffle the crew assignments for subsequent Gemini and Apollo missions; Stafford and Cernan were moved up to the primary position for Gemini 9, re-designated Gemini 9A. Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin, who had formerly been the backup for Gemini 10, became the back-up crew for Gemini 9A, and through the normal rotation were then assigned as prime crew for Gemini 12. Without experience during the Gemini mission, Buzz Aldrin would have been an unlikely choice for the Apollo 11 mission, during which he became the second man to walk on the Moon.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series
The 1966 NASCAR Grand National Series evolved into the first of three NASCAR Grand National championships for David Pearson, whose 15 wins through the season was second only to Tim Flock's 18 victories in 1955 at that time. NASCAR allowed the return of the Chrysler Hemi engine in 1966, and at the same time Ford decided to boycott NASCAR for the season. The season marked series first visit to the state of Maine. Pearson captured the championship with 35,638 points over second place James Hylton who finished the season with no wins, but 33,638 points for his consistency and efforts.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Season recap
The 1966 NASCAR season was affected by Ford's withdrawal of financial support from the series (though teams continued to race Fords), and NASCAR allowing Chrysler drivers to run the Hemi engine. While Ford's departure had the effect of lowering attendance, the strong Hemi engine coupled with reduced competition meant that Chrysler drivers were particularly successful during the season.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Season recap
David Pearson in his Dodges took a total of 15 victories, Richard Petty in his Plymouth captured another 8, and Paul Goldsmith, Jim Paschal, Earl Balmer, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Jim Hurtubise, Marvin Panch, Paul Lewis, and Sam McQuagg all reached pole position in MoPar powered equipment. By the end of the 1966 NASCAR season, Chrysler vehicles drove to victory lane a total of 34 times in 49 events, after winning only six races in the 1965 season.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Season recap
Pearson, nicknamed "The Silver Fox", won his 15 events in 42 starts that season with a total of 35,638 points over second place Hylton (33,688 points), and 1964 season champion Richard Petty (22,952 points). While newcomer Hylton was unable to win an event in 1966, his 20 top five finishes, and 32 top ten finishes earned him not only second place in the point standings, but NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors as well. When the season was concluded Ford won the "NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship" with 1,047 points over Plymouth (633 points) and third place Dodge (632 points).


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Season recap
Mid -size cars would first be implemented for this NASCAR Grand National Cup Series season. Ten years later, the rising price of gas for passenger vehicles caused all car classes to shrink. Automakers moved previously "full-size" nameplates to smaller platforms.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
The 1966 NASCAR season opened at Augusta Speedway on November 14, 1965, with Richard Petty winning the season opening event in a 1965 Plymouth. NASCAR then ventured to Riverside International Raceway where Dan Gurney took the checkered flag in a 1965 Ford. After the January 23rd Riverside event, the drivers and teams traveled to Daytona International Speedway in Florida for the 1966 Daytona 500. Paul Goldsmith and Early Balmer took the qualifying events, while Richard Petty notched his first and only Daytona 500 pole position.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
Petty came from two laps down during the competition to win by more than a full lap when the race was halted 2 laps shy of scheduled 500-mile (800 km) event due to thunderstorms. In March Paul Goldsmith won at Rockingham Speedway, Dick Hutcherson at Bristol, and Jim Hurtubise captured the checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hutcherson's victory at Bristol was by more than 4 laps over the closest competitor, Paul Lewis, when crashes and attrition left only seven cars of the 38 starters running at the end of the Southeastern 500 (now known as Food City 500).


