See also: 1869 in sports, other events of 1870, 1871 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

Boat race

• Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race - Cambridge

Births

• January 16 – Willie Simms, Hall of Fame jockey (d. 1927)
• July 29 - George Dixon, the first black world boxing champion (d. 1909)

Deaths