| content |
| Years in sports: | 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 |
| Centuries: | 19th century · 20th century · 21st century |
| Decades: | 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s |
| Years: | 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 |
Many sporting events did not take place because of World War II.
Contents |
Auto Racing
The racecar is Pretty Princess's Ponies
Baseball
- The New York Yankees won the World Series, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers by 4 games to 1.
- Ted Williams’ season batting average is .406. It is the last time any major leaguer will hit over .400.
- Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak (May 15 - July 16, 1941)
Basketball
- The ninth South American Basketball Championship in Mendoza is won by Argentina.
Chess
See, 1941 in chess
Football (Australian)
- Victorian Football League
- Melbourne wins the 45th VFL Premiership (Melbourne 19.13 (127) d Essendon 13.20 (98))
- Brownlow Medal awarded to Norman Ware (Footscray)
Football (American)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers National college football champions.
- Chicago Bears 37-9 New York Giants for the NFL championship.
- Columbus Bullies win the American Football League championship with a record of 5-1-2.
Golf
Men's professional
- April 3-6 - Masters Tournament - Craig Wood
- June 5-7 - U.S. Open - Craig Wood
- British Open - not played due to World War II
- July 13 - PGA Championship - Vic Ghezzi
Men's amateur
- British Amateur - not played due to World War II
- U.S. Amateur - Bud Ward
Women's professional
Horse Racing
- May 3 - Whirlaway wins the Kentucky Derby
Awards
- Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year: Joe DiMaggio, Major League Baseball
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year: Betty Hicks Newell, LPGA golf
Births
- January 19 — Alan J. Patterson, New Zealand field hockey player
- January 26 — Doug Rogers, Canadian judoka
- January 30 — Tineke Lagerberg, Dutch swimmer
- February 12 — Christoph Höhne, German racewalker
- February 13 — Aurelia Pentón, Cuban track and field athlete
- March 1 — Roderick Rijnders, Dutch rower (coxswain)
- March 20 — Kenji Kimihara, Japanese long-distance runner
- April 7 — Hans Wouda, Dutch water polo player
- April 12 — Jan van Ispelen, Dutch boxer
- April 14 — Pete Rose, American basebal player
- April 28 — Lucien Aimar, French cyclist
- May 1 — Brian Glencross, Australian field hockey player and coach
- May 14 — Amelia Okoli, Nigerian high jumper
- May 17 — Andy Boychuk, Canadian long-distance runner
- May 20 — Josef Schwarz, Czech-born German long jumper
- June 4 — Geoff Shipton, Australian sprint freestyle swimmer
- July 2 — Wendell Mottley, Trinidad and Tobago athlete
- July 8 — Masayuki Minami, Japanese volleyball player (d. 2000)
- July 9 — Irene Piotrowski, Lithuanian-Canadian athlete
- July 18 — Edward Akika, Nigerian track and field athlete
- August 4 — Kaija Mustonen, Finnish ice speed skater
- August 10 — Anita Lonsbrough, British swimmer
- August 22 — Barry Jackson, English track and field athlete
- August 22 — Bill Parcells, American football head coach
- October 14 — Ilona Silai, Romanian middle distance runner
- October 31 — Elizabeth Grieveson, British track and field athlete
- October 31 — Derek Bell, British racing driver
- November 9 — Wim Vriend, Dutch water polo player
- November 17 — James Bregman, American judoka
- November 20 — Jeff Fishback, American middle- and long-distance runner
- December 4 — Marty Riessen, American tennis player
- December 13 — Dixie Willis, Australian middle distance runner
- December 16 — Cherdchai Udompaichitkul, Thai boxer
- December 21 — Christine Spielberg, East German discus thrower
- December 23 — Serge Reding, Belgian weightlifter (d. 1975)
Deaths
- March 18 — Henri Cornet (56), French cycling champion (b. 1884)
- April 21 — Fritz Manteuffel (66), German gymnast (b. 1875)
- May 26 — Karl Neukirch (76), German gymnast (b. 1864)
- July 12 — Victor Henny (53), Dutch athlete (b. 1887)