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
On April 3, Pearson finally found his way to victory lane in the first of four consecutive victories at Hickory Motor Speedway. He followed up with wins at Columbia Speedway, Greenville, and Winston-Salem, before Jim Paschal broke his streak at North Wilksboro and repeated at Martinsville Speedway. On May 7, Richard Petty started a string of three consecutive wins at Darlington Raceway, Hampton, and Macon. After Ford's announcement of their boycott of NASCAR on April 7, only 2.500 fans attend the May 13th event in which Darel Dieringer captures the win at Monroe in a 125-mile (201 km) contest.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
Even though Ford had withdrawn their financial support from NASCAR in April, the series opened June at Spartanburg, S.C. with a resounding domination of the event by Ford vehicles. The Fords led every lap of the 100-mile (160 km) event, and Elmo Langley found victory lane at the .5-mile (0.80 km) venue when promoters refused to allow the Chrysler cars to run; because of the Ford boycott. Pearson then won a 100-mile (160 km) event at Maryville, followed by another Petty victory at Weaverville. Tiny Lund broke into the winners circle at Beltsville, and Pearson notched another checkered flag at the Greenville in his 1964 Dodge to close out the month of June.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
On July 4, 1966 the fans, drivers, and teams returned to Daytona for the Firecracker 400 (now Coke Zero 400), and second year driver Sam McQuagg drove his Dodge 400-mile (640 km) to capture his first NASCAR win. McQuaggs Dodge Charger was equipped with an aluminum strip attached to the decklid of his car, and the rear spoiler makes its debut in NASCAR racing. The following weekend NASCAR legend Bobby Allison drives 100-mile (160 km) to victory lane in Oxford, Maine. The win is Allison's first major NASCAR win, and Cheverolet's first visit to victory circle since October 13, 1963. Pearson grabbed another win the following week at Fonda Speedway in New York, and Allison captured a second win at Islip NY. Paul Goldsmith and Paul Lewis garnered wins at Bristol and Maryville respectively, and Richard Petty closed out the month of July with a win at Nashville.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
NASCAR started the month of August at the Atlanta International Raceway, but not without controversy. David Pearson was disqualified from the Dixie 400 prior to the start of the race; with the explication that his Dodge was illegal. Fred Lorenzen was allowed to run, even though it was determined that some of the aerodynamic enhancements made to his Junior Johnson Ford were not approved. NASCAR Bill France admitted that the "rules were bent" in order to lure Ford back to competition.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
Petty won the event over second-place finisher Buddy Baker, with Wendell Scott taking the seventh-place finish and the highest for the Ford drivers in the 400-mile (640 km) event at the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) paved venue in Atlanta. Pearson returned to the track, and victory lane for the twelfth time in 1966 at the next event on August 18 at Columbia; an event that witnessed driver Curtis Turner finish third while wearing a three-piece business suit as a promotion for his sponsor Holly Farms. Turner said they: "wanted me to wear a suit, but they didn't specify what kind. So I wore my best." Darel Dieringer won the next event at Weaverville in his 1966 Mercury, followed by another win by Allison at Beltsville. Pearson got another victory to finish off the month of August at Winston-Salem.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
The first event of September was held at Darlington, and Darel Dieringer roped in the victory in his 1966 Mercury. Pearson gathered up another two wins at Hickory and Richmond in the following events, followed by Hutcherson's win at Hillsboro on the 18th. The last September event was held at Martinsville, and the record books show that Lorenzen won the event. The Martinsville race was noteworthy in its final outcome, due to a controversy once again. Originally Lorenzen was declared the winner; but, he was disqualified for having a fuel tank larger than the rules permitted. Three days after the event, NASCAR restored Lorenzen's victory with the justification that the fuel tank was purchased from Firestone, and thus within the spirit of the rules.


1966 NASCAR Grand National Series, Race summaries
The final three events of the 1966 NASCAR season held in October were won by Dick Hutcherson, LeeRoy Yarbrough, and Fred Lorenzen winning the season finale. Hutcherson won at North Wilkesboro, Yarbrough at Charlotte, and Lorenzen took the final victory at Rockingham. The 500-mile (800 km) Rockingham event was filled with popular drivers, and proved to be the final race for 2 legends of the sport. Both Ned Jarrett, and Junior Johnson made their final appearances as drivers at the event. Jarrett finished third, and Johnson came home in a respectful fifth-place finish on October 30, 1966.


