Today in History for August 1939

Months in 1939: January February March April May June July September October November December

Historical Events

Events 1 - 40 of 40

2nd - Hatch Act prohibits political activity by federal workers
3rd - Jean Genets "Ondine," premieres in Paris
6th - 1st broadcast of "Dinah Shore Show" on NBC-radio
10th - 2nd Dutch De Geer government forms (1st with Social Democrats)
11th - Sergei Rachmaninovs last appearance in Europe
13th - Yankees set AL shutout margin with 21-0 victory over A's
13th - Sabotage suspected in crash of 'City of San Francisco'
14th - 1st night games at Comiskey Park (White Sox 5, Browns 2)
15th - "Wizard of Oz" premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood
15th - In 1st night game at Comiskey Park, Sox beat Browns 5-2
15th - 13 Stukas dive into the ground during a disastrous air-practice at Neuhammer. No survivors.
17th - "Wizard of Oz" opens at Loew's Capitol Theater in NY
19th - 37.6 cm rainfall at Tuckerton, NJ (state record)
20th - 1st black bowling league formed (National Bowling Assoc)
20th - Russian offensive under General Zjoekov against Japanese invasion in Mongolia
22nd - Dutch border guards take positions for German invasion
22nd - Premier De Geer recalls Dutch vacationers in Black Forest
23rd - John Cobb (Britain) drives 365.85 MPH (593.48 KPH) at Bonneville Flats
23rd - Molotov-Ribbentrop pact: East Europe divided between Hitler & Stalin
Soviet Union Premier Joseph Stalin 23rd - USSR & Germany sign a non-agression pact
23rd - Molotov-Ribbentrop-pact (Soviet Union neutral/Poland divided)
24th - Germany & USSR sign 10-year non-aggression pact
26th - 1st major league baseball telecast-Reds beat Bkln Dodgers (W2XBS NY)
26th - Belgium mobilizes
26th - Kroatia gets autonomous status
27th - Erich Warsitz makes 1st jet-propelled flight (in a Heinkel He-178)
27th - Heinkel He-178 makes 1st manned flight with rocket/jet propulsion
27th - Nazi Germany demands Danzig & Polish corridor
27th - Queen Wilhelmina receives German ambassador Grave Zech
28th - "Monty" becomes commandant of 3rd "Iron" Infantry division
28th - Netherland mobilizes
28th - Sammy Fain/Jack Yellen's musical "George White's Scandals" premieres
29th - Chaim Weizmann informs England that Palestine Jews will fight in WW II
30th - 6th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: NY Giants 9, All-Stars 0 (81,456)
30th - General Reijnders appointed supreme commander of Dutch army
30th - Isoroku Yamamoto appointed supreme commander of Japanese fleet
30th - NY Yankee Atley Donald pitches a baseball a record 94.7 mph (152 kph)
30th - Poland mobilizes
31st - Japanese invasion army driven out of Mongolia
31st - Staged "Polish" assault on radio station in Gleiwitz

