St. Moritz, Switzerland. In 1947, Wataru Misaka of the New York Knicks became the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball, just months after Jackie Robinson had broken the color barrier in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Baseball During the early 1940s World War II had an enormous impact on Major League Baseball as many players including many of the most successful stars joined the war effort. After the war many players returned to their teams, while the major event of the second half of the 1940s was the 1945 signing of Jackie Robinson to a players contract by Branch Rickey the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Signing Robinson opened the door to the integration of Major League Baseball finally putting an end to the professional discrimination that had characterized the sport since the 19th century. Roy Campanella Joe DiMaggio Bill Dickey Larry Doby Bob Feller Josh Gibson Hank Greenberg Monte Irvin Buck Leonard Johnny Mize Stan Musial Satchel Paige Branch Rickey Jackie Robinson Ted Williams Boxing During the mid-1930s and throughout the years leading up to the 1940s Joe Louis was an enormously popular Heavyweight boxer. In 1936, he lost an important 12 round fight (his first loss) to the German boxer Max Schmeling and he vowed to meet Schmeling once again in the ring. Louis' comeback bout against Schmeling became an international symbol of the struggle between the US and democracy against Nazism and Fascism. When on June 22, 1938, Louis knocked Schmeling out in the first few seconds of the first round during their rematch at Yankee Stadium, his sensational comeback victory riveted the entire nation. Louis enlisted in the U.S. Army on January 10, 1942, in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Louis' cultural impact was felt well outside the ring. He is widely regarded as the first African American to achieve the status of a nationwide hero within the United States, and was also a focal point of anti-Nazi sentiment leading up to and during World War II. Buddy Baer Ezzard Charles Billy Conn Rocky Graziano Joe Louis Sugar Ray Robinson Max Schmeling Jersey Joe Walcott Tony Zale Track and Field See also 1940s in television 1940s in literature Timeline The following articles contain brief timelines listing the most prominent events of the decade. 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946