1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919
1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929
1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939
1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949
- Wilhelm Keitel was promoted to the rank of Generalleutnant. ww2dbase [Wilhelm Keitel | CPC]
French Indochina
- Emperor Bao Dai's oldest son, Crown Prince Bao Long, was born in the Palace of Kien-Trung within the Imperial City in Hue, Annam, French Indochina. ww2dbase [Bao Dai | Hue, Annam | CPC]
- The town of Vorkuta was established in northern Komi Republic, Russia to support the Vorkuta Gulag forced labor camps. ww2dbase [Vorkuta Forced Labor Camp | Vorkuta, Komi | CPC]
- Admiral Graf Spee was commissioned into German service. ww2dbase [Admiral Graf Spee | CPC]
China
- Dong Zhao was named the commanding officer of the 28th Division. ww2dbase [Dong Zhao | CPC]
- Major Marine units of the US Marine Corps began their participation in Fleet Landing Exercise No . 2 at Culebra, Puerto Rico. ww2dbase [CPC]
- HMS Apollo was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Hobart | CPC]
United States
- USS Nevada arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for overhaul. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | Nevada | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
United Kingdom
- British King George V passed away at Sandringham House, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Sandringham, England | AC]
France
- Pierre Laval stepped down as the Prime Minister of France. ww2dbase [Pierre Laval | CPC]
- Shark (Porpoise-class) was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Shark (Porpoise-class) | CPC]
- Zhao Chengshou was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. ww2dbase [Zhao Chengshou | CPC]
Germany
- The first German airborne battalion was established by the Luftwaffe. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- Josias was promoted to the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer. ww2dbase [Josias | CPC]
- Horst Böhme was promoted to the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer. ww2dbase [Horst Böhme | CPC]
China
- Ding Zhipan was promoted to the rank of major general in the Nationalist Army. ww2dbase [Ding Zhipan | CPC]
- The Gestapo was moved outside normal civil law, answering only to Adolf Hitler via Heinrich Himmler. ww2dbase [TH]
- Ernst Udet was appointed the Inspector of Fighters and Dive Bombers of the German Luftwaffe. ww2dbase [Ernst Udet | AC]
France
- The final production example of GL-832 HY floatplane was completed. ww2dbase [GL-832 HY | CPC]
Germany
- The keel of Horst Wessel was laid down by Blohm und Voss in Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Blohm und Voss | Horst Wessel | Hamburg | CPC]
- Captain Kyuhachi Kudo was named the commanding officer of Tenryu. ww2dbase [Tenryu | CPC]
- Major Marine units of the US Marine Corps completed their participation in Fleet Landing Exercise No . 2 at Culebra, Puerto Rico. ww2dbase [CPC]
Spain
- In Spain the Popular Front won the general election. The Popular Front, a coalition of the left Republicans with the Socialists and Communists obtained 270 seats in the assembly against 200 seats won by the centre and right political parties. ww2dbase [AC]
Spain
- The Spanish government announced an amnesty for 35,000 left wing political prisoners. ww2dbase [AC]
China
- Lieutenant General Chen Qingyun was named the commandant of the Chinese Central Aviation Academy at Jianqio Airfield, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, relieving Lieutenant General Zhou Zhirou. ww2dbase [Jianqiao Airfield | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | CPC]
- Prince Hiroyasu's fifth child, Princess Atsuko, passed away. ww2dbase [Hiroyasu | CPC]
- Sun Chu arrived at the front lines in the conflict against the Chinese communists in Shaanxi, China. ww2dbase [Sun Chu | CPC]
- Edmund Herring became a King's Counsel. ww2dbase [Edmund Herring | CPC]
- The British Cabinet approved a report calling for the expansion of the Royal Navy and re-equipment (but not expansion) of the Army, together with the establishment of "shadow factories" paid for with public money but to be managed by industrial companies. ww2dbase [AC]
- February 26 Incident began in Japan, which was a failed coup attempt. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Adolf Hitler opened the 1st Volkswagen plant in Germany. ww2dbase [CPC]
- USS New York arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | New York | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
- Rudolf Höss was promoted to the rank of SS-Hauptscharführer. ww2dbase [Rudolf Höss | CPC]
- In Colorado, United States, the "Six Company's" consortium formally handed the newly completed Hoover Dam over to the federal government, two years ahead of schedule. ww2dbase [AC]
