Explore the major historical events, famous births, and notable deaths that occurred in the year 1938. This year saw 173 significant events. 45 notable figures were born. 2 notable figures passed away.
The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert by Benny Goodman, Columbia Records catalogue item SL-160, is a two-disc LP of swing and jazz music recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16,…
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is the genre of speculative, science-based fiction that imagines advanced and futuristic scientific or technological progress.
Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures.
First public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV occurs in London
Arthur Neville Chamberlain was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party from May 1937 to October 1940.
Writer Walter Lippmann (48) weds second wife Helen Byrne Armstrong
Action Comics is an American comic book/magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters.
British actor Alec Guinness (24) weds British actress and artist Merula Sylvia Salaman (23) in Surrey, England, until his death in 2000
Economist Milton Friedman (25) weds Rose Friedman at the Jewish Seminary in New York City
Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed radio, theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades,...
BBC's first feature film on TV (The Student of Prague)
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division.
The Treaty of Munich is signed by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Édouard Daladier, and Neville Chamberlain, forcing Czechoslovakia to give territory to Germany. Chamberlain infamously declares "Peace for our time" upon his return to London.
Jazz musician Louis Armstrong (37) divorces pianist Lil Armstrong (40) after more than 14 years of marriage
American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong (37) weds longtime girlfriend Alpha Smith; divorce in 1942
SS Officer Amon Göth (29) weds Anny Geiger in a civil ceremony
A radio broadcast of H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds," narrated by Orson Welles, allegedly causes mass panic
British tenor Webster Booth (36) weds second wife, his duet singing partner Anne Ziegler (28), until his death in 1984
Chinese politician Mao Zedong (44) weds Jiang Qing (24) in a small private ceremony
Actress Bette Davis (30) divorces musician Harmon Nelson (31) after more than 6 years of marriage
Eduard van Beinum debuts as conductor of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades.
Frances Moulton is elected as the first female president of a US national bank
The Church of England accepts the theory of evolution
National Society for Legalization of Euthanasia forms (NY)
General Motors Company (GM) is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
Dutch government starts obligatory unemployment insurance
Ian Hay's "Bachelor Born" premieres in NYC
Hans Engnestangen skates world record 500m (41.8 sec)
King Carol II of Romania drives out dictator Goga
The MWA World Heavyweight Championship was an American professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Kansas City, Kansas-based Midwest Wrestling Association (MWA).
Australia hosted the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, New South Wales and their team was abbreviated AUS. This was their third of 3 Commonwealth Games meets.
Soviet arctic ice research station North Pole 1 evacuated, Denmark
Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as the 1st Baron Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and the 3rd Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a...
1st passenger ship equipped with radar
Federal Trade Commission orders 8 manufacturers and the PGA of America to end their practice of golf ball price-fixing
Landslides & floods cause over 200 deaths (Los Angeles California)
American Bowling Congress' largest tournament (24,765 competitors)
Artur Seyss-Inquart replaces Kurt von Schuschnigg as Chancellor of Austria; German troops also entered the country
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938, an event known as the Anschluss, until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared independence from Nazi Germany.
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938, an event known as the Anschluss, until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared independence from Nazi Germany.
NY 1st requires serological blood tests of pregnant women
The Toronto Maple Leafs, officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Leafs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto.
The Battle of Taierzhuang took place during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938. It was fought between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan at the peak of the Xuzhou Campaign.
Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee sold by the multinational food and drink corporation Nestlé. It comes in many different forms. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café".
Teflon invented by American chemist Roy J. Plunkett at DuPont [1]
The Federal State of Austria (Austrian German: Bundesstaat Österreich; colloquially known as the "Ständestaat") was a continuation of the First Austrian Republic between 1934 and 1938 when it was a...
First US law requiring medical tests for marriage licenses in New York
Clifford Goldsmith's play "What a Life" premieres at The Biltmore Theater, NYC
Anti-Jewish riots break out in in Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland
Great Britain recognizes Italian annexation of Abyssinia
Headless Mad Butcher victim found in Cleveland
Baker Bowl, Philadelphia: Phillies infielder Emmett "Heine" Mueller & Brooklyn Dodger outfielder Ernie Koy both homer in their 1st MLB at bats
Austrian Jews required to register property above 5,000 Reichsmarks
Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office.
The president of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces.
MLB Philadelphia Phillies Harold Kelleher pitcher faces 16 batters in 6th, as Cubs score 12 runs, both marks are NL records off one hurler in a single inning
Dutch court sentences writer Maurits Dekker to 50 days imprisonment for "offending a friendly head of state" - Adolf Hitler
Dutch Minister of Justice Goseling calls fugitives of Nazi-Germany "undesired strangers"
Concerto in E-flat, inscribed Dumbarton Oaks, 8.v.38 (1937–38) is a chamber concerto by Igor Stravinsky, named for the Dumbarton Oaks estate of Robert Woods Bliss and Mildred Barnes Bliss in...
