The Year 1939 From The People History

1939 Germany and the Soviet Union attacked Poland and Britain, France, India, Australia and new Zealand declared war on Germany, the United States decided to remain neutral but did begin rearming for war , which helped end the great depression. The United States also hosted the Worlds Fair in New York early in the year. Also after speaking to the physicist Albert Einstein president Roosevelt initiated the Americas A-Bomb programme.
1939 was 70 years ago this year

What Events Happened in 1939

• 71 people die across Victoria in one of Australia's worst ever bush fires

• Earthquake kills 30,000 in Chile

• Dictator Francisco Franco conquers Madrid, ending the Spanish Civil War

• Last public execution in France - murderer Eugene Weidmann is decapitated by the guillotine.

• Albert Einstein writes President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 about developing the Atomic Bomb using Uranium. This led to the creation of the Manhattan Project.

• The Worlds Fair Opens in New York

• LaGuardia Airport Opens in New York

• The independent republic of Czechoslovakia is dissolved

• Regular television broadcasts began in the United States

• America ammends Neutrality Acts to allow sending military aid to countries in Europe

• Continuing drought conditions in the North Eastern US causing mass crop failure and hardship

• Following the Royal Commission recommending the formation of Arab and Jewish States Palestinians revolt

• Nazi Germany attacks Poland on September 1st , and France, Australia and the United Kingdom declare war on Germany. This is the start of World War II

• Russia Invades Finland

• Germany and Italy sign "The Pact Of Steel"

• Assassination Attempt On Hitler fails by 8 minutes

• Thailand Changes it's Name From Siam

• Pope Pius XI dies after failing health aged 81 after being the Pope for 17 years.

Popular Culture

Popular Films

• Gone with the Wind



• The Wizard of Oz



• Stagecoach



• Of Mice and Men



• Wuthering Heights



• The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Popular Music

• Glen Miller has a series of hits including "Moonlight Serenade."



• Moon Love , Over the Rainbow with Judy Garland and Stairway to the Stars



• Address Unknown by the Inkspots

Technology

• The outbreak of World War II brings television broadcasting at the BBC to an end and it restarts in 1946



• The first air conditioned car the Packhard goes on show
• Hewlitt Packard is formed




Inventions Invented by Inventors and Country ( or attributed to First Use )
Frequency Modulation USA by Edwin H Armstrong - sound by radio waves

Major World Political Leaders 1939

Australia Prime Minister Joseph Lyons Till 7 April
Australia Prime Minister Sir Earle Page From 7 April
Australia Prime Minister Sir Earle Page Till 26 April
Australia Prime Minister Robert Menzies From 26 April

Brazil President Getúlio Vargas

Canada Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King

Germany Chancellor Adolf Hitler

Italy Prime Minister Benito Mussolini

Japan Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe Till 5 January
Japan Prime Minister Kiichiro Hiranuma From 5 January
Japan Prime Minister Kiichiro Hiranuma Till 30 August
Japan Prime Minister Nobuyuki Abe From 30 August

Mexico President Lázaro Cárdenas

Russia / Soviet Union
General Secretary of the Central Committee Joseph Stalin

South Africa Prime Minister James Barry Munnik Hertzog Till 5 September
South Africa Prime Minister Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts From 5 September

United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt

United Kingdom Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain



The Information above is taken from our new page that gives world leaders from 1920 to current.
WorldLeaders