1940

January 14

• Commissioner Kenesaw Landis gives free agency to 91 Detroit Tigers. [1]
• NFL Pro Bowl: Green Bay beats NFL All-Stars 16-7. [1]

January 30

• Cor Jongert wins 6th Dutch 11 Cities Skating Race. [1]

February 7

• Francis Ford cricketer (5 Tests for England versus Australia 1894-95), dies. [1]

February 9

• Joe Louis beats Arturo Godoy in 15 for heavyweight boxing title. [1]

February 10

• US female Figure Skating championship won by Joan Tozzer. [1]
• US male Figure Skating championship won by Eugene Turner. [1]

February 13

• Bradman scores 209 in 161 minutes for South Australia at the WACA. [1]

February 17

• Bradman scores 135 in a non-Shield match for South Africa versus West Australia. [1]

February 25

• First televised (W2XBS, New York City) hockey game (New York Rangers versus Canadiens). [1]

February 28

• First televised basketball game (college game at New York City's Madison Square Garden-University of Pittsburgh beats Fordham University, 50-37). [1]

March 7

• Montreal Canadiens lose record tying NHL 15th straight game at home. [1]
• Ray Steele beats B Nagurski in Saint Louis, to become wrestling champion. [1]

March 15

• Alfred Marr cricketer (Test for Australia 1885, scored 0 and 5), dies. [1]

March 29

• Joe Louis knocks out Johnny Paycheck in two to retain heavyweight boxing title. [1]

March 30

• Second NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Indiana University beats Kansas 60-42. [1]

April 7

• 7th Golf Masters Championship: Jimmy Demaret beats Lloyd Mangrum, shooting a 280. [1]

April 12

• NFL cuts clipping penalty from 25 yards to 15 yards. [1]

April 13

• Stanley Cup: New York Rangers beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4 games to 2. [1]

April 16

• First televised baseball game, WGN-TV, (Chicago White Sox versus Chicago Cubs exhibition). [1]
• Cleveland Indian Bob Feller hurls an opening day no-hitter versus Chicago, 1-0. [1]

April 19

• 44th Boston Marathon won by Gerard Coté of Canada in 2:28:28.6. [1]

April 21

• Netherlands beats Belgium 4-2 in soccer. [1]

April 23

• New York Yankees dedicate a plaque to Jacob Rupert. [1]

April 30

• Brooklyn Dodger Tex Carleton no-hits Cincinnati Reds, 3-0. [1]

May 1

• The 1940 Olympics are cancelled. [1]

May 4

• 66th Kentucky Derby: Carroll Bierman aboard Gallahadion wins in 2:05. [1]

May 11

• 66th Preakness: Fred A Smith aboard Bimelech wins in 1:58.6. [1]

May 14

• Boston's Jimmie Foxx homerun goes over Comiskey Park's left field roof. [1]

May 20

• Amar Singh cricketer (of pneumonia Indian pace bowler 1932-36), dies. [1]
• Soccer team HZVV forms in Hoogeveen. [1]

May 24

• First night game at New York's Polo Grounds (New York Giants 8, Braves 1). [1]
• First night game at Saint Louis Sportsman Park (Cleveland Indians 3, Browns 2). [1]

May 29

• Adolf Kiefer swims world record 100 yards backstroke (58.8 seconds). [1]

June 4

• First National League night game at Sportsman's Park (Brooklyn Dodgers 10, Saint Louis Cardinals 1). [1]
• First night game at Forbes Field (Pittsburgh Pirates 14, Braves 2). [1]

July 9

• National League beats American League 4-0 in 8th All Star Game (Sportsman Park, Saint Louis). [1]

July 28

• New York Yankees player Charle Keller hits three home runs to beat Chicago White Sox 10-9. [1]

August 5

• Saint Louis Brown John Whitehead no-hits Detroit Tigers, 4-0 in six innings. [1]

September 15

• Third American Football League plays first game (Milw 14, Columbus 2). [1]
• Chicago Tribune sponsors Ted Lyons Day (Chicago White Sox pitcher). [1]

September 24

• Jimmy Foxx hits his 500th career home run. [1]

September 28

• Michigan's Tom Harmon runs 72, 86 and 94 yard touchdowns. [1]

October 4

• Wrestling returns to Madison Square Garden after 12 year lay off. [1]

October 8

• Cincinnati Reds beat Detroit Tigers, 4 games to 3, in 37th World Series. [1]

October 24

• Japan eliminates US terms (strike, play ball) from baseball. [1]

November 10

• Pittsburgh and Philadelphia play a penalty free NFL game. [1]

November 17

• Green Bay Packers become first NFL team to travel by plane. [1]

December 6

• Charlie Hime cricketer (one Test for South Africa 1895), dies. [1]

December 7

• 28th Canadian Football League Grey Cup (Game 2): Toronto Balmy Beach defeats Ottawa, 12-5. [1]

December 8

• First NFL championship on national radio; Chicago Bears beat Washington Redskins 73-0. [1]

December 9

• South Australia all out for 47 versus New South Wales, O'Reilly 5-11. [1]

December 13

• Dusty Tapscott cricket (brother of Doodles, 4&1 in only South Africa Test), dies. [1]
• George Macaulay cricketer (took 24 wickets in 8 Tests, England 22-33), dies. [1]

December 16

• Joe Louis knocks out Al McCoy in six for heavyweight boxing title in Chicago. [1]

December 25

• Bradman out first ball for South Africa versus Victoria before 6213. [1]

