1939 in sports

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Years in sports:	1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942
Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
Years:	1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942

Many sporting events did not take place because of World War II.

1 Auto racing
2 Baseball
3 Basketball
4 Figure skating
5 Football (American)
6 Football (Australian)
7 Football (soccer)
- 7.1 England
8 Golf
9 Horse Racing
10 Snooker
11 Tennis
12 Awards
13 Births
14 Deaths

[edit] Auto racing

Grand Prix racing - Main article: 1939 Grand Prix season. No European champion officially declared due to war breaking out.
August 11 - Jean Bugatti, automobile designer and the 30-year-old son of Ettore Bugatti, died in a crash on the Molsheim-Strasbourg highway.

[edit] Baseball

January 24: Hall of Fame election: The goal of 10 initial inductees from the 20th century is finally met as voters select George Sisler, Eddie Collins, and Willie Keeler.
April 23: Pitcher Alejandro "Alex" Carrasquel made his major league debut with the Washington Senators. He became the first baseball player from Venezuela to play Major League Baseball.
May 2: Cap Anson, Buck Ewing, Charles "Hoss" Radbourn, Albert Spalding, Charles Comiskey, and Candy Cummings are named to the Hall of Fame by a special committee, just weeks before the Hall opens. Along with the previous selections of Cy Young and Keeler in the writers' elections, Anson, Ewing and Radbourn arguably complete the 5 initial inductees from the 19th century which were promised but long delayed; Spalding, Comiskey and Cummings were largely elected as pioneers and contributors.
May 2: Lou Gehrig's streak of 2130 consecutive Major League Baseball games played comes to an end. The record will stand for 56 years before Cal Ripken, Jr. breaks it.
June 12: The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.
July 4: Lou Gehrig announces his retirement from the game at Yankee Stadium.
August 26: The first televised major-league baseball game is Brooklyn's 6-1 victory over Cincinnati at Ebbets Field.
World Series: New York Yankees defeat Cincinnati Reds, 4-0.
The Winnipeg Maroons win the Northern League championship.
December: A special election results in Lou Gehrig being selected to the Hall of Fame; he had announced his retirement after the Hall's June opening.

[edit] Basketball

The third European basketball championship, Eurobasket 1939, is won by Lithuania.
The seventh South American Basketball Championship in Rio de Janeiro is won by Brazil.

[edit] Figure skating

World Figure Skating Championships:
- Men's champion: Graham Sharp, Great Britain
- Ladies' champion: Megan Taylor, Great Britain
- Pair skating champion: Maxi Herber & Ernst Baier, Germany

[edit] Football (American)

Green Bay Packers defeat the New York Giants 27-0 for the NFL title. It was the first shutout in a championship game. The game was played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University) defeats Tulane University 14–13 in the 1940 Sugar Bowl for the NCAA football national championship.

[edit] Football (Australian)

Victorian Football League
- Melbourne wins the 43rd VFL Premiership (Melbourne 21.22 (148) d Collingwood 14.11 (95))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Marcus Whelan (Collingwood)

[edit] Football (soccer)

[edit] England

First Division - Everton win the 1938-39 title.
FA Cup - Portsmouth beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-1.
The outbreak of World War II means all competitive football in England is suspended in September, and the 1939-40 season cancelled. Various regional leagues and cups are set up in place of normal Football League and FA Cup competition.