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals.
1st animal breeding society forms (NJ)
Information Please is an American radio quiz show, created by Dan Golenpaul, which aired on NBC from May 17, 1938, to April 22, 1951.
Dodgers announce contracts to install lights at Ebbets Field
The Spanish Civil War (Spanish: guerra civil española) was fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republicans and the Nationalists rebels.
US House of Representatives Committee on un-American Activities forms
Foundation for Tel Aviv harbor laid
New York Yankees sweep arch rival Boston Red Sox, 10-0 & 5-4 in front of 83,533 at Yankee Stadium
Bill Edrich scores his 1,000th run of cricket season, all at Lord's
German law on "Entartete Art" legalizes art robbery
1st play telecast with original Broadway cast, "Susan & God"
Gert Terblanche, a local school boy, discovers fossils of an unknown 'robust-type' human ancestor, later named Paranthropus robustus by Robert Broom, at Kromdraai, Blaauwbank River Valley in South Africa
English cricketer Charlie Barnett makes 98 by lunch in England v Australia test match at Trent Bridge (closest any Englishman has come to scoring 100 runs before lunch)
5.0 Earthquake in Belgium kills 2, strongest in 45 years
Stanley Joseph McCabe (16 July 1910 – 25 August 1968) was an Australian cricketer who played 39 Test matches for Australia from 1930 to 1938.
American children's literature writer and illustration Dorothy Lathrop wins 1st Caldecott Medal for Illustration for her work "Animals of the Bible"
1st night game at Brooklyn Ebbets Field; Cincinnati Reds Johnny Vander Meer hurls unprecedented 2nd consecutive no-hitter in 6-0 win over the Dodgers
The Second Sino-Japanese War, known in China as the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, was fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a...
"Olympian Flyer" express train crashes in Montana, killing 47
Baseball's Pinky Higgins gets 12th straight hit
Joe Louis scores a stunning 1st round KO of German Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium, NYC to retain his world heavyweight boxing title
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was an independent agency of the federal government of the United States, formed in 1940 out of the prior Civil Aeronautics Authority (the Authority) and abolished...
ton meteorite lands near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cincinnati Red Lonny Frey hits 8 doubles in a doubleheader
National League Park, commonly referred to as the Baker Bowl after 1923, was a baseball stadium home to the Philadelphia Phillies from 1887 until 1938, and the first home field of the Philadelphia...
The South African Press Association (SAPA) is established as a non-governmental institution by South Africa's major newspapers to facilitate the sharing of news, both national and international
British East Coast Main Line locomotive No. 4468 "Mallard" reached a speed of 202.6 km/h (125.9 mph) setting new record for steam powered trains
France-Turkish friendship treaty
Herb Caen's 1st column in San Francisco Chronicle
Would be start of England v Australia Test Cricket at Old Trafford Washout
"Yankee Clipper" completes first passenger flight over Atlantic
The Kröller-Müller Museum is a national art museum and sculpture garden, located in the Hoge Veluwe National Park in Otterlo in the Netherlands.
Arthur Fagg becomes the first batsman in first-class cricket history to score double centuries in both innings of a match, with 244 and 202 for Kent against Essex in Colchester, England
Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan leaves New York flying for Los Angeles and winds up in Ireland supposedly by mistake
IOC awards Helsinki, Finland 1940 Summer Olympic Games after Tokyo, Japan withdraws (Second Sino-Japanese War)
The Jewish Party, in full the Jewish Party of Romania (Romanian: Partidul Evreiesc din România, PER; Hebrew: המפלגה היהודית הרומנית; Yiddish: אידישע פארטיי, Idishe partey) or the Jewish National...
First radio broadcast of "Young Widder Brown" on NBC
34,000-ton Cunard-White Star liner Mauretania launches in Birkenhead, England
Olympic National Park is established in Washington state, featuring the longest undeveloped coastline in America
Archaeologists discover engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius I in Persepolis
MLB conducts the first test of bright yellow baseballs during Brooklyn Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals doubleheader
Great Trek Centenary Celebrations commence; the Great Trek was a migration involving Boers leaving the Cape Colony and settling in the interior of South Africa
°F (48°C) recorded in Pendleton, Oregon (state record)
First aircraft owned by US Forest Service enters service in Oakland
Italy bars all Jewish teachers in public and high schools
England beats Australia by an innings and 579 runs at The Oval
British leaders and Arabs fight in Palestine
New York Yankees pitcher Monte Pearson no-hits the Cleveland Indians, 13-0; Joe DiMaggio hits three triples
Mauthausen was a Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen (roughly 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Linz) in Upper Austria.
5th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 28, Washington 16 (74,250)
The 1940 Olympic site changes from Tokyo, Japan, to Helsinki, Finland, because of the Second Sino-Japanese War; WWII causes eventual cancellation
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands celebrates her 40th anniversary
German Bohemians (German: Deutschböhmen und Deutschmährer; Czech: čeští Němci a moravští Němci), later known as Sudeten Germans (German: Sudetendeutsche; Czech: sudetští Němci), are ethnic Germans...
