January 1 1st newspaper to microfilm its current issues, New York Herald Tribune January 2 1st electron tube to enable night vision described, St. Louis, Missouri January 2 Bradman scores 357 for SA vs. Vic, 424 minutes, 40 fours January 4 Billboard magazine publishes its 1st music hit parade January 4 Grimmett becomes world record wicket taker with no 190 vs. South Africa January 6 Barbara Hanley became Canada's 1st woman mayor (Webbwood, Ontario) January 7 Tennis champs Helen Moody and Howard Kinsley volley 2,001 times (1h18m) January 9 Noel Coward's "Astonished Heart," premieres in London January 9 Semi-automatic rifles adopted by U.S. army January 11 Charles Anderson enters Kentucky House of Representatives January 14 L M (Mario) Giannini elected president of Bank of America January 15 1st all-glass windowless structure in U.S. completed, Toledo, Ohio January 15 Horace Stoneham elected president of New York Giants January 15 Non-profit Ford Foundation incorporates January 16 1st photo finish camera installed at Hialeah Race track in Hialeah Fla January 16 Screen Actors Guild incorporates with King Vidor as president January 16 Spanish socialists/communists/anarchists form Unidad Popular January 20 Edward VIII succeeds British king George V January 22 French Laval government falls January 23 Catholic People's Party (KVP) of Curacao forms January 24 Benny Goodman and orchestra record "Stompin' at the Savoy" on Victor Records January 28 Pravda criticizes Sjostakovitsj' "Lady Macbeth" opera January 29 1st players elected to Baseball Hall of Fame - Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson January 30 New owners of Boston Braves ask newspapermen to pick a new nickname January 30 Victoria need 442 to win against NSW, but lose, all out for 415 They pick "The Bees" it doesn't catch on and is scrapped by 1940 season January 31 "Green Hornet" radio show is 1st heard on WXYZ Radio in Detroit February 4 1st radioactive substance produced synthetically (radium E) February 5 National Wildlife Federation forms February 6 4th Winter Olympic games open in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany February 6 Pravda criticizes Shostakovich' ballet "Clear Brook" February 7 A flag is authorized for Vice President February 7 Felix the Cat, Cartoon Character, by Van Beuren from Otto Messmer February 8 1st NFL draft, Eagles select Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger February 8 1st ski jumping tournament, Red Wing, Minnesota February 8 1st successful Toronto Maple Leaf penalty shot, Conacher vs Rangers February 8 Pandit Jawaharlal follows Gandhi as chairman of India Congress Party February 11 Pumping begins to build Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay February 14 U.S. Female Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson February 14 U.S. Male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee February 15 -60 degrees F (-51 degrees C), Parshall, North Dakota (state record) February 15 Hitler announce building of Volkswagens (starting slug-bug game) February 15 Sonja Henie, Norway, wins 3rd consecutive Olympic figure skating gold February 16 4th Winter Olympic games close at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany February 16 Spanish Frente Popular (People's Front) wins elections February 17 -58 degrees F (-50 degrees C), McIntosh, South Dakota (state record) February 17 "Phantom" cartoon strip by Lee Falk debuts February 17 SN Behrmann's "End of Summer," premieres in New York City February 18 NHL record 32 points scored, New York Americans (28) and Mont Maroons (24) February 19 Manuel Azana becomes Spanish premier February 22 Construction on Ypenburg Netherlands airport begins February 23 1st rocket air mail flight, Greenwood Lake, New York February 26 Hitler introduces Ferdinand Porsche's "Volkswagen" February 26 Military coup in Japan February 27 Willy den Ouden swims world record 100 m free style (1:04.6) February 29 Franklin D. Roosevelt signs 2nd neutrality act March 2 Bradman scores 369 in 253 minutes, SA vs. Tasmania, 46 fours 4 sixes March 3 Grimmett ends his Test career with 13 wkts in 5th Test vs. South Africa March 4 1st flight of airship Hindenburg, Germany March 5 Spitfire makes it's 1st flight (Eastleigh Aerodrome in Southampton) March 