American Sports in the 1920s
for kids:
Pictures of Famous Sports Stars
The photographs and pictures of the famous stars of sports in the 1920s
are
a useful addition to the facts sheet. The names of the famous
sports stars are Gene Tunney, Babe Ruth, Satchel Paige, Jack
Dempsey, Johnny Weissmuller and Joe Lewis.
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Gene Tunney |
Babe Ruth |
Satchel Paige |
Jack Dempsey |
Johnny Weissmuller |
Joe Lewis |
Facts
about Sports in the 1920s
for kids
The following fact
sheet contains interesting facts and information about Sports in the
1920's for kids.
Facts about
Sports in the 1920s for kids
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 1: Leisure Time:
Leisure time in America increased due to
Industrialization and the introduction of new machinery,
movement of people from the 24/7 requirements of rural
life to less time intensive urban life in the cities and
the economic boom of the 1920's.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 2: Popularity of
Sports: The popularity of
competing in sports, and watching sporting events,
increased as a result of more free time and more money
to spend on leisure activities.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 3: Organized Sports:
Sports in the 1920's saw the development of organized sports and the
rise in popularity of collegiate sports in America.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 4: College Sports for Men:
The vast majority of
College students in the 1920's were men and its history
dated back to 1859. The first Sporting favorites at
college included baseball and football but the range
soon extended to include athletics, gymnastics and
basketball. Spectators and gate receipts became a
regular part of college games..
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 5: College Sports for Women: The number of
women attending college rose to just 10% of the population by the
end of the 1920's. Physical Education was a feature of college life
for women but did not include competitive games or those requiring
any form of physical contact. Instead women participated in more
'genteel' sporting activities such as bowling, golf, boating, ice
skating, tennis, archery, swimming, and horseback riding.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 6: Professional Sports:
Boxing and baseball were the first professional sports. Professional
football began during the 1920s.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 7:
Elitist Sports: Tennis, Golf and Polo were
considered more as elitist sports for the wealthy due to the
'country club' background of golf, polo and tennis and as a result
were dominated by wealthy white players.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 8: Spectator Sports and Stadiums:
Spectator sports such as
basketball, baseball and boxing reached new heights of
popularity in the 1920s and massive stadiums were built
in cities to cater for the increasing interest of people
who wanted to watch and enjoy the excitement of
spectator sports.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 9: Madison Square Garden:
Madison Square Garden was
originally an indoor arena as a theater, for concerts
and also housed a restaurant. Madison Square
Garden was rebuilt in 1925 in order to hold popular
sporting events such as boxing, basketball and ice
hockey. Madison Square Garden rebuilt in 249 days at the
cost of $4.75 million by boxing promoter Tex Rickard.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 10: The Yankee
Stadium: The Yankee
Stadium, located in the Bronx, in
New York City was
built in 1927 as a ballpark for baseball. The Yankee
Stadium was built from 1922 - 1923 for $2.4 million ($32
million equivalent today). Yankee Stadium officially
opened on Wednesday, April 18, 1923, with the Yankees'
first home game, against the Boston Red Sox. It was
given the nickname, "The House That Ruth Built" in
reference to Babe Ruth, the legendary baseball superstar
whose popularity coincided with the opening of the
stadium and the winning successes of the Yankees.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 11:
Advertising: Sporting events attracted the
attention of millions in America together with companies and
advertisers who employed mass advertising and marketing techniques.
sporting stars were hired to advertise a range of different
products. In 1928 Coca-Cola became the first company to sponsor the
Olympic Games.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 12: National Air Races: The National Air
Races, also known as Pulitzer Trophy Races, began in 1920 when
publisher Ralph Pulitzer sponsored an air race on Long Island, New
York in an effort to promote aviation. Refer to
Early US Aviation
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 13: Baseball's
World Series: Baseball's World Series was broadcast
on radio for the first time in October 1921
and Americans listened to the thrilling radio commentary
as the New York Giants defeated the New York Yankees.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 14: Horse Racing:
Horse Racing was another spectator sporting event the most famous
being the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont
Stakes
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 15: Professional Tennis:
Tennis was professionalized in 1926 when C.C. "Cash and Carry" Pyle
persuaded talented tennis players to join a national professional
tennis tour. The most famous name in American professional tennis
was William "Bill" Tilden
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 16: Discrimination and Prejudice: There was
Discrimination and Prejudice in every aspect of the 1920's sporting
arenas, just as in every other aspect of American society. Racial
prejudice against African Americans were prevalent as was
discrimination from the "New Immigrants" from South-western Europe
such as Italy, Greece and Poland .