British racing driver George Eyston sets a world auto speed record at 357.5 mph
Despite losing a doubleheader (4-3, 8-7) to the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park III, the New York Yankees clinch their 10th AL pennant
Emlyn Williams' semi-autobiographical comedic play "The Corn is Green" premieres in London and runs for 600 performances
RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by Cunard Line. Along with the Queen Mary, she provided a weekly transatlantic service between Southampton in the United Kingdom and New York City in...
Clare Boothe's "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" premieres in New York City at Henry Miller's Theatre
First archival course is offered at Columbia University in New York City
Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller strikes out a record 18 Detroit Tigers, but his Cleveland Indians still lose 4-1 at Cleveland Stadium
Germany requires all Jewish passports to be stamped with the letter J
Cleveland Rams and Chicago Bears play one of only four penalty-free games in NFL history; Rams win 14-7 at Cleveland Stadium
Nazis plan Jewish ghettos for all major cities
Aaron Copland's and Eugene Loring's ballet "Billy the Kid" premieres in Chicago, Illinois
Japanese troops occupy Canton
Chester Carlson conducts the first successful experiment in electrophotography and later sells it to the Haloid Company, now known as Xerox Corporation, which names it xerography
United States labor law sets the rights and duties for employees, labor unions, and employers in the US.
American Archbishop of Dubuque (Iowa), Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people," warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell"
Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterized by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture,...
Farewell parade for the International Brigade in Barcelona, Spain
Great Depression: In an effort to try restore investor confidence, the New York Stock Exchange unveils a 15-point program aimed to upgrade protection for the investing public
German colonel-general Gerd von Runstedt retires
James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "the Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for...
Ottawa Roughriders score on 5-man, 4-lateral, 65-yard punt return
The three DiMaggio brothers, Joe, Vince, and Dom, play together for the first time in a charity all-star game in California
Polish Jewish teenager Herschel Grynszpan shoots Nazi German diplomat Ernst vom Rath in Paris, to avenge the German expulsion of Jews from Poland; vom Rath dies two days later, sparking the Kristallnacht violence [1]
1st African American woman legislator, Crystal Bird Fauset of Philadelphia
Li'l Abner was a satirical American comic strip that appeared in multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe.
8.3 earthquake shakes East of Shumagin Islands, Alaska
Frances Xavier Cabrini (Italian: Francesca Saverio [or Saveria] Cabrini; born Maria Francesca Cabrini; 15 July 1850 – 22 December 1917), also known as Mother Cabrini, was a prominent Italian-American...
Dutch DC3 crashes at Schiphol, 6 die
Farewell Parade of International Brigades in Barcelona
K B Regiment refuses round-table conference in East-India
The Nuremberg Laws were antisemitic and racist laws introduced in Nazi Germany on 15 September 1935 at a special session of the Reichstag during the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party.
John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of organized labor who served as the ninth president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960 and...
1st documented anti-semitic remarks over US radio (by Father Coughlin)
Belgian king Leopold III, King of the Belgians begins 3-day visit to Netherlands
Clifford Odets' play "Rocket to the Moon" premieres in NYC
4th Heisman Trophy Award: Davey O'Brien, TCU quarterback
Dmitri Shostakovich's Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 2 premieres in Moscow, USSR
Mayor Oud of Rotterdam forbids a soccer match between Netherlands and Germany
Leader of the fascist Iron Guard movement, Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, and 13 other legionnaires are assassinated by order of King Carol II.
A train collides with a school bus in South Jordan, Utah, killing the bus driver and 24 children
The Kindertransport (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children from Nazi-controlled territory that took place in 1938–39 during the nine months prior to the Second...
AAUs decides to continue linear measuring system over metric
Spanish knights under capt Piet Laros return to Netherlands
Philip Barry's play "Here Come the Clowns" premieres in NYC
Highest temperature for December in US recorded in La Mesa Calif
The 1939 NFL draft was held on December 9, 1938, at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Chicago Cardinals selected center Ki Aldrich.
Italian scientist Enrico Fermi receives the Nobel Prize for Physics (work on reduced radioactivity)
Los Angeles, California freezes at 28°F
AL permits Cleveland & Philadelphia to play night games
Groundbreaking begins for Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Utrecht Central Station destroyed by fire
Nuclear fission was discovered in December 1938 by chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann and physicists Lise Meitner and Otto Robert Frisch.
Boston Bruins rookie goalie Frankie Brimsek records his 3rd straight shutout with a 3-0 win over the New York Americans, making it his incredible sixth shutout in his first 8 NHL games
Coelacanths ( SEE-lə-kanth) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia.
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American epic historical romance film adapted from the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell. It was produced by David O.
Thomas William John Goddard (1 October 1900 – 22 May 1966) was an English cricketer and the fifth-highest wicket taker in first-class cricket.