1966 NBA All-Star Game
The 16th National Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on January 11, 1966, at Cincinnati Gardens in Cincinnati, Ohio. The coaches were Red Auerbach for the East, and  Fred Schaus for the West. Much of the game would focus around the local team's three named All-Stars. Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson had been named the event's MVP in 1964, and Cincinnati's Jerry Lucas had been named MVP in 1965. At game time, the East Division's top three teams, Boston, Philadelphia and Cincinnati, had the three best records in the league, with New York trailing far behind.


1966 NBA All-Star Game
This led East Coach Red Auerbach to name Cincinnati's Adrian Smith as a reserve and not New York's sharpshooting Dick Barnett, a source of some controversy at the time. The home crowd rallied behind Smith as he emerged as the game's star. It was Smith's only All-Star appearance, and he remains to-date the only one-time NBA All-Star ever named the event's MVP. The overmatched West suffered not just from poor shooting, but also from losing key All-Star Jerry West to an eye injury in the first quarter. The game was nationally televised, with an attendance of 13,653.


1966 NBA Finals
The 1966 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1966 NBA Playoffs, which concluded the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 1965–66 season. The Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics faced the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers in a best-of-seven series that the Celtics won 4 games to 3. For the Celtics this was their tenth straight finals appearance, which tied a North American professional sports record set by the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens from 1951 to 1960, and the National Football League's Cleveland Browns from 1946 to 1955.


1966 NBA Finals
Thus Boston won its eighth consecutive league title, which no other team has achieved in North American professional sports competition. Before Game 2, after the Los Angeles Lakers' comeback overtime win in Game 1, Red Auerbach, who had challenged the entire league to topple the Celtics from their reign by announcing he would retire after 1965–1966 before the season had started (thus giving his detractors "one last shot" at him), announced Bill Russell as the Celtics' coach for 1966–1967 and beyond. He would be the first African-American to coach in the NBA.


1966 NBA Finals
Laker coach Fred Schaus privately fumed that Auerbach's hiring had taken away all of the accolades his Lakers should have received following their tremendous Game 1 win. The Celtics won the next three games and looked ready to close out L.A. in Game 5. However, the Lakers won the next two games, setting the stage for another classic Game 7 in the Boston Garden. The Celtics raced out to a huge lead, and held off a late Los Angeles rally to capture the NBA title and send Red Auerbach out a champion.


1966 NBA Finals
This was the last NBA championship series until 2016 in which a team trailing 3 games to 1 rallied to force a Game 7.


1966 NBA draft
The 1966 NBA draft was the 20th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on May 11 and 12, 1966 before the 1966–67 season. In this draft, ten NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college eligibility was eligible for selection. If a player left college early, he would not be eligible for selection until his college class graduated. The first two picks in the draft belonged to the teams that finished last in each division, with the order determined by a coin flip.


1966 NBA draft
The New York Knicks won the coin flip and were awarded the first overall pick, while the Detroit Pistons were awarded the second pick. This draft was the first to use the coin flip method, which replace the territorial pick rule. The remaining first-round picks and the subsequent rounds were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss record in the previous season. An expansion franchise, the Chicago Bulls, took part in the NBA Draft for the first time and were assigned the last pick of each round. The draft consisted of 19 rounds comprising 112 players selected.


1966 NBA draft
Beginning in 1966, the territorial selection allowed in previous drafts was eliminated (i.e. the "modern draft" era).


1966 NBA draft, Draft selections and draftee career notes
Cazzie Russell from the University of Michigan was selected first overall by the New York Knicks. Dave Bing from Syracuse University, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year Award in his first season, was drafted second by the Detroit Pistons. He was named in the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list announced at the league's 50th anniversary in 1996 and has also been inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was selected to three All-NBA Teams and seven All-Star Games. He became a politician after ending his playing career and won the election to become the mayor of Detroit in 2009.


1966 NBA draft, Draft selections and draftee career notes
Russell won the NBA championship with the New York Knicks 1970. He later was named to the All-Star Game in 1972. Lou Hudson, the 4th pick, and Archie Clark, the 37th pick, have also been selected to both All-NBA Team and All-Star Game. Hudson was selected to six All-Star Games and one All-NBA Team while Clark was selected to two All-Star Games and one All-NBA Team. Three other players from this draft, 3rd pick Clyde Lee, 5th pick Jack Marin and 27th pick John Block, have also been selected to at least one All-Star Game.


