January 29th...This Day in History (Now with links to other events)

U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects first members 1936

 

On January 29, 1936, the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects its first members in Cooperstown, New York: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson.

The Hall of Fame actually had its beginnings in 1935, when plans were made to build a museum devoted to baseball and its 100-year history. A private organization based in Cooperstown called the Clark Foundation thought that establishing the Baseball Hall of Fame in their city would help to reinvigorate the area’s Depression-ravaged economy by attracting tourists. To help sell the idea, the foundation advanced the idea that U.S. Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown. The story proved to be phony, but baseball officials, eager to capitalize on the marketing and publicity potential of a museum to honor the game’s greats, gave their support to the project anyway.

In preparation for the dedication of the Hall of Fame in 1939–thought by many to be the centennial of baseball–the Baseball Writers’ Association of America chose the five greatest superstars of the game as the first class to be inducted: Ty Cobb was the most productive hitter in history; Babe Ruth was both an ace pitcher and the greatest home-run hitter to play the game; Honus Wagner was a versatile star shortstop and batting champion; Christy Matthewson had more wins than any pitcher in National League history; and Walter Johnson was considered one of the most powerful pitchers to ever have taken the mound.

Today, with approximately 350,000 visitors per year, the Hall of Fame continues to be the hub of all things baseball. It has elected 278 individuals, in all, including 225 players, 17 managers, 8 umpires and 28 executives and pioneers.

 (More Events on This Day in History)

• American Revolution

• 1777 Americans retreat from Fort Independence

• Automotive

• 1843 William McKinley, first U.S. president to ride in a car, is born

• Civil War

• 1861 Kansas enters the Union

• Cold War

• 1964 Dr. Strangelove premieres

• Crime

• 1979 School shooting in San Diego

• Disaster

• 1922 Theater collapses in Washington, D.C.

• General Interest

• 1820 King George III dies
• 1861 Divided Kansas enters the Union
• 1891 Liliuokalani proclaimed queen of Hawaii
• 1979 Deng Xiaoping and Jimmy Carter sign accords

• Hollywood

• 1958 Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward marry

• Literary

• 1845 “The Raven” is published

• Music

• 1962 Peter, Paul and Mary sign their first recording contract

• Old West

• 1927 Edward Abbey is born

• Presidential

• 1834 Jackson sends troops to put down labor riot
• 1843 William McKinley is born

• Sports

• 1936 Baseball Hall of Fame inducts first members

• Vietnam War

• 1968 President Johnson requests additional funds
• 1974 Fighting continues in South Vietnam

• World War I

• 1915 German lieutenant Erwin Rommel leads daring mission in France

• World War II

• 1942 Iran signs Treaty of Alliance with Great Britain and USSR