Over recent decades, the oxygen-deficient zones (ODZs) of the ocean have expanded, affecting marine ecosystems. However, their response to future global warming is poorly understood. In this study, we investigate Cenozoic ODZs dynamics extending back to 60 million years ago (60 Ma) with a special focus on two periods of sustained global warming: the Middle Miocene and Early Eocene climate optima (MMCO, ca. 16 Ma and EECO, ca 52 Ma). The data series include new species-specific, genus-specific and mixed-taxa foraminifera-bound nitrogen isotope (FB-δ15N) and N content data from sediment cores in the Pacific (ODP 872) and Atlantic (DSDP 516). The new FB-δ15N data combined with existing data from Kast et al., 2019 (doi: 10.1126/science.aau5784) are used to reconstruct the history of ODZ hosted water column denitrification across the Cenozoic. To better understand the connection between denitrification change and climate, we compare the nitrogen isotope data with new TEX86-derived sea surface temperature (SST) data from high latitudes (ODP 704), middle latitudes (DSDP/ODP 516, 588, 754, 1146, 1263) and low latitudes (ODP 667,730) in combination with a global Cenozoic TEX86-derived SST compilation of published records. The data series include all GDGT measurements, calculated indices, SSTs and SST gradients, as well as the age models for the discussed core sites (DSDP/ODP 516, 588, 667, 690, 704, 730, 738, 754, 1146, 1211, 1263) updated to the Geologic Time Scale 2012 (GTS-12, Gradstein et al., 2012, doi: 10.1016/C2011-1-08249-8).