1966 NBA draft, Draft selections and draftee career notes
Matt Guokas, the 9th pick, won the NBA championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in his rookie season. He and his father, Matt Guokas, Sr., became the first father and son duo to win the NBA championships. Matt Guokas, Sr. won the inaugural championship with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1947. The younger Guokas became a head coach after ending his playing career. He coached the 76ers for three seasons and the Orlando Magic for four seasons. John Wetzel, the 75th pick, also became a head coach; he coached the Phoenix Suns for one season.


1966 NBA draft, Other picks
The following list includes other draft picks who have appeared in at least one NBA game.


1966 NBA expansion draft
The 1966 NBA Expansion Draft was the second expansion draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held from April 30 to May 1, 1966, so that the newly founded Chicago Bulls could acquire players for the upcoming 1966–67 season. Chicago had been awarded the expansion team on January 16, 1966. The Bulls were the third NBA franchise to play in Chicago, following the Chicago Stags, which folded in 1950, and the Chicago Packers–Zephyrs, which moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Bullets in 1963.


1966 NBA expansion draft
In an NBA expansion draft, new NBA teams are allowed to acquire players from the previously established teams in the league. Not all players on a given team are available during an expansion draft, since each team can protect a certain number of players from being selected. Before the 1966 expansion draft, the Bulls' general manager, Dick Klein, asked that each team reduce the number of protected players from eight (as initially planned) to seven. In exchange, he agreed to pick last (instead of first) in each round of that year's college draft. He also promised Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics that he would not draft Boston's K. C. Jones, as long as Auerbach met with him to share his opinions of other players throughout the NBA.


1966 NBA expansion draft
The Bulls selected eighteen unprotected players, two from each of the nine other NBA teams. On the first day of the draft, they selected players from the Eastern Division teams; on the second day, they picked from the Western Division teams. The Bulls' selections included former first overall pick Bob Boozer, three-time All-Star Johnny Kerr and one-time All-Star Len Chappell. Kerr retired from playing prior to the start of the season, and was later named the franchise's first head coach. Another expansion draft pick, Al Bianchi, also retired as a player and was later named the team's assistant coach.


1966 NBA expansion draft
Dick Klein had been planning to hire Kerr and Bianchi as coaches before the draft even took place, but because they were still under playing contracts with other teams, Klein needed to draft them instead of hiring them outright. Ten players from the expansion draft joined the Bulls for their inaugural season, but only six played more than one season for the team. Guy Rodgers—whom the Bulls acquired in exchange for Jim King and Jeff Mullins—and Jerry Sloan were named to the 1967 All-Star Game, becoming the franchise's first All-Stars.


1966 NBA expansion draft
Sloan played ten seasons with the Bulls and became the Bulls' franchise leader in games played when he retired in 1976, a record which has since been broken by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. He then coached the Bulls from 1979 to 1982, and in 1988, embarked upon a coaching career with the Utah Jazz that lasted 23 years. Sloan has since been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, as has fellow draftee John Thompson. The latter never worked for the Bulls in any capacity, but found success as a coach at Georgetown University.


1966 NBA playoffs
The 1966 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1965–66 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.


1966 NBA playoffs
The Celtics won their eighth consecutive NBA title and ninth overall, defeating the Lakers in the Finals for a fifth straight time.


1966 NBA playoffs
This was the last NBA playoffs under the "top team in each division gets a first-round bye" format established in 1955, although teams receiving a bye would be reused in 1975, and strictly for division winners from 1977–1983 (albeit in a four-round playoff format). the 1967 NBA playoffs featured an eight-team tournament with no first-round byes.


1966 NBA playoffs, Bracket
* Division winnerBold Series winnerItalic Team with home-court advantage in NBA Finals


1966 NBA playoffs, Division Semifinals, Eastern Division Semifinals, (2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Cincinnati Royals
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning both prior meetings.