Paul Antony Gibb (11 July 1913 – 7 December 1977) was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1938 to 1946.
Construction on Lake Washington Floating Bridge, Seattle, begins
Daniel Sternefeld conducts premiere of his ballet "Pierlala" at the Royal Flemish Opera of Antwerp; choreographer Wladimir Karnetzky also danced the title role
Juan Carlos I is born
Willie McCovey, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1938-01-10.
Frank Mahovlich, Canadian athlete, known for canadian ice hockey player, politician, was born on 1938-01-10.
Allen Toussaint, American musician, known for american musician, songwriter and record producer, was born on 1938-01-14.
Curt Flood athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1938-01-18. Curtis Charles Flood Sr.
Etta James, American musician, known for american blues singer, was born on 1938-01-25.
Emile Griffith, American athlete, known for american boxer, was born on 1938-02-03.
Valentina Tereshkova, Russian cosmonaut and politician, known for russian cosmonaut and politician, was born on 1938-03-06.
Warren Beatty, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1938-03-30. Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker.
A. Bartlett Giamatti, American athlete, known for american baseball commissioner and academic administrator, was born on 1938-04-04.
Billy Dee Williams actor, novelist and painter, known for american actor, novelist and painter, was born on 1938-04-06. William December Williams Jr. is an American actor, novelist and painter.
Kofi Annan is born
Joseph Estrada is born
George Takei, American actor, author and activist, known for american actor, author and activist, was born on 1938-04-20.
Betty Cuthbert, Australian athlete, known for australian sprinter, was born on 1938-04-20.
Jack Nicholson, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1938-04-22. John Joseph Nicholson is an American actor and filmmaker.
Nino Benvenuti, Italian athlete, known for italian boxer and actor, was born on 1938-04-26. Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (26 April 1938 – 20 May 2025) was an Italian professional boxer and actor.
Bernie Madoff, American fraudster and financier, known for american fraudster and financier, was born on 1938-04-29.
Roch Carrier is born
Jerry West, American athlete, known for american basketball player and executive, was born on 1938-05-28.
Fay Vincent athlete, known for american baseball commissioner, was born on 1938-05-29. Francis Thomas "Fay" Vincent Jr.
Morgan Freeman, American actor and producer, known for american actor and producer, was born on 1938-06-01. Morgan Freeman is an American actor, producer, and narrator.
Richard Petty, American athlete, known for american racing driver, was born on 1938-07-02.
David Hockney, English artist, known for british artist, was born on 1938-07-09. David Hockney is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer.
Bill Cosby entertainer, known for american entertainer, was born on 1938-07-12. William Henry Cosby Jr. is an American former comedian, actor, and media personality.
Natalie Wood, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1938-07-20. Natalie Wood was an American actress.
Charles Schwab is born
Peter Jennings, American news anchor, known for american news anchor, was born on 1938-07-29.
Dustin Hoffman, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1938-08-08. Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor and filmmaker.
Peter Ueberroth, American athlete, known for american sports executive, was born on 1938-09-02.
Dawn Fraser is born
Gaylord Perry, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1938-09-15.
Fred Stolle, Australian athlete, known for australian tennis player, was born on 1938-10-08. Frederick Sydney Stolle, AO (8 October 1938 – 5 March 2025) was an Australian amateur world No.
Fela Kuti, Nigerian musician, known for nigerian musician and activist, was born on 1938-10-15. Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì was a Nigerian musician and political activist.
Evel Knievel, American stunt performer, known for american stunt performer, was born on 1938-10-17.
Dawn Wells, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1938-10-18. Dawn Elberta Wells (October 18, 1938 – December 30, 2020) was an American actress.
Peter Max, American german-born american artist, known for german-born american artist, was born on 1938-10-19. Peter Max is a German-American artist known for using bright colors in his work.
Juan Marichal, Dominican athlete, known for dominican baseball player, was born on 1938-10-20.
Ridley Scott, English filmmaker, known for english filmmaker, was born on 1938-11-30. Sir Ridley Scott is an English filmmaker.
Jane Fonda, American actress and activist, known for american actress and activist, was born on 1938-12-21. Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress and activist.
Anthony Hopkins, Welsh welsh actor, known for welsh actor, was born on 1938-12-31. Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins is a Welsh actor.
Earl Anthony, American professional bowler, known for american professional bowler, was born on 1938-04-27.
Roald Hoffmann is born
Alberto Fujimori is born
Michael Hill is born
Zitkála-Šá yankton dakota writer, known for yankton dakota writer, died on 1938-01-26.
Harvey S. Firestone businessman, known for american businessman, died on 1938-02-07. Harvey Samuel Firestone Sr.
The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert by Benny Goodman, Columbia Records catalogue item SL-160, is a two-disc LP of swing and jazz music recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16,…
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is the genre of speculative, science-based fiction that imagines advanced and futuristic scientific or technological progress.
Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures.