The infamous Jim Crow
Laws restricted whites and blacks from playing baseball, basketball
and football together. Black boxers were even forbidden from
sparring with white boxers. Refer to
Old
Immigrants vs New Immigrants and
Jim Crow Laws
for facts and info.
The pride inspired by the Harlem
Renaissance inspired African Americans to
excel in the American sporting arena.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 17: Women: Women had
also been treated as 'second class citizens'. However times were
changing in the 1920's. Women gained the right to vote in 1920 and
the Roaring Twenties saw the emergence of
Flappers who
challenged traditional ideas in social conventions and influenced
women's fashion - including sporting attire for women.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 18:
Fashion and Sportswear for Women: Women's fashion
changed and short knickerbockers and baggy
trousers came into vogue enabling women to enjoy comfortable
sports clothing for golf and and the new rage for bicycling.
Famous fashion designer Jean Patou introduced styles suited to outdoor fashion and women's
sportswear. He moved fashion
towards the natural and comfortable clothes and became famous for his daring
sleeveless and knee-length
tennis dress that he designed for Suzanne Lenglen, the
legendary French tennis champion. For more facts refer
to
1920's
Fashion for Women.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 19:
Fashion and Sportswear for Men: Sports and
leisure influenced fashion and sportswear for men. New, casual
attire like jumpers, jodhpurs, plus-fours and
knickerbockers. College sporting stars inspired the widespread
fashion of 'letterman sweaters'. For more facts refer to
1920s Men's Fashion.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 20: Negro League Baseball:
In 1924 the Negro League held its first world series, its sports stars were
Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 21:
The Harlem Renaissance: The
Harlem Renaissance
was a period during the 1920s when African-American achievements in
art, literature and music flourished. The Harlem Renaissance was
important because it inspired an explosion of pride and was
perceived as a new beginning for African Americans and led to many
achievements by African American sports heroes..
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 22:
The Harlem Rens: The New York Renaissance
all-black professional basketball team, nicknamed the "Harlem Rens", was established in 1923,
and became the first professional basketball team. The
Harlem Rens beat the Original Celtics, the dominant white team of
the time, to claim the title of world championson December 20, 1925.
The Harlem Rens changed the focus of black basketball from amateur
teams to professional teams.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 23:
Harlem Globe Trotters: The "New York Harlem Globe
Trotters" were formed in 1927 at a time when only white players were
allowed to play on professional basketball teams. The first players
in the Harlem Globe Trotters were Walter "Toots" Wright, Willis
"Kid" Oliver, Andy Washington, Byron "Fat" Long, and Al "Runt"
Pullins.
Continued...
Facts about
Sports in the 1920s for kids
Facts about
Sports in the 1920s for kids
The following fact sheet continues with facts about Sports in the 1920s
for kids.
Facts about
Sports in the 1920s for kids
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 24: Joe Lewis: Joe
Lewis, nicknamed the 'Brown Bomber', was a heavyweight boxing
champion of the world achieved the status of a nationwide hero.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 25: Henry McDonald:
Henry McDonald became the first black athlete to play professional
football. Henry McDonald became the best known black American pro
player during the era prior to the formation of the National
Football League in 1920.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 26: Jesse Owens:
Jesse Owens was trained by the enthusiastic Charles Riley, his
junior high track coach at Fairmount Junior High School and went on
to attend Ohio State University. Jesse Owens won accolades for black
athletes by taking four gold medals in the 1936 Olympics for the 100
meters, 200 meters, long jump, and the 4x100 relay
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 27:
Johnny Weissmuller: Johnny Weissmuller was a
famous record breaking swimmer, the winner of five Olympic gold
medals and 67 world titles. In 1929 Johnny Weissmuller went to star
in Hollywood movies and made a name for himself playing the role of
Tarzan in several films.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 28: Helen Wills:
Helen Wills, nicknamed "little miss poker face", was a outstanding
tennis player. She won her first major title, the U.S. girls’
championship, in 1921 when she was just 13 years old. Helen Wills
went on to become a seven-time U.S. champion and and eight-time
Wimbledon winner.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 29: Bobby Jones:
Bobby Jones was a wealthy, amateur golf player and sports star. In the eight golfing
seasons from 1923 to 1930, Bobby Jones won 13 major championships,
including 5 U.S. Amateurs and 4 U.S. Opens
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 30: Walter Hagen:
Walter Hagen gained fame for his golfing achievements of the 1920's.
He was winner of 5 PGA championship games and 2 two U.S Opens.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 31: Lou Gehrig: Lou
Gehrig was a baseball player who was signed to the Yankees in 1923.
He was renown for his bravery and endurance who continued to play
regardless of injury - a real sports hero..
