1939 in sports

From Free net encyclopedia

See also: 1938 in sports, other events of 1939, 1940 in sports and the list of 'years in sports'.

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

1 Auto Racing
2 Baseball
3 Basketball
4 American Football
5 Football (Australian Rules)
6 Football (soccer)
- 6.1 England
7 Snooker
8 Tennis
9 Births
10 Deaths

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Auto Racing

August 11 - Jean Bugatti, automobile designer and the 30-year-old son of Ettore Bugatti, died in a crash on the Molsheim-Strasbourg highway.

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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.

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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.

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American Football

Green Bay Packers 27-0 New York Giants for the NFL title. It was the first shutout in a championship game. The game was played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Texas A&M University 14-13 Tulane in the 1939 Sugar Bowl for the NCAA Football National Championship.

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Football (Australian Rules)

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)

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Football (soccer)

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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.