- Henry Arnold was promoted to the permanent rank of colonel. ww2dbase [Henry Arnold | CPC]
Germany
- U-36 was launched. ww2dbase [U-36 | CPC]
- Werner von Blomberg issued orders for the reoccupation of Rhineland in western Germany. ww2dbase [Re-militarization of Rhineland | CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler played host to the former British Liberal Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, at his Berghof residence in München–Oberbayern (Bavaria), Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Berchtesgaden, München–Oberbayern | AC]
Germany
- The German Zeppelin derigible, LZ 129 Hindenburg, made its maiden flight. Together with its sister airship, LZ130 Deutschland, these were (at 803.8 feet length) the largest rigid airships ever constructed. ww2dbase [AC]
- The Confessing Church in Germany issued a declaration rejecting National Socialist ambitions to be "the supreme and ultimate authority in all spheres of life". Banned by the Gestapo, 700 pastors were arrested after reading out the declaration. ww2dbase [AC]
- Supermarine prototype Type 300 aircraft took flight from Eastleigh airfield in England, United Kingdom; this aircraft would later be named Spitfire. ww2dbase [Spitfire | Eastleigh, England | AC]
- Hawker's prototype fighter K5083 was delivered to Martelesham Heath airfield in Suffolk, England, United Kingdom for testing. ww2dbase [Hurricane | Martelesham Heath, England | CPC]
China
- General Jiro Minami stepped down as the Governor-General of Kwantung Leased Territory and the commanding officer of the Japanese Kwantung Army in northeastern China. ww2dbase [Jiro Minami | CPC]
- Kenkichi Ueda was made the Governor-General of Kwantung Leased Territory and the commanding officer of the Japanese Kwantung Army. ww2dbase [Kenkichi Ueda | CPC]
- Werner Mölders flew missions over the Rhineland region of Germany. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- Upon the success of the Rhineland reoccupation in western Germany, Adolf Hitler dissolved the Reichstag and called for re-elections, which saw overwhelming approval for the action. ww2dbase [Re-militarization of Rhineland | TH]
- Fleet escort ship F3 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [F3 | CPC]
- Hiroshi Nemoto was named the commanding officer of 27th Infantry Regiment. ww2dbase [Hiroshi Nemoto | CPC]
- Koki Hirota became the 32nd Prime Minister of Japan. ww2dbase [Koki Hirota | CPC]
- Josias' son, Wittekind, was born at the castle of Schloß Arolsen, Arolsen, Germany. ww2dbase [Josias | Arolsen | CPC]
- Captain Frederick L. Oliver was named the commanding officer of New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, United States. ww2dbase [New York Navy Yard | Brooklyn, New York | CPC]
China
- The village of Tauran in Mongolia Area, China was subjected to clashes between Mongolian separatist troops (accompanied by Soviet advisors) and Japanese-Manchukuoan troops. The disputed village was secured by the Japanese-Manchukuoan side by the end of the day. ww2dbase [Tauran Incident | Tauran, Mongolia | CPC]
Germany
- Adolf Hitler spoke publicly at Karlsruhe, Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | Karlsruhe, Baden | CPC]
- Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin appointed Sir Thomas Inskip to coordinate the three defence services. Although he would have no department Inskip was only able to preside over meetings of the service Chiefs of Staffs and endorse their decisions. But by so doing he was able to obtain more money for the Navy and Air Force to purchase new equipment. ww2dbase [AC]
Korea
- Vice Admiral Tsugumatsu Inoue was named the commanding officer of Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea. ww2dbase [Chinkai Guard District | Chinkai, Gyeongsangnam | CPC]
- The Armstrong Whitworth Whitley all-metal twin-engine monoplane bomber made its maiden flight. ww2dbase [A.W.38 Whitley | AC]
United States
- USS Pennsylvania departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | Pennsylvania | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
China
- Seishiro Itagaki was named the chief of staff of Kenkichi Ueda (Japanese Kwantung Army in northeastern China). ww2dbase [Seishiro Itagaki | CPC]
France
- Cruiser Georges Leygues was launched at Saint-Nazaire, France. ww2dbase [Georges Leygues | Saint-Nazaire, Pays de la Loire | CPC]
Kazakhstan
- Bauyrzhan Momyshuly was conscripted into military service for a second time. ww2dbase [Bauyrzhan Momyshuly | CPC]
China
- Kenkichi Ueda was made the Japanese ambassador to the puppet nation of Manchukuo in northeastern China. ww2dbase [Kenkichi Ueda | CPC]
Germany