1966 NBA playoffs, Division Semifinals, Western Division Semifinals, (2) Baltimore Bullets vs. (3) St. Louis Hawks
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bullets winning the first meeting.


1966 NBA playoffs, Division Finals, Eastern Division Finals, (1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) Boston Celtics
This was the 10th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning five of the first nine meetings.


1966 NBA playoffs, Division Finals, Western Division Finals, (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (3) St. Louis Hawks
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Hawks winning five of the first seven meetings.


1966 NBA playoffs, NBA Finals: (E2) Boston Celtics vs. (W1) Los Angeles Lakers
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first four meetings.


1966 NC State Wolfpack football team
The 1966 NC State Wolfpack football team represented North Carolina State University during the 1966 NCAA University Division football season. The Wolfpack were led by 13th-year head coach Earle Edwards and played their home games at the newly-constructed Carter Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. They competed as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, finishing in second.


1966 NCAA College Division Basketball Tournament
The 1966 NCAA College Division Basketball Tournament involved 36 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA College Division basketball as a culmination of the 1965–66 NCAA College Division men's basketball season. It was won by Kentucky Wesleyan College, with Kentucky Wesleyan's Sam Smith named Most Outstanding Player.


1966 NCAA College Division Basketball Tournament, Regionals, Midwest - Grand Forks, North Dakota
Note: The first-round game between North Dakota and Colorado State College was delayed a day to March 6th; the Valparaiso/Saint Procopius game was played in Moorhead, Minnesota on March 5th; and the third-place game was cancelled entirely. These occurrences were due to inclement weather.


1966 NCAA College Division football rankings
The 1966 NCAA College Division football rankings are from the United Press International poll of College Division head coaches and from the Associated Press. The 1966 NCAA College Division football season was the ninth year UPI published a Coaches Poll in what was termed the "Small College" division. It was the seventh year for the AP version of the poll.


1966 NCAA College Division football rankings
The UPI poll only included Win/Loss records for the Top 10 in the weekly rankings. In the AP poll, the Win/Loss records were not published except in the Final poll. However, the Win/Loss records are provided in the AP poll section if the UPI also ranked the team.


1966 NCAA College Division football season
The 1966 NCAA College Division football season was the 11th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the NCAA College Division level.


1966 NCAA College Division football season, Rankings
College Division teams (also referred to as "small college") were ranked in polls by the AP (a panel of writers) and by UPI (coaches). The national champion(s) for each season were determined by the final poll rankings, published at or near the end of the regular season, before any bowl games were played.


1966 NCAA College Division football season, Rankings, College Division final polls
In 1966, both services ranked San Diego State (10–0) at the top, with Montana State (8–2) ranked second by UPI and third by the AP, led by quarterbacks Don Horn and Dennis Erickson, respectively. They later met in the Camellia Bowl in Sacramento, California, with San Diego State prevailing, 28–7.


1966 NCAA College Division football season, Bowl games
The postseason consisted of four bowls as regional finals, played on December 10.


1966 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
The 1966 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships were contested March 11−12, 1966 at the Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan at the second annual NCAA-sanctioned track meet to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate University Division indoor track and field events in the United States.


1966 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships
Kansas topped the team standings, finishing one point ahead of USC. It was the Jayhawks' first title in program history.


1966 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Qualification
Unlike other NCAA-sponsored sports, there were not separate University Division and College Division championships for indoor track and field until 1985. As such, all athletes and teams from University and College Division programs were eligible to compete.


1966 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
The consensus 1966 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, the USBWA, The United Press International and the National Association of Basketball Coaches.


1966 NCAA Skiing Championships
The 1966 NCAA Skiing Championships were contested at the Crested Butte ski area in Created Butte, Colorado at the thirteenth annual NCAA-sanctioned ski tournament to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate alpine, cross country skiing, and ski jumping in the United States.


1966 NCAA Skiing Championships
Denver, coached by Willy Schaeffler, captured their tenth, and sixth consecutive, national championship, edging out locals Western State in the team standings. The Pioneers' sole individual win was by Terje Øverland in downhill.


