-
J.Edgar Hoover Becomes Head of the FBI
Hoover was head of the FBI for almost half of a century and was thought to be feared by other officials. Under him, the FBI investigated many different cases. He kept secret files on many individuals; nobody knew what was in them because they were destroyed. -
Mein Kampf is Published
Mein Kampf is Adolf Hitler's autobiography. It outlines his political beliefs and ideologies, his plans for Germany, and the world. There are two volumes of it. The autobiography was translated into English in 1937. -
Stock Market Crash (The Great Depression Begins)
The 1920s brought along credit, which many Americans used. This consumer credit allowed people some extra money instead of living paycheck to paycheck. The idea was great until people started buying stock with it. This action called buying stock on margin, led to the crash of the Wall Street Stock Market in New York. This day would later be known as Black Tuesday. -
The Dust Bowl Begins
This name was given to the Southern Plains region of the United States. A severe drought had occurred and many dust storms came with it. Both people and livestock died, while crops were destroyed. This on top of the Depression in the U.S. ruined the region's economy even more than other regions. -
Franklin Roosevelt is Elected President
The candidates for this election were Franklin Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover. Roosevelt won by a landslide because of the seemingly unsuccessful plans for the Great Depression by Hoover. He became the first Democratic president in 80 years to win by majority vote. -
Adolf Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
After firing up the German people about how Germany was being mistreated, Hilter's popularity grew. Hitler strengthened his group, The Nazis, and was eventually sworn in. The country had a weakened economy and government, which allowed Hitler's powerful party to take over. -
CCC is Created
A part of the New Deal "Alphabet Programs", the Civilian Conservation Corps helped fight unemployment. These young men recruited would do environmental work across the nation in parks, forests, and fields. -
WPA is Created
This was one of the "Alphabet Soup Programs" created by FDR. This specific program carried out public work projects, such as building roads and buildings, and it employed many during the Great Depression. -
J.J. Braddock Wins Heavyweight Boxing Title
He was the title holder from 1935 to 1937. His career and title-holding experience ended in 1937 after being knocked out by Joe Louis. He is most famous for climbing his way up from hardships to being the champion. -
Olympic Games in Berlin
This was the 10th occurrence of the Olympics as we know them today. Germany won and took the medals in most of the events, including gymnastics, rowing, and equestrian events. However, the United States took the medals in basketball, which was a new Olympic event in 1936. -
Kristallnacht
Also known as the Night of Broken Glass, this was a series of attacks on Jews by the Nazis. They destroyed many Jewish homes, businesses, and churches. This is also seen as Germany's declaration of war against the Jewish people. -
Grapes of Wrath is Published
Grapes of Wrath is a book by John Steinbeck. It comments on the harshness of the Great Depression and expresses sympathy for the struggling farmers. It became scandalous, however, when many thought it to be communist or insulting to some farmer's techniques. -
Wizard of Oz Premiers in Movie Theaters
While the very first testing premier was in Hollywood on August 15, 1939, the widespread premier was on August 25. This movie is still popular today; however, many questions have come about it. The abuse of the actors during filming came out, along with their lifelong health issues to follow after the filming of the movie. -
Germany Invades Poland
Trying to avoid another Great War, France and Great Britain would give in to Hitler's requests. This continued until Germany, led by Hitler, invaded Poland. The aggression shown by the Nazi leader caused both France and Great Britain to declare war. This was the official start of World War II. -
The Four Freedoms Speech
This was a speech delivered by Franklin D. Roosevelt. He laid out basic freedoms that he believed should be fought for everywhere in the world, not just in the United States. This was a way of preparing the nation for the oncoming World War.