- The Reichstag elections recorded a record turnout of 98.8%, although the rules had been changed in respect of spoilt papers-in that all ballot papers left blank were counted as a vote for the National Socialists candidate, and only where the voter had specifically written "No" against a candidate's name were they counted as a vote against. ww2dbase [AC]
- Quintin Brand received the Order of Ismail from the Egyptian government. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
- Matsuyama Airfield in Taihoku (now Taipei), Taiwan began its operations. ww2dbase [Matsuyama Airfield | Taihoku | CPC]
- Light carrier Hosho completed her repairs. ww2dbase [Hosho | CPC]
- SS-Oberführer Hans Loritz was named the commandant of Dachau Concentration Camp in southern Germany, replacing Heinrich Deubel. ww2dbase [Dachau Concentration Camp | Dachau, München-Oberbayern | CPC]
- The Division of Aviation was established at Headquarters, US Marine Corps under the command of Colonel Road E . Rowell, the former head of the Marine Aviation Section. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Wolfgang Falck was assigned to the 5th group of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen", based at Jüterbog-Damm, Germany. He was placed in charge of furthering the training of new pilots assigned to the unit. ww2dbase [Wolfgang Falck | Jüterbog-Damm | CPC]
- Karl-Otto Koch stepped down as the commandant of Columbia Concentration Camp in Berlin, Germany. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Karl-Otto Koch | Berlin | CPC]
- Japan Air Transport's Fukuoka-Naha-Taihoku air route began, transporting passengers between southern Japan, Okinawa, and Taiwan. ww2dbase [Matsuyama Airfield | Taihoku | CPC]
- J2F Duck aircraft took its first flight; deliveries were made to the United States Navy later on the same day. ww2dbase [J2F Duck | CPC]
- The German aviation ministry paid 750,000 Reichsmarks to the town of Wolgast in Pommern (Pomerania), Germany for the northern peninsula of the island of Usedom. ww2dbase [Peenemünde Army Research Center | Wolgast, Pommern | CPC]
- Aubrey Fitch was made the commanding officer of USS Lexington. ww2dbase [Aubrey Fitch | DS]
- Quintin Brand was made a supernumerary member of the headquarters of the No. 6 (Auxiliary) Group RAF. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
Germany
- The keel of U-23 was laid down by Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany. ww2dbase [Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft | U-23 | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
Greece
- Ioannis Metaxas was appointed the Prime Minister of Greece. ww2dbase [Ioannis Metaxas | Athens | CPC]
United States
- A S-43 aircraft, piloted by Boris Sergievsky and carrying a 500-kilogram payload, set an altitude record for amphibious aircraft at 27,950 feet above Stamford, Connecticut, United States. ww2dbase [S-43 | Stamford, Connecticut | CPC]
France
- The French Army issued requirements for a fully armored fuel and munitions supply vehicle that would help extend the operational range of tank units. ww2dbase [37L | CPC]
China
- Sun Du was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. ww2dbase [Sun Du | CPC]
- The Marquess of Linlithgow, Victor Hope, was made the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, succeeding the Earl of Willingdon, Freeman Freeman-Thomas. ww2dbase [CPC]
- USS Nevada departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | Nevada | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
- Werner Mölders was promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant, effective as of 1 Apr 1936. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- Werner von Blomberg was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall. ww2dbase [Werner von Blomberg | CPC]
- Wolfgang Falck was promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant. ww2dbase [Wolfgang Falck | CPC]
- The French Army issued the second order for AMR 35 light tanks. ww2dbase [AMR 35 | CPC]
- Robert von Greim was promoted to the rank of Oberst. ww2dbase [Robert von Greim | CPC]
- Karl-Otto Koch was made the commandant of Esterwegen Concentration Camp in Esterwegen, Germany. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Karl-Otto Koch | Esterwegen, Weser-Ems | CPC]
- Rear Admiral Harris L. Laning was named the commanding officer of New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York, United States. ww2dbase [New York Navy Yard | Brooklyn, New York | CPC]
France
- The first AMR 35 light tanks entered service with the French Army. ww2dbase [AMR 35 | CPC]
Germany
- The keel of Prinz Eugen was laid down by Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany. ww2dbase [Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft | Prinz Eugen | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
