On This Day

Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO, is introduced in the Soviet Union

Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO was the All-Union physical culture training programme, introduced in the USSR on March 11, 1931 on the initiative of the Komsomol.

Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO was the All-Union physical culture training programme, introduced in the USSR on March 11, 1931 on the initiative of the Komsomol. It was a complement to the Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR. While the latter provided Soviet physical education system requirements only for athletes, GTO was a programme for all Soviet people of almost all ages. By the year 1976, 220 million people were awarded GTO badges, while in 1986 the tests were passed by 33.9 million people.

It was restored in modern Russian Federation by Vladimir Putin under the same name in 2014.

Historical Significance

Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO was the All-Union physical culture training programme, introduced in the USSR on March 11, 1931 on the initiative of the Komsomol.

Events Before

  1. Claus von Stauffenberg is promoted to Second Lieutenant

    Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of...

  2. Mao Zedong writes the essay "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire" to criticize cadres not creating rural revolutiona

    Mao Zedong writes the essay "A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire" to criticize cadres not creating rural revolutionary base areas

  3. Belgium Princess Marie-Jose marries Italian's crown prince Umberto

    Belgium Princess Marie-Jose marries Italian's crown prince Umberto

  4. Businesswoman Estee Mentzer (23) weds businessman Joseph Lauter (later Lauder)

    Businesswoman Estee Mentzer (23) weds businessman Joseph Lauter (later Lauder)

  5. Mahatma Gandhi begins his famous 200-mile (320 km) protest march against the widely hated British salt tax

    Mahatma Gandhi begins his famous 200-mile (320 km) protest march against the widely hated British salt tax

Events After

  1. Jacob Coxey Sr. is chosen as the Mayor of Massillon, Ohio

    Jacob Sechler Coxey Sr. (April 16, 1854 – May 18, 1951), sometimes known as General Coxey, was an American politician and perennial candidate.

  2. Italian-American film director Frank Capra (34) weds second wife, American secretary Lucille Warner (29) in Brooklyn, NY

    Italian-American film director Frank Capra (34) weds second wife, American secretary Lucille Warner (29) in Brooklyn, NYC, until her death in 1984

  3. As a member of the gold medal-winning US four-man bobsleigh team at Lake Placid, Eddie Eagan becomes the only Olympian t

    As a member of the gold medal-winning US four-man bobsleigh team at Lake Placid, Eddie Eagan becomes the only Olympian to win gold medals at both the Summer (boxing gold in Antwerp 1920) and Winter Games in different sports

  4. Sydney Harbour Bridge opens in Sydney, Australia

    The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, Australia, spanning Sydney Harbour from the central business district (CBD) to the North Shore.

  5. "Grand Hotel" directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore premieres in New York, includes th

    "Grand Hotel" directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore premieres in New York, includes the line "I want to be alone" (Best Picture/Production 1932)

More from the 1930s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 11, 1931?
Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO was the All-Union physical culture training programme, introduced in the USSR on March 11, 1931 on the initiative of the Komsomol. It was a complement to the Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR. While the latter provided Soviet physical education system requirements only for athletes, GTO was a programme for all Soviet people of almost all ages.
Why is Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO, is introduced i... significant?
Ready for Labour and Defence of the USSR, abbreviated as GTO was the All-Union physical culture training programme, introduced in the USSR on March 11, 1931 on the initiative of the Komsomol.

Explore More