6 Belgium ends Locarno-pact March 7 Hitler breaks Treaty of Versailles, sends troops to Rhineland March 9 Babe Ruth turns down Reds to make a comeback as a player March 14 Federal Register, 1st magazine of the U.S. government, publishes 1st issue March 23 Italy, Austria and Hungary sign Pact of Rome March 24 Red Wings beat Montreal Maroons in 16 minutes and 30 seconds of 6th period Stanley Cup game lasts 9 periods (176 minutes), ends 1-0 March 25 200" mirror blank leaves for California to be ground March 25 Detroit Red Wings beat Montreal Maroons in NHL longest game (2h56m30s) March 26 1st parliamentary debate on New Zealand radio March 26 200" telescope lens shipped, Corning Glass Works, New York-Cal Tech March 26 Mary Joyce ends a 1,000 mile trip by dog in Alaska March 27 WOS-AM in Jefferson City Missouri goes off the air March 29 10,000 watch the 200" mirror blank passing through Indianapolis March 29 Nazi propaganda claims 99% of Germans voted for Nazi candidates April 1 Orissa constituted a province of British India April 3 Al Carr KOs Lew Massey on 1 punch, :07 of 1st round April 3 Shortest boxing bout with gloves lasts only 10 seconds April 5 Tupelo Mississippi virtually annihilated by a tornado, 216 die April 6 3rd Golf Masters Championship: Horton Smith wins, shooting a 285 April 6 ANP begins telex service in Amsterdam April 6 Tornado, kills 203 and injuring 1,800 in Gainesville Georgia April 10 200" mirror blank arrives in Pasadena April 11 Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "On Your Toes," premieres in New York City April 11 Stanley Cup: Detroit Red Wings beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3 games to 1 April 13 Metaxas proclaims himself dictator of Greece April 18 Pan-Am Clipper begins regular passenger flights from San Francisco to Honolulu April 19 Anti-Jewish riots break out in Palestine April 20 40th Boston Marathon won by Ellison Brown of RI in 2:33:40.8 April 20 Jews repel an Arab attack in Petach Tikvah Palestine April 23 Carl Hubbell's 1st start of season is his 17th straight win April 26 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 4th Symphony April 29 1st pro baseball game in Japan is played Nagoya defeats Daitokyo, 8-5 May 1 Emperor Haile Selassie leaves Ethiopia as Italian invades May 1 FBI's J. Edgar Hoover arrests Alvin Karpis May 2 62nd Kentucky Derby: Ira Hanford aboard Bold Venture wins in 2:03.6 May 2 Emperor Haile Selassie and family flee Abyssinia May 2 "Peter and Wolf" premieres in Moscow May 3 French People's Front wins elections May 3 New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio makes his major-league debut, gets 3 hits May 4 Pulitzer prize awarded to Harold L Davis (Honey in the Horn) May 5 Edward Ravenscroft patents screw-on bottle cap with a pour lip May 5 Italian troops occupy Addis Ababa May 8 Jockey Ralph Neves unexpectedly revived after being declared dead after a fall. His wife fainted when he returned to track May 9 1st KLM airplane to land on Bonaire May 9 Italy takes Addis Abba, annexing Absynnia (Ethiopia) May 10 Manuel Azana elected president of Spain May 10 Nahas Pasja becomes premier of Egypt May 12 Ralph Vaughan Williams' "Poisoned Kiss," premieres in London May 13 Quiroga government takes office in Spain May 15 Amy Johnson arrives in Croydon England from South Africa in record 4d16h May 16 1st British air hostess (Daphne Kearley) flight to France May 16 62nd Preakness: George Woolf aboard Bold Venture wins in 1:59 May 24 Dutch bishops forbid membership of Nazi party May 24 Tony Lazerri 2 grand slams (11 RBIs); Ben Chapman sets record by reaching 1st 7 times safely, Yankees beat A's 25-2 May 26 1st government of Zealand in Belgium ends May 27 RMS Queen Mary leaves Southampton for New York on maiden voyage June 1 "Lux Radio Theater" moved from New York City to Hollywood June 1 Queen Mary completes its maiden voyage, arriving in New York June 2 Gen. Anastasio Somoza takes over as dictator of Nicaragua June 6 40th U.S. Golf Open: Tony Manero shoots a 282 at Baltusrol Golf Club New Jersey June 6 68th Belmont: James Stout aboard Granville wins in 2:30 June 6 Aviation gasoline 1st produced commercially Paulsboro, New Jersey June 8 1st parking meters are invented June 9 Olin Dutra beats Gene Sarazen by 1 