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 32: Elizabeth "Betty" Robinson:
Elizabeth "Betty" Robinson was an amazing female runner who
qualified for the 1928 Olympic team. Betty Robinson won the first
Olympic gold medal given to a woman in track and field athletics.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 33: Knute Rockne:
Knute Rockne was a Norwegian-American football player who became
famous as the most famous of all football coaches in America. Under
Knute Rockne, the University of Notre Dame teams won 105 games, lost
12, and tied 5 from 1918 through 1931 and were declared national
champions in 1924, 1929, and 1930.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 34: William "Bill" Tilden:
Bill Tilden was a tennis sports star and became the first American
to win Wimbledon, in 1920. He became a member of the American Davis
Cup Team leading the team to seven consecutive victories from 1920 -
1926.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 35:
Babe Ruth: Babe Ruth was a Baseball sports star who
became a national hero, famous for hitting hundreds of home runs. In
1920 Babe Ruth hit over 54 home runs and in 1927 he hit 60. Babe
Ruth won the World Series on 7 different occasions. His real
name was George Herman Ruth he was nicknamed “Babe” when he was
under contract to Jack Dunn and a sportswriter referred to him as
one of “Dunn’s babes.” Babe Ruth became a multi-millionaire earning
over $2,000,000 during his career.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 36:
Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey was a famous boxer who
held the title of world heavyweight champion
from 1919 until 1926, when he lost it to Gene Tunney. When Jack
Dempsey attempted to win back the
title in 1927, the publicity and enthusiasm for the boxing rematch
reached such a frenzy that just one store sold $90,000 worth of
radios, a massive sum at that time, in the two weeks leading up to
the rematch. 74 radio stations carried the Dempsey-Tunney bout to an
audience of nearly 15 million listeners. Jack Dempsey was the first
to earn $1,000,000 for one boxing match.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 37:
Gene Tunney: Gene Tunney was the
Heavyweight Champion of the world from 1926 - 1928. His sporting
accomplishments were honored when he was inducted into the
International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 38:
The First $2 million gate : More than 104,000
spectators attended Dempsey vs. Tunney II at Soldier Field in
Chicago on September 22, 1927 and produced a gate of $2.65 million.
Jack Dempsey lost to Gene Tunney in round 10 of 10 by a unanimous .
The Dempsey camp bitterly complained that Jack Dempsey had been
robbed by a "slow count". The fight became known as the 'Battle of
the Long Count'
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 39:
Red Grange: College football was extremely
popular in the 1920's. One of its most famous players was Red Grange
of the University of Illinois. Red Grange then played for the
Chicago Bears and became known as the “Galloping Ghost” due to his
speed and ability to evade members of opposing teams.
Sports in
the 1920s Fact 40: Gertrude Ederle:
Gertrude Ederle was an American competition swimmer, sports star and Olympic
champion. In 1926 Gertrude Ederle was the first woman to swim the
English Channel, breaking the male record.
Facts about
Sports in the 1920s for kids
American
Sports in the 1920s Facts for kids: List of
Famous American Sports Stars in the 1920s
Many of the names of
Famous American Sports stars are detailed on the following list.
List of
Famous
American Sports Stars in the 1920s Gertrude
Ederle ● Red
Grange ● Gene
Tunney ● Jack
Dempsey ● Babe Ruth ● Bill
Tilden ● Knute
Rockne ● Betty
Robinson ● Lou
Gehrig ● Walter
Hagen ● Bobby
Jones ● Helen
Wills ● Jesse
Owens ● Henry
McDonald ● Johnny
Weissmuller ● Joe Lewis ● Oscar
Charleston ● Satchel
Paige ●
Walter "Toots" Wright ●
Al "Runt" Pullins
List of
Famous
American Sports Stars in the 1920s
Facts
about
Sports in the 1920s for
kids
For visitors interested in the history of
life in America during the 1920's refer to the following articles:
American
Sports in the 1920s for kids
The article on
American
Sports in the 1920s provides
detailed facts and a
summary of the important events and people in the
history of the
United States
- a crash course in
American History. The following video will
give you additional important facts, history and dates about the
personal and political lives of all the US Presidents.
Sports in the 1920s
●
Interesting Facts about Sports in the 1920s for kids and schools
●
The History of
Sports in the 1920s in America for kids
●
History of Sports in the 1920s and famous
and sports stars
● List of names
of famous Sports in the 1920s
and sports stars
●
Fast, fun Facts about Sports in the 1920s and sports
stars
●
Sports in the 1920s and sporting heroes
● Fast, Fun Facts about the
Sports in the 1920s and sports stars for schools,
homework, kids and children
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