First public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV occurs in London
Arthur Neville Chamberlain was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party from May 1937 to October 1940.
Writer Walter Lippmann (48) weds second wife Helen Byrne Armstrong
Action Comics is an American comic book/magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters.
British actor Alec Guinness (24) weds British actress and artist Merula Sylvia Salaman (23) in Surrey, England, until his death in 2000
Economist Milton Friedman (25) weds Rose Friedman at the Jewish Seminary in New York City
Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed radio, theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades,...
BBC's first feature film on TV (The Student of Prague)
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division.
The Treaty of Munich is signed by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Édouard Daladier, and Neville Chamberlain, forcing Czechoslovakia to give territory to Germany. Chamberlain infamously declares "Peace for our time" upon his return to London.
Jazz musician Louis Armstrong (37) divorces pianist Lil Armstrong (40) after more than 14 years of marriage
American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong (37) weds longtime girlfriend Alpha Smith; divorce in 1942
SS Officer Amon Göth (29) weds Anny Geiger in a civil ceremony
A radio broadcast of H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds," narrated by Orson Welles, allegedly causes mass panic
British tenor Webster Booth (36) weds second wife, his duet singing partner Anne Ziegler (28), until his death in 1984
Chinese politician Mao Zedong (44) weds Jiang Qing (24) in a small private ceremony
Actress Bette Davis (30) divorces musician Harmon Nelson (31) after more than 6 years of marriage
Eduard van Beinum debuts as conductor of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades.
Frances Moulton is elected as the first female president of a US national bank
The Church of England accepts the theory of evolution
National Society for Legalization of Euthanasia forms (NY)
General Motors Company (GM) is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
Dutch government starts obligatory unemployment insurance
Ian Hay's "Bachelor Born" premieres in NYC
Hans Engnestangen skates world record 500m (41.8 sec)
King Carol II of Romania drives out dictator Goga
The MWA World Heavyweight Championship was an American professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Kansas City, Kansas-based Midwest Wrestling Association (MWA).
Australia hosted the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney, New South Wales and their team was abbreviated AUS. This was their third of 3 Commonwealth Games meets.
Soviet arctic ice research station North Pole 1 evacuated, Denmark
Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles
Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax (16 April 1881 – 23 December 1959), known as the 1st Baron Irwin from 1925 until 1934 and the 3rd Viscount Halifax from 1934 until 1944, was a...
1st passenger ship equipped with radar
Federal Trade Commission orders 8 manufacturers and the PGA of America to end their practice of golf ball price-fixing
Landslides & floods cause over 200 deaths (Los Angeles California)
American Bowling Congress' largest tournament (24,765 competitors)
Artur Seyss-Inquart replaces Kurt von Schuschnigg as Chancellor of Austria; German troops also entered the country
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938, an event known as the Anschluss, until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared independence from Nazi Germany.
Austria was part of Nazi Germany from 13 March 1938, an event known as the Anschluss, until 27 April 1945, when Allied-occupied Austria declared independence from Nazi Germany.
NY 1st requires serological blood tests of pregnant women
The Toronto Maple Leafs, officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Leafs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto.
The Battle of Taierzhuang took place during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938. It was fought between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan at the peak of the Xuzhou Campaign.
Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee sold by the multinational food and drink corporation Nestlé. It comes in many different forms. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café".
Teflon invented by American chemist Roy J. Plunkett at DuPont [1]
The Federal State of Austria (Austrian German: Bundesstaat Österreich; colloquially known as the "Ständestaat") was a continuation of the First Austrian Republic between 1934 and 1938 when it was a...
First US law requiring medical tests for marriage licenses in New York
Clifford Goldsmith's play "What a Life" premieres at The Biltmore Theater, NYC
Anti-Jewish riots break out in in Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland
Great Britain recognizes Italian annexation of Abyssinia
Headless Mad Butcher victim found in Cleveland
Baker Bowl, Philadelphia: Phillies infielder Emmett "Heine" Mueller & Brooklyn Dodger outfielder Ernie Koy both homer in their 1st MLB at bats
Austrian Jews required to register property above 5,000 Reichsmarks
Flossenbürg was a Nazi concentration camp built in May 1938 by the SS Main Economic and Administrative Office.
The president of Ireland (Irish: Uachtarán na hÉireann) is the head of state of Ireland and the supreme commander of the Irish Defence Forces.
MLB Philadelphia Phillies Harold Kelleher pitcher faces 16 batters in 6th, as Cubs score 12 runs, both marks are NL records off one hurler in a single inning
Dutch court sentences writer Maurits Dekker to 50 days imprisonment for "offending a friendly head of state" - Adolf Hitler
Dutch Minister of Justice Goseling calls fugitives of Nazi-Germany "undesired strangers"
Concerto in E-flat, inscribed Dumbarton Oaks, 8.v.38 (1937–38) is a chamber concerto by Igor Stravinsky, named for the Dumbarton Oaks estate of Robert Woods Bliss and Mildred Barnes Bliss in...
