1939 in sports - Definition and Overview

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.

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.

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.
• 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.
• 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.

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)

Snooker

• World Snooker Championship: Joe Davis beats Sidney Smith 43-30

Births

• January 6 - Valeri Lobanovsky, football player and manager
• February 27 – Peter Revson, F1 race car driver (d. 1974)
• October 11 – Maria Bueno, tennis champion

Deaths

• November 28 – James Naismith, Canadian who invented the game of basketball.