1966 NCAA Skiing Championships
Repeat individual champions were Mike Elliott of Fort Lewis in cross country, and Western State's Loris Werner (skimeister). Bill Marolt of Colorado won the slalom and alpine titles to add to his two previous in downhill (1963, 1965). Utah's Frithjof Prydz regained the jumping crown he won two years earlier and added the nordic.


1966 NCAA Skiing Championships, Venue
This year's championships were held March 3–5 in Colorado at Crested Butte, north of Gunnison.


1966 NCAA Skiing Championships, Venue
The thirteenth edition, these were the third championships in Colorado and the first at Crested Butte; Winter Park hosted in 1956 and 1959.


1966 NCAA Soccer Tournament
The 1966 NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament was the eighth organized men's college soccer tournament by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, to determine the top college soccer team in the United States. The San Francisco Dons won their first title, defeating the Long Island Blackbirds, 5–2, in the final on December 3, 1966. This tournament returned to a field of 16 teams. The tournament final was played in Berkeley, California. The most outstanding offensive player of the tournament was Sandor Hites of San Francisco.


1966 NCAA University Division Baseball Tournament
The 1966 NCAA University Division Baseball Tournament was played at the end of the 1966 NCAA University Division baseball season to determine the national champion of college baseball. The tournament concluded with eight teams competing in the College World Series, a double-elimination tournament in its twentieth year. Eight regional districts sent representatives to the College World Series with preliminary rounds within each district serving to determine each representative. These events would later become known as regionals.


1966 NCAA University Division Baseball Tournament
Each district had its own format for selecting teams, resulting in 28 teams participating in the tournament at the conclusion of their regular season, and in some cases, after a conference tournament. The twentieth tournament's champion was Ohio State, coached by Marty Karow. The Most Outstanding Player was Steve Arlin of Ohio State.