stroke for U.S. Open June 9 Page Miss Glory (1936), premieres in USA June 11 Presbyterian Church of America founded at Philadelphia June 12 1st 50 KW U.S. radio station, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania June 13 2nd Belgian government of Van Zealand forms June 14 Oranienburg Concentration Camp opens June 16 Dutch queen Wilhelmina opens the Waal bridge June 16 Pope Pius XI receives Anton Mussert, Dutch Nazi collaborator June 18 1st bicycle traffic court in America established, Racine, Wisconsin June 18 Polish parliament gives President Ignacy Moscicki dictatorial power June 19 Dutch Premier Colijn denies relation with German call-girl June 19 German boxer Max Schmeling World Champion KOs Joe Louis June 19 Joe McCarthy is named to manage AL All-Stars, rather than high-strung Mickey Cochrane, who is very close to a nervous breakdown June 20 Jesse Owens of U.S. sets 100 meter record at 10.2 June 22 Harry Froboess dives 110 m from airship into Bodensee and survives June 22 Virgin Islands receives a constitution from U.S., Organic Act June 24 Joe DiMaggio becomes 5th to hit 2 home runs in 1 inn, Yankees beat Browns 18-4 June 26 1st flight of Fw61 helicopter June 26 Everett Marshall beats Ali Baba in Columbus, to become wrestling champ June 29 Empire State Building emanates high definition TV-343 lines June 29 Pope Pius XI encyclical to U.S. bishops "On motion pictures" June 30 40 hour work week law approved June 30 'Gone With the Wind' by Margaret Mitchell, published June 30 Haile Selassie asks League of Nations for sanctions against Italy June 30 Margaret Mitchell's novel 'Gone with the Wind' published July 1 AVRO radio broadcast studios in Hilversum opens July 1 Watchfulness Committee forms in Amsterdam July 3 Jahangir Khan kills a sparrow while cricket bowling, Cambridge U vs. MCC July 4 49th Wimbledon Womens Tennis: Hull Jacobs beats H Sperling (62 46 75) July 4 League of Nations starts sanctions against Italy July 5 120 degrees F (49 degrees C), Gannvalley, South Dakota (state record) July 6 114 degrees F (46 degrees C), Moorhead, Minnesota (state record) July 6 121 degrees F (49 degrees C), Steele, North Dakota (state record) July 7 4th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 4-3 at Braves Field, Boston July 10 109 degrees F (43 degrees C) Cumberland and Frederick, Maryland (state record) July 10 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) at Runyon, New Jersey (state record July 10 111 degrees F (44 degrees C) Phoenixville, Pennsylvania (state record) July 10 112 degrees F (44 degrees C) at Martinsburg, West Virginia (state record July 10 New Straits Convention allows Turkish rearmament of Dardanelles July 10 Phillies Chuck Klein becomes 4th to hit 4 home runs in a game July 11 Triborough Bridge linking Manhattan, Bronx and Queens opens July 13 112 degrees F (44 degrees C), Mio, Michigan (state record) July 13 114 degrees F (46 degrees C), Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin (state record) July 14 1 million demonstrate to support French People's Front government July 14 116 degrees F (47 degrees C), Collegeville, Indiana (state record) July 15 Dutch 2nd Chamber agree to temporarily increase defense budget July 16 1st x-ray photo of arterial circulation, Rochester, New York July 16 New York Giants are 10 games back in NL, and go on to win pennant July 17 Carl Hubbell begins winning streak, beating Pittsburgh 6-0, July 17 Military uprising under General Franco/begins Spanish civil war July 18 Spanish Civil War begins, General Francisco Franco led uprising July 19 Indians' Bob Feller makes his major league debut in relief July 19 Spanish premier Casares Quiroga succeeded by Jose Giral July 22 Phillies John Moore hits 3 consecutive home runs July 24 118 degrees F (48 degrees C), Minden, Nebraska (state record) July 24 121 degrees F (49 degrees C), near Alton, Kansas (state record) July 24 General Mola and Cabanellas form Spanish anti-govt July 25 115 acre Orchard Beach opens in the Bronx July 29 RCA shows 1st real TV program (dancing, film on locomotives, Bonwit Teller fashion show and monologue from Tobacco Road and comedy) July 31 Tokyo, Japan is awarded the 1940 Olympics, later cancelled August 1 Adolph Hitler opens 11th Olympic Games in Berlin August 