- In Germany the Ordensburgen Training Centres were formally established for the indoctrination of Nazi Party members. These establishments came under the responsibility of Reich Organization Leader Robert Ley, a loud-mouth fanatic with a reputation for drink and women and an obsession with creating physically perfect Germans. ww2dbase [AC]
France
- Tetsuzo Iwamoto began receiving flight training by the Japanese Navy. ww2dbase [Tetsuzo Iwamoto | CPC]
China
- Tsia Bun-tat retired from the Chinese Air Force at the rank of major. ww2dbase [Tsia Bun-tat | CPC]
- Cruiser Köln began two months of operations off Portugal. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
- In Germany the NSDAP introduced ambitious new plans for controlling the population. Key among these were the dividing of the population into blocks of 40 to 60 households under local controllers (not necessarily a party member) responsible for the political outlook, education and morale of every inhabitant, member or not. ww2dbase [AC]
- Fleet escort ship F5 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [F5 | CPC]
See all photos dated 1 May 1936
French Somaliland
- Exhausted and heartbroken the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia I travelled by train to Djibouti in French Somaliland where he boarded the British cruiser HMS Enterprise to sail into exile. ww2dbase [Invasion of Ethiopia | Haile Selassie I | Djibouti | AC]
Ethiopia
- Italian forces captured Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bringing an end to Ethiopian resistance. During this campaign the Italian air force had used modern weapons, including poison gas, against natives armed with little more than primitive weapons. ww2dbase [Invasion of Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | AC]
France
- The Latécoère 298 seaplane took its maiden flight. ww2dbase [Latécoère 298 | CPC]
- Italy officially announced the establishment of Italian East Africa, merging Italian-held territories of Italian Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. ww2dbase [Invasion of Ethiopia | CPC]
China
- Chiang Kaishek proclaimed that Japan was waging war in China without a declaration of war. ww2dbase [Chiang Kaishek | CPC]
- Italy annexed Ethiopia and formed the colony of Italian East Africa by combining Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Italian Somaliland. In Italy, King Vittorio Emanuele III took on the additional title as the Emperor of Ethiopia. ww2dbase [Vittorio Emanuele III | CPC]
- Benito Mussolini disbanded the Blackshirt legions in Italy. ww2dbase [CPC]
Germany
- F9 was launched at the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [Kriegsmarinewerft | F9 | Wilhelmshaven, Weser-Ems | CPC]
- F10 was launched at the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [Kriegsmarinewerft | F10 | Wilhelmshaven, Weser-Ems | CPC]
Germany
- The first prototype of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 made its maiden flight from Augsburg-Haunstetten, Germany, with test pilot Rudolf Opitz at the controls. ww2dbase [Bf 110 | Augsburg | AC]
- The keel of HMS Cachalot was laid down by the Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Greenock, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Cachalot (Grampus-class) | Greenock, Scotland | CPC]
United States
- Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States. ww2dbase [Tatsuta Maru | San Francisco, California | CPC]
Pacific Ocean
- USS Portland crossed the equator while on maneuvers with the rest of the Pacific Fleet, prompting Crossing the Line ceremonies on at least 102 ships. ww2dbase [Line Crossing Ceremony | Portland | DS]
Germany
- Fleet escort ship F6 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [F6 | CPC]
- Fleet escort ship F7 was launched at the Blohm und Voss yard in Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Blohm und Voss | F7 | Hamburg | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The transatlantic ocean liner RMS Queen Mary made her maiden voyage, departing from Southampton, England, United Kingdom. Converted into a troopship in World War II she would carry thousands of American troops across to Europe. ww2dbase [Queen Mary | Southampton, England | AC]
United Kingdom
- The British Air Ministry released Production Scheme F, which called for the production of 1,000 new fighters. ww2dbase [CPC]
United States
- USS New York departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | New York | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
- The British Air Ministry placed an order for 310 Spitfire fighters at £4,500 each. ww2dbase [Spitfire | CPC]
- Ira Eaker took off from New York, United States on an attempt of the blind flight across North America. ww2dbase [Ira Eaker | CPC]
