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Entertainment
The 1940s began with the H.W. Kastor & Sons agency launching radio's first big-money quiz show, "Pot o' Gold," for Tums, a product of Lewis Howe Co. -
History
May 27 British and Allied forces begin the evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) during WW -
History
May 27 World War II: In the Le Paradis massacre, 97 soldiers from a Royal Norfolk Regiment unit are shot after surrendering to German troops. -
History
December 7: Attack on Pearl Harbor -
History
June 22, 1944 - The G.I. Bill of Rights is signed into law, providing benefits to veterans. -
History
April 1, 1946 - Four hundred thousand mine workers begin to strike, with other industries following their lead. -
Baseball
Attendance figures soared in 1947 and, with the war over, more people were able to visit their favorite ballparks. Seven teams set attendance records, and seven other teams lost attendance from the year before. -
Baseball
MLB tore down its color barrier in 1947. In April, Jackie Robinson joined the National League’s Brooklyn Dodgers, and proved himself to be one of the best players in the majors. Jackie could hit well, he stole lots of bases (even home), and was a defensive asset. -
Baseball
Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1947 were: Jack Chesbro, Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, Frank Chance, Rube Waddell, Ed Walsh, Jesse Burkett, “Iron Man” Joe McGinnity, Tommy McCarthy, Eddie Plank, and Clark Griffith. -
Football (amateur)
1947 was a year of upsets for the armed forces’ football teams. Army, who had won all championships since ’44, was stopped by Columbia. West Point also had their incredible 32-game winning streak snapped by Columbia. -
Basketball
In 1949, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship was won by the University of Kentucky Wildcats. -
College Football
Coached by Adolph Rupp in an eight-team tournament, they defeated the Oklahoma A&M Cowboys, 46-36, in the finals. -
Pro Football
In the first year the Association was known as the NBA, George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers won the Championship. -
Boxing
“Sugar” Ray Robinson held his welterweight title, only having to defend it once, against the Cuban Kid Gavilan in Philadelphia. -
Boxing
Ike Williams held onto his lightweight championship versus Mexico’s Enrique Bolanos and Chicago’s Freddie Dawson. -
Boxing
On March 1, 1949, long-reigning champion Joe Louis, still undefeated, formally announced his retirement from the National Boxing Association. He had defended his title 25 times over the course of 12 years, making him one of the busiest champions of all time.