1966 NCAA University Division Baseball Tournament, Tournament
The opening rounds of the tournament were played across eight district sites across the country, each consisting of between two and four teams. The winners of each District advanced to the College World Series.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game
The 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game was the final of the 1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament and determined the national champion in the 1965–66 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The game was held on March 19, 1966 at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland. The Kentucky Wildcats, the number one ranked team in men's college basketball, faced the Texas Western Miners, who were ranked third in the nation. Texas Western's starting lineup of five African Americans was the first all-black lineup in an NCAA title game; their opponents, by contrast, fielded an all-white squad. The Miners won 72–65, claiming the school's first national championship in men's college basketball. Their victory challenged assumptions widely held about black players at the time, and major college programs intensified their recruiting efforts towards African-American players in the years following the game.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Background, Kentucky
The Wildcats, coached by Adolph Rupp, began the 1965–66 season with an 83–55 win over Hardin–Simmons University on December 1, 1965. In road games at Virginia and Illinois, Kentucky prevailed by 26 and 18 points respectively. Wins in three games at home gave the Wildcats a 6–0 win–loss record, and the team was selected at number ten in the AP Poll, having previously been unranked. After three more victories by margins of 10 points or more, the Wildcats began play in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) on January 8, 1966, at Florida.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Background, Kentucky
Kentucky won 78–64, before a contest in Georgia that required two overtime periods. The Wildcats, by this time up to second in the national rankings, managed a four-point victory. The team reached number one in the AP Poll in the February 8 rankings, and Kentucky's undefeated streak continued into early March. In the Wildcats' next-to-last regular season game, Tennessee handed them their first loss, by a score of 69–62. With a 103–74 win over Tulane, Kentucky completed the regular season with a record of 24–1 (15–1 in conference play), and had the top ranking in the AP Poll.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Background, Kentucky
Forward Pat Riley was the team's leading scorer; including postseason play, he averaged 21.9 points per game, and his 8.9 rebounds per game also led the club. Guard Louie Dampier had a 21.1 point-per-game average and played the most minutes of anyone on the Wildcats' roster. Larry Conley led Kentucky in assists.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Background, Kentucky
Kentucky received an invitation to the NCAA Tournament and was placed in the Mideast region. The team did not play in the first round; its first appearance in the tournament came in the regional semifinals against Dayton. With an 86–79 victory, the Wildcats moved on to the regional final. Playing against Michigan, Kentucky reached the Final Four with a second straight seven-point win. The Wildcats' opponent in the Final Four was Duke, the champion of the East region. The Blue Devils held a one-point lead at halftime, but the Wildcats earned an 83–79 victory. Dampier led Kentucky with 23 points, while Riley added 19.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Background, Texas Western
Coached by Don Haskins, the Miners' first game was on December 4, 1965, against Eastern New Mexico. Texas Western won by an 89–38 score, and added eight victories over the next 25 days. On December 30, the Miners faced Iowa, the fourth-ranked team in the country at the time. An 86–68 win, along with a nine-point victory over Tulsa, saw the Miners enter the January 4 rankings at number nine. Texas Western won three more games in January by double-digit margins. After defeating New Mexico State on February 1, the Miners played at Colorado State, prevailing by two points.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Background, Texas Western
An 81–72 win over Arizona moved the Miners to 17–0 for the season, and five further victories left them undefeated entering March. Their winning streak reached 23 games, with a second win against New Mexico State. In their last regular season game, the Miners suffered their first loss, against Seattle, 74–72, leaving them at 23–1. The team ended the regular season third in the AP Poll, having reached a peak position of second. Bobby Joe Hill had a team-high 15.0 points per game, while Dave Lattin had an average of 14.0 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game. Orsten Artis and Nevil Shed also averaged more than 10.0 points per game, and Harry Flournoy led the Miners with 10.7 rebounds per game. In contrast to Kentucky, who sportswriter Michael Wilbon later called "as white as milk", the Miners' entire starting lineup consisted of African-Americans.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Background, Texas Western
Texas Western was placed in the Midwest region in the NCAA Tournament. Unlike the Wildcats, the Miners played in the first round of the tournament, defeating Oklahoma City by 15 points. The Miners then faced Cincinnati in a contest that went into overtime; they emerged with a 78–76 win and a berth in the regional final against Kansas. Texas Western was stretched into double overtime, but they earned an 81–80 victory and a Final Four appearance. The Miners won by seven points against Utah to reach the national championship game, overcoming a 38-point effort by the Utes' Jerry Chambers. Artis led the Miners in scoring with 22 points; Hill had 18 points, and Willie Worsley added 12.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
The game took place on March 19 at Cole Field House, on the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park, in front of an announced crowd of 14,253 fans. It was preceded by a third-place contest between the losing teams in the Final Four, Duke and Utah; the Blue Devils won 79–77. The championship game, which started at 10 p.m., was not broadcast on a major American station, instead airing on tape delay in certain cities. Sports Network Incorporated handled the original broadcast, and the full-length telecast appeared on ESPN in 2016.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
The Miners fielded an all-black starting lineup for the championship game, becoming the first team ever to do so in an NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament final. Haskins motivated his team by telling them about a promise made by Rupp that his white Kentucky team would not be defeated by an all-African-American lineup. The rotation employed by Haskins in the final consisted exclusively of black players, with two African-American bench players used along with the five starters. Haskins said of his roster choices that he had "played [his] best players, who happened to be black."