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals.
1st animal breeding society forms (NJ)
Information Please is an American radio quiz show, created by Dan Golenpaul, which aired on NBC from May 17, 1938, to April 22, 1951.
Dodgers announce contracts to install lights at Ebbets Field
The Spanish Civil War (Spanish: guerra civil española) was fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republicans and the Nationalists rebels.
US House of Representatives Committee on un-American Activities forms
Foundation for Tel Aviv harbor laid
New York Yankees sweep arch rival Boston Red Sox, 10-0 & 5-4 in front of 83,533 at Yankee Stadium
Bill Edrich scores his 1,000th run of cricket season, all at Lord's
German law on "Entartete Art" legalizes art robbery
1st play telecast with original Broadway cast, "Susan & God"
Gert Terblanche, a local school boy, discovers fossils of an unknown 'robust-type' human ancestor, later named Paranthropus robustus by Robert Broom, at Kromdraai, Blaauwbank River Valley in South Africa
English cricketer Charlie Barnett makes 98 by lunch in England v Australia test match at Trent Bridge (closest any Englishman has come to scoring 100 runs before lunch)
5.0 Earthquake in Belgium kills 2, strongest in 45 years
Stanley Joseph McCabe (16 July 1910 – 25 August 1968) was an Australian cricketer who played 39 Test matches for Australia from 1930 to 1938.
American children's literature writer and illustration Dorothy Lathrop wins 1st Caldecott Medal for Illustration for her work "Animals of the Bible"
1st night game at Brooklyn Ebbets Field; Cincinnati Reds Johnny Vander Meer hurls unprecedented 2nd consecutive no-hitter in 6-0 win over the Dodgers
The Second Sino-Japanese War, known in China as the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, was fought between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a...
"Olympian Flyer" express train crashes in Montana, killing 47
Baseball's Pinky Higgins gets 12th straight hit
Joe Louis scores a stunning 1st round KO of German Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium, NYC to retain his world heavyweight boxing title
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was an independent agency of the federal government of the United States, formed in 1940 out of the prior Civil Aeronautics Authority (the Authority) and abolished...
ton meteorite lands near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Cincinnati Red Lonny Frey hits 8 doubles in a doubleheader
National League Park, commonly referred to as the Baker Bowl after 1923, was a baseball stadium home to the Philadelphia Phillies from 1887 until 1938, and the first home field of the Philadelphia...
The South African Press Association (SAPA) is established as a non-governmental institution by South Africa's major newspapers to facilitate the sharing of news, both national and international
British East Coast Main Line locomotive No. 4468 "Mallard" reached a speed of 202.6 km/h (125.9 mph) setting new record for steam powered trains
France-Turkish friendship treaty
Herb Caen's 1st column in San Francisco Chronicle
Would be start of England v Australia Test Cricket at Old Trafford Washout
"Yankee Clipper" completes first passenger flight over Atlantic
The Kröller-Müller Museum is a national art museum and sculpture garden, located in the Hoge Veluwe National Park in Otterlo in the Netherlands.
Arthur Fagg becomes the first batsman in first-class cricket history to score double centuries in both innings of a match, with 244 and 202 for Kent against Essex in Colchester, England
Douglas "Wrong Way" Corrigan leaves New York flying for Los Angeles and winds up in Ireland supposedly by mistake
IOC awards Helsinki, Finland 1940 Summer Olympic Games after Tokyo, Japan withdraws (Second Sino-Japanese War)
The Jewish Party, in full the Jewish Party of Romania (Romanian: Partidul Evreiesc din România, PER; Hebrew: המפלגה היהודית הרומנית; Yiddish: אידישע פארטיי, Idishe partey) or the Jewish National...
First radio broadcast of "Young Widder Brown" on NBC
34,000-ton Cunard-White Star liner Mauretania launches in Birkenhead, England
Olympic National Park is established in Washington state, featuring the longest undeveloped coastline in America
Archaeologists discover engraved gold and silver plates from King Darius I in Persepolis
MLB conducts the first test of bright yellow baseballs during Brooklyn Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals doubleheader
Great Trek Centenary Celebrations commence; the Great Trek was a migration involving Boers leaving the Cape Colony and settling in the interior of South Africa
°F (48°C) recorded in Pendleton, Oregon (state record)
First aircraft owned by US Forest Service enters service in Oakland
Italy bars all Jewish teachers in public and high schools
England beats Australia by an innings and 579 runs at The Oval
British leaders and Arabs fight in Palestine
New York Yankees pitcher Monte Pearson no-hits the Cleveland Indians, 13-0; Joe DiMaggio hits three triples
Mauthausen was a Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen (roughly 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Linz) in Upper Austria.