1 Benjamin E. Mays named president of Morehouse College August 4 Ioannis Metaxas names himself dictator of Greece August 5 At Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens wins his 3rd Olympic medal August 6 1st time in 20th century, 1st 2 batters in a game-Roy Johnson and Rabbit Warstler of Boston Bees-lead off with home runs August 9 Jesse Owens wins 4th gold medal at Berlin Olympics August 10 114 degrees F (46 degrees C) at Plain Dealing, Louisiana (state record) August 10 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) at Ozark, Arkansas (state record) August 11 Chaing Kai-shek's troops conquers Kanton August 12 120 degrees F (49 degrees C), Seymour, Texas (state record) August 12 Demo baseball game at 1936 Olympics in Berlin, world beats U.S., 6-5 August 12 Diver Marjorie Gestring is youngest Olympic gold medalist (13y 268d) August 14 1st Olympic basketball game (Berlin) August 16 11th Olympic games closes in Berlin August 18 106.5 degrees F-Hottest afternoon ever in Iowa August 19 Trial against Ljev Kamenev and Grigori Zinovjev because of "Trotskyism" opens in Moscow August 21 Red Sox Wes Ferrell, walks off mound when he feels he did no get good feilding, Sox suspend him August 23 17 year old Bob Feller's 1st game, he strikes out 15 St. Louis Browns August 24 Australian Antarctic Territory created August 24 Franklin D. Roosevelt gives FBI authority to pursuit fascists and communists August 25 3 Braves hit twice in an inning getting 2 hits each September 1 Middleweight Staff Roth KOs Heinz Lazek September 2 1st transatlantic round-trip air flight September 3 3rd NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 7, Detroit 7 (76,000) September 4 Franco troops conquer Irun and Talavera de la Reina Spain September 4 Largo Caballero becomes Spanish premier September 5 Red Sox turn a triple-play on Yankees September 7 Boulder Dam, now Hoover Dam, begins operation September 8 Princess Juliana and German prince Bernard Lippe-Biesterfeld get engaged September 9 Yankees sweep Indians, New York clinches pennant on earliest date in history September 11 A's pitcher Horace Lisenbee gives up 26 hits in a game September 11 Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicates Boulder Dam, now known as Hoover Dam September 12 50th U.S. Womens Tennis: Alice Marble beats Helen Hull Jacobs (46 63 62) September 12 56th U.S. Mens Tennis: Fred Perry beats J Donald Budge (26 62 86 16 108) September 13 Cleveland Bob Feller strikes out then record 17 in a game (vs Philadelphia A's) September 14 Paul Waner ties Rogers Hornsby's NL record of 200 hits for 7 times September 21 Spanish fascist junta names Franco to generalissimo/supreme commander September 23 Giants Carl Hubbell notches his 16th en route to 24 consecutive wins September 25 Joe Medwick sets a still-standing NL record with his 64th double September 27 1st baseman Walter Alston plays in his only major league game September 27 Franco troops conquer Toledo September 27 Netherlands leave Gold Standard/devaluate guilder September 28 Bachelor's Children debuts on CBS radio (at 9:45 am) September 28 Brooklyn and Boston play a penalty free NFL game September 29 Radio used for 1st time for a presidential campaign September 30 International Commission of Straits (Dardanelles and Bosphorus) ends September 30 Pinewood Studios opens in Buckinghamshire, England October 1 Generalissimo Francisco Franco establishes state of Spain October 2 1st alcohol power plant forms, Atchison, Kansas October 2 Amsterdam's Calvinist Churches reject nazism October 2 French franc devalued October 2 New York Yankees score World Series record 18 runs, beating Giants 18-4 October 2 Tony Lazzeri becomes 1st Yank to hit a World Series grand slam October 3 Yankees set new attendance record of 64,842 in 3rd game of World Series October 4 Italian lire devalued October 4 Record 66,669 at Yankee Stadium for 4th game of World Series October 6 New York Yankees beat Giants 4 games to 2 in 33rd World Series October 7 7th-place Brooklyn Dodgers fire manager Casey Stengel October 9 Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to Los Angeles October 10 Bradman scores 212 in 202 minutes in a cricket testimonial game October 11 "Professor Quiz," 1st radio quiz show premieres October 13 