- In Germany, General Walther Wever, Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe, was killed when the Heinkel He 70 in which he was flying to Berlin crashed shortly after taking off from Dresden. ww2dbase [Dresden, Sachsen | AC]
United Kingdom
- The British Air Ministry issued Contract No. 527112/36 to Hawker Aviation for 600 units of the soon-to-be-named Hurricane fighter design. ww2dbase [Hurricane | CPC]
- The United States Social Security Board decided to issue nine-digit identification numbers to Americans which would later be known as Social Security Numbers, and to establish 89 district offices and 469 branch offices. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Esterwegen Concentration Camp in Germany was closed to be converted to be a punishment camp; prisoners of Esterwegen were ordered to build the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp | Oranienburg, Mark Brandenburg | CPC]
Danzig
- The keel of Dithmarschen was laid down by F. Schichau in Danzig. ww2dbase [F. Schichau Danzig | Dithmarschen | CPC]
- Ernst Vogelsang was awarded the Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords. ww2dbase [Ernst Vogelsang | CPC]
- Cruiser Köln began operations off Spain. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
- Ira Eaker completed the first blind flight from New York to Los Angeles, making this the first North American transcontinental flight using only instruments. ww2dbase [Ira Eaker | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Hawker Aviation issued fuselage manufacturing drawings of the soon-to-be-named Hurricane design to its production shops. ww2dbase [Hurricane | CPC]
- Destroyer Afridi was laid down at Vickers-Armstrong’s High Walker Yard on the Tyne in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [AC]
- Quincy was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Quincy (New Orleans-class) | CPC]
- Ernst Udet was appointed Director of the Technical Department of the German Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) with responsibility for all new Luftwaffe aircraft. His department grew to a complex 26 departments and was riven with petty jealousies and inter-department rivalries. Udet failed to provide a firm leadership and his organisation soon collapsed into chaos, whilst Udet, with no effective deputy and a poor staff seemed more happier when he was out of reach visiting aircraft factories and airfields (usually at the controls of his own bright red Siebel tourer complete with its well stocked bar). ww2dbase [Ernst Udet | AC]
Germany
- Horst Wessel was launched by Blohm und Voss in Hamburg, Germany, sponsored by Nazi martyr Horst Wessel's mother. Rudolf Hess gave a speech at the ceremony, which Adolf Hitler also attended. ww2dbase [Blohm und Voss | Horst Wessel | Hamburg | CPC]
Germany
- A contract for 'New Construction G' was issued by the German Navy to the Kriegsmarine Werft in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [Kriegsmarinewerft | Tirpitz | Wilhelmshaven, Weser-Ems | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler departed Venice, Italy, returning to Germany. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Heinrich Himmler was named the head of the first German national police force. Prior to this, police forces had always been under the jurisdiction of local states and not the national government. ww2dbase [Heinrich Himmler | CPC]
Japan
- Pinghai completed the fitting of weapons at Aioi, Japan. ww2dbase [Pinghai | Aioi, Hyogo | CPC]
Latvia
- Franklin Roosevelt was nominated for second term as US President at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- German Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg drew up Case Green as a hypothetical campaign against Czechoslovakia. ww2dbase [Werner von Blomberg | CPC]
- Albatros departed Spanish waters to escort light cruisers Köln and Leipzig on their return journey to Germany; Möwe replaced Albatros as the flagship of 2nd Torpedo Boat Half-Flotilla. ww2dbase [Köln | Leipzig | Möwe | Albatros | CPC]
- U-27 was launched at Bremen, Germany. ww2dbase [U-27 | Bremen, Weser-Ems | CPC]
- The German military began to exclude Jews from service. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
- Piloted by Ewald Rohlfs, the Focke-Wulf Fw 61 V1 twin-rotor helicopter made its first flight of about half a minute duration. The Fw 61 was the world's first completely successful helicopter design. ww2dbase [AC]
- The Soviet Council on Labor and Defense presented a ten-year plan to the Politburo for a 1,360,000-ton navy. ww2dbase [Moscow | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The Hurricane fighter design officially received its "Hurricane" designation. ww2dbase [Hurricane | CPC]
- Cruiser Köln completed operations off Spain. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
