HALF CENTURY OF HIGHLIGHTS

1939 - Little League is founded in Williamsport, Pa. 1947 - Hammonton, N.J., is first town outside Pennsylvania to establish a league.

1951 - First league formed outside US, in British Columbia.

1953 - Little League World Series broadcast on TV.

1955 - Little League baseball now played in all 48 states, some 3,300 leagues.

1957 - Monterrey, Mexico, is first foreign champion.

1967 - West Tokyo, Japan, wins Little League World Series, launching a period of domination for Asian teams.

1971 - The aluminum bat, developed in cooperation with Little League, is first used.

1974 - Girls participate in Little League baseball.

1977-78 - Little League Baseball now includes more than 10,000 programs for different age groups, and more than 7,400 softball programs.

1985 - Live TV coverage of Little League World Series championship game.

(Source: ``Growing Up at Bat,'' by Harvey Frommer.)