1939 in sports in Encyclopedia

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.

Athletics

September 17 – Taisto M ki breaks the 10,000 m world record, becoming the first man to run the distance inside half an hour.

Australian rules football

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)

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.
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 – Gehrig announces his retirement from the game at Yankee Stadium after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.
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.
Little League Baseball is formed in Williamsport, Pennsylvania as a three–team league.
December – A special election results in Gehrig being selected to the Hall of Fame; he had announced his retirement after the Hall's June opening.

Basketball

NBL Championship

Akron Firestone Non-Skids win three games to two over the Oshkosh All-Stars

Events

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.

Cricket

May 29 - Northamptonshire gains (over Leicestershire at Northampton) their first victory for 99 matches, easily a record in the County Championship. Their last Championship victory was as far back as 14 May 1935 over Somerset at Taunton.

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

Golf

Men's professional

Men's amateur

British Amateur – Alexander Kyle
U.S. Amateur – Bud Ward

Women's professional

Horse racing

Steeplechases

Cheltenham Gold Cup –
Grand National –

Flat races

Australia – Melbourne Cup won by
Canada – Queen's Plate won by
France – Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe won by
Ireland – Irish Derby Stakes won by
English Triple Crown Races:
1. 2,000 Guineas Stakes –
2. Epsom Derby –
3. St. Leger Stakes –
United States Triple Crown Races:
1. Kentucky Derby – Johnstown
2. Preakness Stakes –
3. Belmont Stakes –

Motor racing

Grand Prix racing – Main article: 1939 Grand Prix season. No European champion officially declared due to war breaking out.
23 August – at Bonneville, John R. Cobb in the Railton Special breaks G. E. T. Eyston's record for the flying mile (set 16 September 1938), with a new mark of . Due to the Second World War, the mark will survive until 1947.
August 11 – Jean Bugatti, automobile designer and the 30-year-old son of Ettore Bugatti, dies in a crash on the Molsheim-Strasbourg highway.

Nordic skiing

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

12th FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1939 are held at Zakopane, Poland

Rowing

The Boat Race

1 April Cambridge wins the 91st Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race

Rugby league

Rugby union

52nd Home Nations Championship series is shared by England, Ireland and Wales
France is readmitted to the championship after the 1939 series is completed but will be unable to take part again until 1947 due to the suspension of international rugby during World War II