5th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 28, Washington 16 (74,250)
The 1940 Olympic site changes from Tokyo, Japan, to Helsinki, Finland, because of the Second Sino-Japanese War; WWII causes eventual cancellation
Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands celebrates her 40th anniversary
German Bohemians (German: Deutschböhmen und Deutschmährer; Czech: čeští Němci a moravští Němci), later known as Sudeten Germans (German: Sudetendeutsche; Czech: sudetští Němci), are ethnic Germans...
British racing driver George Eyston sets a world auto speed record at 357.5 mph
Despite losing a doubleheader (4-3, 8-7) to the St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Park III, the New York Yankees clinch their 10th AL pennant
Emlyn Williams' semi-autobiographical comedic play "The Corn is Green" premieres in London and runs for 600 performances
RMS Queen Elizabeth was an ocean liner operated by Cunard Line. Along with the Queen Mary, she provided a weekly transatlantic service between Southampton in the United Kingdom and New York City in...
Clare Boothe's "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" premieres in New York City at Henry Miller's Theatre
First archival course is offered at Columbia University in New York City
Future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller strikes out a record 18 Detroit Tigers, but his Cleveland Indians still lose 4-1 at Cleveland Stadium
Germany requires all Jewish passports to be stamped with the letter J
Cleveland Rams and Chicago Bears play one of only four penalty-free games in NFL history; Rams win 14-7 at Cleveland Stadium
Nazis plan Jewish ghettos for all major cities
Aaron Copland's and Eugene Loring's ballet "Billy the Kid" premieres in Chicago, Illinois
Japanese troops occupy Canton
Chester Carlson conducts the first successful experiment in electrophotography and later sells it to the Haloid Company, now known as Xerox Corporation, which names it xerography
United States labor law sets the rights and duties for employees, labor unions, and employers in the US.
American Archbishop of Dubuque (Iowa), Francis J. L. Beckman, denounces swing music as "a degenerated musical system... turned loose to gnaw away at the moral fiber of young people," warning that it leads down a "primrose path to hell"
Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterized by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture,...
Farewell parade for the International Brigade in Barcelona, Spain
Great Depression: In an effort to try restore investor confidence, the New York Stock Exchange unveils a 15-point program aimed to upgrade protection for the investing public
German colonel-general Gerd von Runstedt retires
James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "the Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for...
Ottawa Roughriders score on 5-man, 4-lateral, 65-yard punt return
The three DiMaggio brothers, Joe, Vince, and Dom, play together for the first time in a charity all-star game in California
Polish Jewish teenager Herschel Grynszpan shoots Nazi German diplomat Ernst vom Rath in Paris, to avenge the German expulsion of Jews from Poland; vom Rath dies two days later, sparking the Kristallnacht violence [1]
1st African American woman legislator, Crystal Bird Fauset of Philadelphia
Li'l Abner was a satirical American comic strip that appeared in multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe.
8.3 earthquake shakes East of Shumagin Islands, Alaska
Frances Xavier Cabrini (Italian: Francesca Saverio [or Saveria] Cabrini; born Maria Francesca Cabrini; 15 July 1850 – 22 December 1917), also known as Mother Cabrini, was a prominent Italian-American...
Dutch DC3 crashes at Schiphol, 6 die
Farewell Parade of International Brigades in Barcelona
K B Regiment refuses round-table conference in East-India
The Nuremberg Laws were antisemitic and racist laws introduced in Nazi Germany on 15 September 1935 at a special session of the Reichstag during the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party.
John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of organized labor who served as the ninth president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960 and...
1st documented anti-semitic remarks over US radio (by Father Coughlin)
Belgian king Leopold III, King of the Belgians begins 3-day visit to Netherlands
Clifford Odets' play "Rocket to the Moon" premieres in NYC
4th Heisman Trophy Award: Davey O'Brien, TCU quarterback
Dmitri Shostakovich's Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 2 premieres in Moscow, USSR
Mayor Oud of Rotterdam forbids a soccer match between Netherlands and Germany
Leader of the fascist Iron Guard movement, Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, and 13 other legionnaires are assassinated by order of King Carol II.
A train collides with a school bus in South Jordan, Utah, killing the bus driver and 24 children
The Kindertransport (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children from Nazi-controlled territory that took place in 1938–39 during the nine months prior to the Second...
AAUs decides to continue linear measuring system over metric
Spanish knights under capt Piet Laros return to Netherlands
Philip Barry's play "Here Come the Clowns" premieres in NYC
Highest temperature for December in US recorded in La Mesa Calif
The 1939 NFL draft was held on December 9, 1938, at the New Yorker Hotel in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Chicago Cardinals selected center Ki Aldrich.
Italian scientist Enrico Fermi receives the Nobel Prize for Physics (work on reduced radioactivity)
Los Angeles, California freezes at 28°F
AL permits Cleveland & Philadelphia to play night games
Groundbreaking begins for Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Utrecht Central Station destroyed by fire
Nuclear fission was discovered in December 1938 by chemists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann and physicists Lise Meitner and Otto Robert Frisch.
