July 27, 1940: Billboard Issues Its 1st National Music Chart

July 27, 1940: Billboard magazine publishes its 1st music chart. It is based on record-store sales. The very 1st Number 1 song in America is "I'll Never Smile Again," by The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The lead singer is a 24-year-old native of Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey named Frank Sinatra.

In their August 4, 1958 edition, Billboard began publishing the "Hot 100," which was a combination of 3 charts they had been publishing: Best Selling Singles, Most Played Juke Box Records, and Most Played by Jockeys. The 1st of those was "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson.

July 27, 1940 was a Saturday. These games were played in what would later be called Major League Baseball:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Chicago White Sox, 6-5 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Joe Gordon and Tommy Henrich hit home runs for the Yankees, and Joe DiMaggio went 3-for-5. But Julius "Moose" Solters hit a home run to win it for the Pale Hose in the bottom of the 12th inning.

* The New York Giants beat the Chicago Cubs, 1-0 at the Polo Grounds. Bill Lorhman was 1 out away from a 3-hit shutout, by Roy Joiner had to come in and get the last out.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers got swept in a doubleheader at Ebbets Field. The St. Louis Cardinals won the opener, 4-2; and the nightcap, 6-3.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-3 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.

* The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Bees, 10-4 at National League Park in Boston. This was the last year of the failed 5-year rebrand of the Boston Braves and Braves Field. In 1941, they went back to the old names.

* The Washington Senators beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-1 at League Park in Cleveland.

* The Detroit Tigers swept a doubleheader from the Philadelphia Athletics at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. (It was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961.) In the opener, the Tigers won, 15-2. Lynwood "Schoolboy" Rowe not only went the distance for the win, he hit a home run. The Tigers won the 2nd game, 8-7. Between the 2 games, Hank Greenberg went 3-for-9 with an RBI.

* The St. Louis Browns beat the Boston Red Sox, 13-5 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Ted Williams went 2-for-3 with 2 walks and an RBI.