Famous Birthdays

Birthdays 1 - 61 of 61

1st - Stephen Sykes, Bishop of Ely
2nd - Brian Wolfson, CEO (Wembley Pic)
2nd - Edward Pattern, Atlanta Ga, singer (Gladys Knight & the Pips)
2nd - Wes Craven, Cleveland OH, director (Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream)
2nd - Benjamin Barber, American political theorist
3rd - A K Sen Gupta, cricketer (Test India v WI 1959 without distinction)
4th - Frankie Ford, [Frank Guzzo], Gretna La, rock vocalist (Sea Cruise)
4th - Frank Vincent, American actor
5th - Irene, Princess of Netherlands
6th - William "Sonny" Sanders, US singer (Rayber Voices)
7th - Verna Bloom, Lynn MA, actress (After Hours, Badge 373)
7th - Anjanette Comer, American actress
8th - Philip E Baisley, Augusta Va, singer (Statler Bros-Class of '57)
8th - Viorica Viscopoleanu, Romania, long jumper (Oly-gold-68)
8th - William Alden Hibbard, composer
8th - Alexander Watson, American ambassador and diplomat
9th - Billy Henderson, rocker (Spinners-That's What Girls Are Made For)
9th - Claude Osteen, baseball pitcher (Cin Reds)
9th - Max Neuhaus, composer
9th - Tony Budge, English contractor/tank maker/multi-millionaire
9th - Brito, Brazilian footballer
10th - Charles Rose, (Rep-D-North Carolina, 1973- )
10th - Kate O'Mara, Leicaster England, actress (Caress Morell-Dynasty, AbFab)
11th - Attila Bozay, composer
11th - Ronnie Dawson, American rockabilly performer (d. 2003)
12th - George Hamilton, Memphis Tn, (Love at 1st Bite, Where the Boys Are)
12th - Pam Ryan-Kilborn, Australia, hurdler (Olympic-silver-1968)
12th - Roy Romanow, Canadian politician
13th - Saul Steinberg, artist (The Art of Living)
15th - H Onno C R Ruding, director (Amrobank)/Dutch Financial minister (CDA)
15th - Herman van Keeken, Dutch singer (Daddy don't run so fast)
16th - Carol Shelley, London, actress (Gwendolyn Pidgeon-Odd Couple)
16th - Valeri V Ryumin, cosmonaut (Soyuz 25, 32)
16th - Wim Meijer, Dutch MP (PvdA)
16th - Sir Trevor Mcdonald, Trinidadian-born British television newsreader
17th - Luther Allison, Mayflower Ark, rock guitarist (Bad News is Coming)
17th - Anthony Valentine, British actor
18th - Joe Azcue, baseball player
18th - Johnny Preston singer (Running Bear, Cradle of Love)
18th - Molly Bee, Oklahoma City OK, actress (Pinky Lee Show)
18th - Harald Heide-Steen Jr., Norwegian actor and comedian (d. 2008)
18th - Robert Horton, British businessman
19th - Ginger [Peter] Baker, England, drummer (Cream-White Room)
20th - Fernando Poe Jr., Filipino actor and politician (d. 2004)
21st - Clarence Williams III, NYC, actor (Mod Squad, 52 Pick Up, Purple Rain)
21st - Harold W Reid, Augusta County Va, singer (Statler Bros-Class of '57)
21st - James Burton, American guitarist
21st - Festus Mogae, president of Botswana
22nd - Candido Lima, composer
22nd - Carl Yastrzemski, NY, Boston Red Sox great (1967 AL MVP, Hall of Fame)
22nd - Fred Milano, Bronx NY, rocker (Dion & The Belmonts) [or 8/26/40]
23rd - Charles Wardle, MP/under sect of state British home office
23rd - Ronald [Ronny] A Casseres, minister of Dutch Antilles
25th - John Badham, Luton England, director (Dracula, Short Circuit)
25th - Liselot[te JM] Beekmeyer, actress (Issue Blum)
28th - Cassie Mackin, newswoman (NBC TV)
28th - Clem Cattini, rocker
28th - Edward Patten, US soul singer (Gladys Knight & the Pips)
29th - William Friedkin, Chic, dir (Exorcist, Cruising, French Connection)
30th - Elizabeth Ashley, [Cole], Ocala Florida, actress (Coma, Evening Shade)
31st - Jerry Allison, Hillsboro Tx, rock drummer (Buddy Holly & Crickets)

Famous Weddings

Weddings 1 - 2 of 2

14th - "A Star Is Born" actress Janet Gaynor (32) weds MGM costume designer Adrian (36)
20th - "Rebecca" actress Joan Fontaine (21) weds actor Brian Aherne (37)

Famous Deaths

Deaths 1 - 7 of 7

2nd - Harvey Spencer Lewis, American Rosicrucian mystic (b. 1883)
3rd - Eugust Enna, composer, dies at 80
11th - Jean Bugatti, Italian automobile designer (b. 1909)
16th - Ron Oxenham, cricketer (7 Tests for Australia, 14 wickets), dies
23rd - Sidney Coe Howard, playwright (Silver Cord, Pulitzer 1925), dies at 48
24th - W H Moule, cricketer (Australia v England 1880)/High Court judge, dies
25th - Babe Siebert, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1904)