Boston Bruins rookie goalie Frankie Brimsek records his 3rd straight shutout with a 3-0 win over the New York Americans, making it his incredible sixth shutout in his first 8 NHL games
Coelacanths ( SEE-lə-kanth) are an ancient group of lobe-finned fish (Sarcopterygii) in the class Actinistia.
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American epic historical romance film adapted from the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell. It was produced by David O.
Thomas William John Goddard (1 October 1900 – 22 May 1966) was an English cricketer and the fifth-highest wicket taker in first-class cricket.
Paul Antony Gibb (11 July 1913 – 7 December 1977) was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1938 to 1946.
Construction on Lake Washington Floating Bridge, Seattle, begins
Daniel Sternefeld conducts premiere of his ballet "Pierlala" at the Royal Flemish Opera of Antwerp; choreographer Wladimir Karnetzky also danced the title role
Juan Carlos I is born
Willie McCovey, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1938-01-10.
Frank Mahovlich, Canadian athlete, known for canadian ice hockey player, politician, was born on 1938-01-10.
Allen Toussaint, American musician, known for american musician, songwriter and record producer, was born on 1938-01-14.
Curt Flood athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1938-01-18. Curtis Charles Flood Sr.
Etta James, American musician, known for american blues singer, was born on 1938-01-25.
Emile Griffith, American athlete, known for american boxer, was born on 1938-02-03.
Valentina Tereshkova, Russian cosmonaut and politician, known for russian cosmonaut and politician, was born on 1938-03-06.
Warren Beatty, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1938-03-30. Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker.
A. Bartlett Giamatti, American athlete, known for american baseball commissioner and academic administrator, was born on 1938-04-04.
Billy Dee Williams actor, novelist and painter, known for american actor, novelist and painter, was born on 1938-04-06. William December Williams Jr. is an American actor, novelist and painter.
Kofi Annan is born
Joseph Estrada is born
George Takei, American actor, author and activist, known for american actor, author and activist, was born on 1938-04-20.
Betty Cuthbert, Australian athlete, known for australian sprinter, was born on 1938-04-20.
Jack Nicholson, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1938-04-22. John Joseph Nicholson is an American actor and filmmaker.
Nino Benvenuti, Italian athlete, known for italian boxer and actor, was born on 1938-04-26. Giovanni "Nino" Benvenuti (26 April 1938 – 20 May 2025) was an Italian professional boxer and actor.
Bernie Madoff, American fraudster and financier, known for american fraudster and financier, was born on 1938-04-29.
Roch Carrier is born
Jerry West, American athlete, known for american basketball player and executive, was born on 1938-05-28.
Fay Vincent athlete, known for american baseball commissioner, was born on 1938-05-29. Francis Thomas "Fay" Vincent Jr.
Morgan Freeman, American actor and producer, known for american actor and producer, was born on 1938-06-01. Morgan Freeman is an American actor, producer, and narrator.
Richard Petty, American athlete, known for american racing driver, was born on 1938-07-02.
David Hockney, English artist, known for british artist, was born on 1938-07-09. David Hockney is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer.
Bill Cosby entertainer, known for american entertainer, was born on 1938-07-12. William Henry Cosby Jr. is an American former comedian, actor, and media personality.
Natalie Wood, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1938-07-20. Natalie Wood was an American actress.
Charles Schwab is born
Peter Jennings, American news anchor, known for american news anchor, was born on 1938-07-29.
Dustin Hoffman, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1938-08-08. Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor and filmmaker.
Peter Ueberroth, American athlete, known for american sports executive, was born on 1938-09-02.
Dawn Fraser is born
Gaylord Perry, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1938-09-15.
Fred Stolle, Australian athlete, known for australian tennis player, was born on 1938-10-08. Frederick Sydney Stolle, AO (8 October 1938 – 5 March 2025) was an Australian amateur world No.
Fela Kuti, Nigerian musician, known for nigerian musician and activist, was born on 1938-10-15. Fela Aníkúlápó Kútì was a Nigerian musician and political activist.
Evel Knievel, American stunt performer, known for american stunt performer, was born on 1938-10-17.
Dawn Wells, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1938-10-18. Dawn Elberta Wells (October 18, 1938 – December 30, 2020) was an American actress.
Peter Max, American german-born american artist, known for german-born american artist, was born on 1938-10-19. Peter Max is a German-American artist known for using bright colors in his work.
Juan Marichal, Dominican athlete, known for dominican baseball player, was born on 1938-10-20.
Ridley Scott, English filmmaker, known for english filmmaker, was born on 1938-11-30. Sir Ridley Scott is an English filmmaker.
Jane Fonda, American actress and activist, known for american actress and activist, was born on 1938-12-21. Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress and activist.
Anthony Hopkins, Welsh welsh actor, known for welsh actor, was born on 1938-12-31. Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins is a Welsh actor.
Earl Anthony, American professional bowler, known for american professional bowler, was born on 1938-04-27.
Roald Hoffmann is born
Alberto Fujimori is born
Michael Hill is born