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
Riley won the opening tip for Kentucky, but the referee ruled that he had illegally jumped too early and awarded possession to Texas Western. On the Wildcats' first possession, Lattin committed a foul on Riley while trying to block his shot. Twice in the early stages of the game, Lattin scored on slam dunks; this came after Haskins had told him to dunk as early as possible, in an attempt to "send a message" to Kentucky.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
Defensively, the Wildcats utilized a 1–3–1 zone; in response to their move, Haskins opted to start three guards in the Miners' lineup, as Worsley joined Hill and Artis. The teams were tied at 9–9 before a Miners free throw which put them in front. Hill had steals on two straight Wildcats possessions around midway through the first half, and scored following each turnover. The sequence gave the Miners a larger lead, and was described by writer Frank Deford as a turning point in the game. The second dunk by Lattin followed, which gave the Miners a 16–11 advantage.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
Writer Curry Kirkpatrick described the game as "slow, tedious, [and] almost flat." Future college basketball coach Gary Williams, who was in attendance, later complimented the Miners' ball movement, recalling that "There were possessions where Texas Western passed it 10 times before taking a shot. At halftime, Texas Western led by three points, 34–31.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
Kentucky rallied to within a point of Texas Western in the opening three minutes of the second half, but could not catch them even when they had three shots in a row to achieve a tie. Behind scores by Artis and Hill, the Miners recorded six consecutive points to extend their lead. Texas Western maintained their lead with effective free throw shooting; over a 37-minute period, the Miners attempted 27 free throws, making all but one.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Game summary
Texas Western ultimately took a nine-point advantage and was able to control the pace; Gordon S. White Jr. of The New York Times wrote that their margin was "safe enough for the fancy ball-handlers to slow the game during the last three minutes. Dribbles by Cager took the final few seconds off of the clock, as the Miners won 72–65 to earn the NCAA University Division title. It was the school's first men's college basketball championship, and remains their only one as of the 2019-20 season. Texas Western was the first school from Texas to win a men's national championship, and remained the only one until Baylor in 2021.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Statistical summary
Hill was the game's leading scorer with 20 points, on 7-of-17 shooting. Lattin added 16 points for the Miners, while Artis had 15 points; both players were perfect on free throws, as Lattin made all of his six attempts and Artis converted five. Lattin recorded nine rebounds on the night, while Artis had eight and Willie Cager contributed six. For the Wildcats, Riley and Dampier each tallied 19 points. Conley, with 10 points, was the only other Kentucky player to record double-digit points on the night. Dampier matched Lattin's total of nine rebounds, and Conley and Tommy Kron had eight and seven respectively.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Statistical summary
Texas Western converted 22 of their 49 field goal attempts, for a 44.9% total. The team made more than 80% of their free throws, missing only six of 34 attempts. Kentucky's shooters were held to 38.6% shooting in the game, making 27 of 70 field goals. The Wildcats were successful on all but two of their free throws, but they had 21 fewer attempts than the Miners. Kentucky committed nearly twice as many fouls (23) as Texas Western, who had 12 fouls called against them. Two Kentucky players – Conley and Thad Jaracz – fouled out of the game, while two others ended the contest with four fouls. Texas Western had a 35–33 rebounding advantage for the game.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Aftermath
The 1966 NCAA University Division Championship Game is primarily remembered for Texas Western's victory with its entirely African-American starting lineup, which challenged stereotypes of the era. At the time, it was commonly believed that teams with all-black lineups would not play with self-control; Perry Wallace, the first black basketball player to compete in the SEC, said, "There was a certain style of play whites expected from blacks." Before the game, the Miners were portrayed in the media as a team with weak defending and an up-tempo offense, when their actual playing style was vastly different.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Aftermath
Worsely said that "We were more white-oriented than any of the other teams in the Final Four," in terms of playing with discipline. After leading Texas Western to the championship, Haskins received many racist letters, along with some claiming that he was exploiting black players. According to Haskins, death threats were made against the Miners before a game against SMU the following season.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Aftermath
The 1966–67 Wildcats finished with a 13–13 record, following a back injury suffered by Riley in the offseason that limited his effectiveness. A victory over Alabama in the last game of the season was required to prevent Rupp from having more losses than wins for the first time. Rupp coached Kentucky for five more seasons, through 1971–72. His teams made the NCAA Tournament in each of the five seasons, but were unable to reach the Final Four. Texas Western entered 1966–67 ranked second in the country, and remained in the top 10 throughout the season.


1966 NCAA University Division Basketball Championship Game, Aftermath
The Miners were defeated by Pacific in their second NCAA Tournament game and finished at 22–6. That year, the school was renamed to the University of Texas at El Paso, its current name. It took three seasons for UTEP to return to the NCAA Tournament; Haskins coached the Miners through the 1998–99 season.