- The US Congress passed the Merchant Marine Act (1936) which set in place the necessary legislation to create series-production facilities for mercantile hulls. This legislation would ultimately have important consequences for the wartime Battle of the Atlantic. ww2dbase [AC]
- The keel of torpedo boat T10 was laid down at the F. Schichau yard in Elbing, Germany (now Elblag, Poland). ww2dbase [T10 | Elbing, Danzig-Westpreußen | CPC]
- Nachi completed her first reconstruction at Sasebo Naval Arsenal, Japan. ww2dbase [Sasebo Naval Arsenal | Nachi | Sasebo, Nagasaki | CPC]
- The active duty strength of the US Marine Corps was reported to be 1,208 officers and 16,040 enlisted men for a total of 17,248. ww2dbase [CPC]
- American author Margaret Mitchell's novel, Gone with the Wind, was published. The book would win the Pulitzer Prize and be turned into a famous movie. ww2dbase [AC]
Aden
- Air Commodore Wilfred McClaughry was made the commanding officer of British Forces Aden, succeeding Leslie Gossage. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The keel of the battleship Bismarck was laid down at Blohm und Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Blohm und Voss | Bismarck | Hamburg | AC]
- The order for the construction of Wilhelm Bauer was issued. ww2dbase [Wilhelm Bauer | CPC]
- The US 2nd Marine Brigade was formed at San Diego, California, United States for deployment to China. ww2dbase [San Diego, California | AC]
Germany
- Heinrich Himmler celebrated the 1,000th anniversary of the passing of King Heinrich I at the Quedlinburg Dom (also known as the Collegiate Church of St. Servatius) at Quedlinburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Heinrich Himmler | Quedlinburg, Magdeburg-Anhalt | CPC]
Latvia
- Three Latvian Seal aircraft under the command of Colonel Janis Indans returned to Latvia, completing a 6,000-kilometer round trip journey between Latvia and Britain. ww2dbase [Seal | CPC]
- The British RAF Fighter Command was established. ww2dbase [CPC]
France
- The French Army started its first evaluation of the Lorraine 37L armored tracked carrier. ww2dbase [37L | CPC]
- The keel of of M1 was laid down by Stülcken at the H. C. Stülcken Sohn shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [H. C. Stülcken Sohn | M1 | Hamburg | CPC]
- The US Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics changed the specification of Grumman's new F4F prototype from a biplane to a monoplane configuration. The aircraft would emerge as the successful Wildcat fighter. ww2dbase [F4F Wildcat | AC]
- Quintin Brand was appointed the Director of Repair and Maintenance of the RAF. ww2dbase [Quintin Brand | CPC]
- Germany and Austria signed an agreement in which Germany promised to respect Austria's sovereignty and Austria agrees to be considered a state of the German people. In a secret clause of this agreement, Austria was to permit the Nazi Party. ww2dbase [Annexation of Austria | CPC]
Spain
- In Spain, Calvé Sotelo, a well-known monarchist, was murdered by Republican storm troopers, and passions were roused to even greater fury when, at the funeral, police opened fire, killing four of the mourners. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Hugh Dowding was appointed the first commander-in-chief of the British RAF Fighter Command. In this role, he was also in charge of the Anti-Aircraft Command, the Balloon Command, and the Observer Corps. ww2dbase [Hugh Dowding | CPC]
- The H6K flying boat took its first flight. ww2dbase [H6K | AC]
- RAF Fighter Command's Headquarters moved from RAF Uxbridge to Bentley Priory in England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [England | AC]
- The British Royal Air Force was reorganised to reflect the demands of expansion. The RAF would now consist of four distinctive commands (Bomber, Fighter, Coastal and Air Training) each with their own service responsibilities. ww2dbase [AC]
Spain
- Fal Condé, leader of the ardent Catholic Carlist movement in Spain, agreed to call out his 8,400 strong Requetés Militia to support the Nationalist cause. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- USS New York arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | New York | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
- Arturo Riccardi was made Commander of the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy. ww2dbase [Arturo Riccardi | CPC]
- An attempt was made to assassinate British King Edward VIII in London, England, United Kingdom. An Irish malcontent, Jerome Brannigan (otherwise known as George Andrew McMahon), produced a loaded revolver as the King rode on horseback at Constitution Hill, near Buckingham Palace. Police spotted the gun and pounced on him; he was quickly arrested. At Brannigan's trial, he alleged that "a foreign power" had approached him to kill Edward, that he had informed MI5 of the plan, and that he was merely seeing the plan through to help MI5 catch the real culprits. The court rejected the claims and sent him to jail for a year. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
