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J.Edgar Hoover Becomes Head of the FBI
On May 10, 1924, Attorney General Harlan Fiske Stone appointed the 29-year-old Hoover acting director of the Bureau, and by the end of the year Mr. Hoover was named Director. As Director, Mr. Hoover put into effect a number of institutional changes to correct criticisms made of his predecessor's administration. -
Mein Kampf is Published
The narrative describes the process by which he became increasingly antisemitic and militaristic, especially during his years in Vienna. He speaks of not having met a Jew until he arrived in Vienna, and that at first his attitude was liberal and tolerant. When he first encountered the antisemitic press, he says, he dismissed it as unworthy of serious consideration. -
Stock Market Crash Begins Great Depression
The stock market crash of 1929 caused the Great Depression because everyone lost money. Investors and businesses both put significant amounts of money into the market and tremendous amounts of money were lost when it crashed. Businesses closed and people lost their savings. -
Adolf Hitler Become Chancellor of Germany
Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in 1933 following a series of electoral victories by the Nazi Party. He ruled absolutely until his death by suicide in April 1945. -
Franklin Roosevelt is Elected President (1st Time)
FDR was first inaugurated as 32nd President on March 4, 1933. The date of March 4 was set by the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. -
CCC is Created
Roosevelt established the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933. The CCC or C's as it was sometimes known, allowed single men between the ages of 18 and 25 to enlist in work programs to improve America's public lands, forests, and parks. -
The Dust Bowl Begins
With the onset of drought in 1930, the overfarmed and overgrazed land began to blow away. Winds whipped across the plains, raising billowing clouds of dust. The sky could darken for days, and even well-sealed homes could have a thick layer of dust on the furniture. -
WPA is Created
Key Takeaways. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was introduced in 1935 by then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to provide jobs and income to the growing population of unemployed in the United States. The goal of the WPA was to employ most of the unemployed people on relief until the economy recovered. -
J.J. Braddock Wins Heavyweight Boxing Title
In the end, the judges gave Braddock the title with a unanimous decision, outpointing Baer 8 rounds to 6. A 10-to-1 underdog, Braddock won the Heavyweight Championship of the World as the in what was called "the greatest fistic upset since the defeat of John L. Sullivan by Jim Corbett". -
Olympic Games in Berlin
The eleventh Olympic Games were held in Berlin in 1936 and presented the Nazis with an opportunity to show off their regime to the world. Berlin had been selected to host the 1936 Olympic Games before the Nazis came to power, but the regime took full advantage of the enormous propaganda opportunity the Games presented. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, was the Nazi dictatorship's declaration of war against German and Austrian Jews in November 1938. Kristallnacht, the night of November 9–10, 1938, when German Nazis attacked Jewish persons and property. On November 9–10, 1938, the Nazi regime coordinated a wave of antisemitic violence. -
Grapes of Wrath is Published
The Grapes of Wrath, the best-known novel by John Steinbeck, published in 1939. It evokes the harshness of the Great Depression and arouses sympathy for the struggles of migrant farmworkers. The book came to be regarded as an American classic. -
Wizard of Oz Premiers in Movie Theaters
On August 25, 1939, The Wizard of Oz, which will become one of the best-loved movies in history, opens in theaters around the United States. The Wizard of Oz was MGM's most expensive production ever, at the time. The film premiered in August of 1939 to almost universally positive public reception. -
Germany Invades Poland
Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe. German forces broke through Polish defenses along the border and quickly advanced on Warsaw, the Polish capital. Hundreds of thousands of refugees, both Jewish and non-Jewish, fled the German advance hoping the Polish army could halt the German advance. -
The Four Freedoms Speech
Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union Address, commonly known as the “Four Freedoms” speech. In it he articulated a powerful vision for a world in which all people had freedom of speech and of religion, and freedom from want and fear. It was delivered on January 6, 1941 and it helped change the world.