Explosion caused by leaking gas rips out section 12 of Cleveland Stadium October 16 Lou Gehrig, is voted AL MVP by BBWAA October 19 H. R. Ekins of "NY World-Telegram" beats 2 other reporters in a race around the world on commercial flights, by 18 days October 20 Carl Hubbell, 26-6, edges out Dizzy Dean, 24-13, for MVP honors in NL October 20 Spanish government moves to Barcelona October 22 1st commercial flight from mainland to Hawaii October 28 Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicates Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary November 1 Mussolini describes alliance between Italy and Germany as an "axis" November 1 Rodeo Cowboy's Association founded November 2 1st high-definition TV broadcast service, by BBC in London November 3 President Franklin D. Roosevelt wins landslide victory over Alfred M. Landon November 5 French writer Andre Gide criticizes Soviet regime November 6 RCA displays TV for press November 6 Terence Rattigans "French Without Tears," premieres in London November 7 Battle of Madrid begins November 9 Albanian government of Frasheri falls November 12 Nobel for literature awarded to Eugene O'Neill November 12 Oakland Bay Bridge opens November 12 St. Louis Browns sold to Donald L Barnes and William O DeWitt November 14 Bradman scores 192 for S A vs. Vic before a MCG crowd of 21000 November 15 Nazi-Germany and Japan sign Anti-Komintern pact November 16 German air force begins bombing of Madrid November 17 Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy become overnight success on radio November 18 Germany and Italy recognized Spanish government of Francisco Franco November 18 Main span of Golden Gate Bridge joined November 22 19th PGA Championship: Denny Shute at Pinehurst CC Pinehurst NC November 23 1st issue of Life, picture magazine created by Henry R Luce November 23 Life magazine hit newsstands November 24 Noel Coward's "Tonight at 8:30," premieres in New York City November 24 Pacifist/anti fascist writer Carl Von Ossietzky sent to concentration camp, award Nobel Peace Prize November 25 Germany and Japan sign anti-Komintern pact November 30 London's Crystal Palace (built 1851), destroyed by fire December 1 2nd Heisman Trophy Award: Larry Kelley, Yale (E) December 1 Bell Labs tests coaxial cable for TV use December 1 EW Brundin and FF Lyon obtain patent on soilless culture of plants December 5 24th CFL Grey Cup: Sarnia Imperials defeats Ottawa Rough Riders, 26-20 December 5 Armenian SSR, Azerbaijan SSR, Georgian SSR, Kazakh SSR and Kirghiz SSR becomes constituent republics of Soviet Union December 8 Anastasio Somoza elected President of Nicaragua December 8 NAACP files suit to equalize salaries of black and white teachers December 9 AL OKs night baseball for St. Louis December 10 England replaces King Edward VIII stamp series with King George VI December 10 King Edward VIII abdicates throne to marry Mrs. Wallis Simpson December 10 Stockholm: physicist PBJ Debije receives Nobel prize for chemistry December 11 King Edward VIII marries Mrs. Wallis Simpson; abdicates throne Duke of York becomes King George VI December 12 Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek declares war on Japan December 13 Final Boston Redskin NFL game, lose to Packers 21-6, move to Washington D.C. December 13 Green Bay Packers win NFL championship December 15 KVL-AM in Seattle Washington changes call letters to KEEN (now KING) December 16 John Monks/Fred Finklehoff's "Brother Rat," premieres in New York City December 17 Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and dummy Charlie McCarthy, appear on TV December 18 1st giant panda imported into US December 18 Queensland cricket all out for 49 vs. Vic, Fleetwood-Smith 7-17 December 18 Su-Lin, 1st giant panda to come to U.S. from China, arrives in SF December 21 Bradman's 2nd consecutive Test Cricket duck! Australia all out 80 December 22 1st common carrier license issued by ICC, Scranton, Pa December 24 1st radioactive isotope medicine administered, Berkeley, California December 25 Belgian bishops condemn fascism and communism December 25 Ron Hamence scores 104 for SA vs. Queensland before 4,865 December 26 Israel Philarmonic Orchestra forms December 30 United Auto Workers stage 1st sit-down strike, at Fisher Body Plant