December 26

• First-class debut of Arthur Morris, who scores 148. [1]

December 28

• Arthur Morris scores 111 in second innings of first game after 148. [1]

December 29

• NFL Pro Bowl: Chicago Bears beats NFL All-Stars 28-14. [1]

1941

January 31

• Joe Louis knocks out Red Burman in five for heavyweight boxing title. [1]

February 1

• US female Figure Skating championship won by Jane Vaughn. [1]
• US male Figure Skating championship won by Eugene Turner. [1]

February 6

• Auke Adema win 6th official Dutch 11 Cities Skating Race (9:19). [1]

February 17

• Joe Louis knocks out Gus Dorazio in two for heavyweight boxing title. [1]

February 19

• Alexander Josiah Webbe English cricket keeper (v Australia 1879), dies. [1]

February 25

• Boston Bruins set NHL record of 23-game unbeaten streak (15-0-8). [1]

February 26

• Two fighters unable to continue slugfest, referee declares double KO. [1]

March 1

• Elmer Layden becomes first NFL commisioner. [1]

March 4

• NHL Chicago goalee Samuel LoPresti stops record 80 of 83 Boston shots. [1]

March 8

• First baseball player drafted into WWII (Hugh Mulcahy, Philadelphia Phillies). [1]

March 10

• Larry MacPhail, Dodger general manager predicts all players will wear batting helmets. [1]

March 11

• Bronko Nagurski beats Ray Steele in Minnesota, to become wrestling champion. [1]

March 21

• Joe Louis knocks out Abe Simon in 13 for heavyweight boxing title. [1]

March 24

• Long Island University beats Ohio University 56-42 for NIT basketball championship. [1]

March 29

• Third NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Wisconsin beats Washington State 39-34. [1]

April 6

• 8th Golf Masters Championship: Craig Wood wins, shooting a 280. [1]

April 8

• Joe Louis TKOs Tony Musto in 9 for heavyweight boxing title. [1]

April 9

• PGA establishes Golf Hall of Fame. [1]

April 12

• Stanley Cup: Boston Bruins sweep Detroit Red Wings in four games. [1]

April 19

• 45th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson of Rhode Island in 2:30:38. [1]

April 20

• Brooklyn Dodgers start to wear liners in their caps. [1]

April 22

• Arthur Briscoe cricketer (South African batsman in two Tests), dies. [1]

April 26

• A tradition begins, first organ at a baseball stadium (Chicago Cubs). [1]

May 3

• 67th Kentucky Derby: Eddie Arcaro aboard Whirlaway wins in 2:01.4. [1]

May 10

• 67th Preakness: Eddie Arcaro aboard Whirlaway wins in 1:58.8. [1]

May 16

• First US/radio performance of Bennett's "Symphony in D for the Dodgers". [1]

May 20

• Chicago White Sox Taft Wright sets American League record of RBIs in 13 consecutive games. [1]

May 23

• Joe Louis beats Buddy Baer on DQ in 7 for heavyweight boxing title. [1]
• Rudolf Harbig runs world record 1k (2:21.5). [1]

May 28

• First night game at Washington DC, Griffith Stadium (New York Yankees 6, Senators 5). [1]

June 2

• Lou Gehrig, Mew York Yankees great, dies at age 37 of ALS in Riverdale New York. [1]

June 29

• DiMaggio extends hitting streak to 42 breaking Sisler's record. [1]

July 6

• New York Yankees unviel a monument to Lou Gehrig in centerfield. [1]

July 8

• American League beats National League 7-5 in 9th All Star Game (Briggs Stadium, Detroit). [1]

July 20

• New York Yankees beat Detroit Tigers 12-6 in 17. [1]

July 25

• Boston Red Sox Lefty Grove becomes 12th to win 300 games (his last victory). [1]

August 18

• Philadelphia Phillies commit 8 errors in a game. [1]

August 30

• Saint Louis Cardinals pitcher Lon Warneke no-hits Cincinnati Reds, 2-0. [1]

September 4

• New York Yankees beat Boston Red Sox 6-3 and clinch their 12th and earliest pennant. [1]

September 28

• Philadelphia Phillies lose club record 111th game. [1]
• Major League Baseball player Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox hits a batting average of .406 (and is the last player with a batting average of .400 or better). [1] [5]

September 29

• Heavyweight Champ Joe Louis knocks out Lou Nova in 6. [1]

October 5

• Mickey Owens drops a third strike, Tom Hendrick reaches first safely, would have been the last out, instead New York Yankees score 4 and win 7-4. [1]

October 6

• New York Yankees beat Brooklyn Dodgers 4 games to 1, in 38th World Series. [1]

October 19

• First woman jockey in North America, Anna Lee Wiley in Mexico. [1]

November 26

• Amateur tennis champion Bobby Riggs turns pro. [1]

December 1

• Horace Chapman cricketer (two Tests for South Africa, 39 runs, one wicket), dies. [1]
• Last day of first-class cricket in Australia for four years. [1]

December 2

• New York Giants name Mel Ott as player-manager, replacing Bill Terry. [1]

December 5

• Football Writers Association of America organized. [1]

December 9

• 7th Heisman Trophy Award: Bruce Smith, Minnesota (HB). [1]

December 11

• New York Giants acquire Johnny Mize from Saint Louis Cardinals for three players and $50,000. [1]

December 14

• First NFL division playoff, Chicago Bears beat Green Bay Packers 33-14. [1]

December 21

• Chicago Bears win the NFL championship, Ray McLean makes last NFL drop kick for an extra point. [1]