» April 18, 1959: Branch Rickey becomes president of the Continental League. He appoints a committee to study problems associated with acquiring players.

» May 25, 1959: Buffalo seeks membership in the Continental League.

» June 18, 1959: At a news conference, the Continental League announces that franchises in the 3rd league will be priced at $10 million.

» July 11, 1959: New Orleans seeks a franchise in the new Continental League.

» July 27, 1959: Organizational committee chairman William Shea announces that the Continental League has definite franchises planned for New York City, Houston, Toronto, Denver, and Minneapolis/St. Paul, with interest in 11 other cities. It envisions beginning play in 1961. New York City says it will build a stadium at the Flushing Meadow Park site.

» August 18, 1959: Branch Rickey resigns as chairman of the Pirates to become president of the Continental League.

» August 19, 1959: Honolulu seeks a franchise in the Continental League.

» November 17, 1959: William Shea of the Continental League shows sketches of the proposed stadium in New York City with its transparent retractable roof.

» December 8, 1959: The Continental League awards a franchise to Atlanta.

» December 22, 1959: The Continental League awards its last franchise to Dallas/Ft. Worth.

» January 5, 1960: The Continental League, a proposed 3rd major league, gets an assurance of congressional support from New York Senator Kenneth Keating.

» February 20, 1960: Branch Rickey meets with officials of the proposed Western Carolinas League about pooling talent for Continental League clubs.

» March 24, 1960: Commissioner Ford Frick says he will not allow the Continental League to pool players in the Western Carolinas League as it would violate existing major-minor league agreements.

» July 18, 1960: The National League votes to expand to 10 clubs if the Continental League does not join organized baseball. The new NL clubs would invade CL territories.

» July 27, 1960: William Shea, chairman of Mayor Robert Wagner's New York baseball committee, announces the formation of the Continental League. The five founding cities are New York, Houston, Toronto, Denver, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

» August 2, 1960: In an agreement with the major leagues, the Continental League abandons plans to join the American League and National League. Walter O'Malley, chairman of the NL Expansion Committee, says, "We immediately will recommend expansion and that we would like to do it in 1961." Braves owner Lou Perini proposes a compromise that four of the CL territories be admitted to the current majors in orderly expansion. Branch Rickey's group quickly accepts. The Continental League ends without playing a game.