- Throughout Spain and Spanish Morocco military garrisons (aided in place by the Guardia Civil and the Falange) rose in revolt against the Republican Government. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- General Francisco Franco flew from Tenerife, Canary Islands to Tetuan, Spanish Morocco to take over command of the Spanish Army of Africa. Meanwhile, he also appealed to Germany and Italy for volunteer fighters. ww2dbase [Francisco Franco | AC]
- The insurgent Spanish Nationalists succeeded in seizing power in Morocco, Navarre, Galicia, Old Castile, and Seville, but were thwarted in the key cities off Barcelona and Madrid. Santiago Casares Quiroga of the Left Republican Party resigned from the post of Prime Minister of the Republic; President Manuel Azana asked Diego Martinez Barrio, a member of the Republican Union Party, to form a moderate government which could negotiate with the rebels; when Barrio was unable to form a government which enjoyed and real support he resigned. Professor Jose Giral of the Republican Party would replace him and ordered that arms be distributed to the workers. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Bob Feller made his Major League Baseball debut. ww2dbase [Robert Feller | CPC]
- When it became apparent that the rising in Madrid, Spain had failed, the Nationalist supporters in Toledo (40 miles to the south-west of the capital) occupied the Military Academy in the Alcazar fortress. The garrison was mainly drawn from the local Guardia Civil and Falange, and was commanded by the Commandant of the Academy, Colonel Jose Moscardo. For two months the defenders held out against the Republican Militia units besieging them, and were finally relieved when troops from the Army of Africa, led by Colonel Jose Varela, stormed into Toledo. The relieve of the Alcazar Academy did much to enhance General Franco’s reputation, but the diversion of Varela’s troops from the advance on Madrid gave the capital’s defenders further time to prepare their defences. On this same date, in Madrid, Spanish Prime Minister Giral appealed to the French Socialist Government (whose Prime Minister was Leon Blum) for arms supplies as the Nationalists appealed to Germany and Italy. Finally, the nominal leader of the rising, General Jose Sanjurjo, was killed when the aircraft bringing him from Portugal to Burgos, Spain crashed on take-off. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- El Ferrol, the main naval base in the north-west of Spain, surrendered to the Nationalists. As a result the Nationalists acquired battleship Espana, cruiser Republica, cruiser Admirante Cervera, destroyer Valesco, and two under-construction cruisers Baleares and Canarias. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- A German businessman from Spanish Morocco met Adolf Hitler in Bayreuth, Germany and handed the German leader a letter from Francisco Franco requesting German resistance in the Spanish Civil War. Meanwhile, Franco's Nationalist forces captured Alto de Leon to the north-west of Madrid, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Omar Bradley was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. ww2dbase [Omar Bradley | CPC]
- The keel of submarine Skipjack was laid down by the Electric Boat Company at Groton, Connecticut, United States. ww2dbase [Electric Boat Company | Skipjack | Groton, Connecticut | CPC]
- The COMINTERN agreed to send volunteers and funds to aid the Spanish Republic. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- The airlift, which was to carry the Army of Africa from Spanish Morocco to Spain, began when German and Italian transport aircraft arrived in Spain’s North African territories. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Fleet escort ship F8 was launched at the Blohm und Voss yard in Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Blohm und Voss | F8 | Hamburg | CPC]
- Albatros began her first patrol during the Spanish Civil War. ww2dbase [Albatros | CPC]
- Cruiser Köln began operations off Spain. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
- Submarine Iride was launched at La Spezia, Italy. ww2dbase [Iride | La Spezia, Liguria | CPC]
- USS New York departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. ww2dbase [Puget Sound Navy Yard | New York | Bremerton, Washington | DS]
- Georg von Bismarck was promoted to the rank of Oberstleutnant. ww2dbase [Georg von Bismarck | CPC]
- Lieutenant General Huang Guangrui was named the commandant of the Chinese Central Aviation Academy at Jianqio Airfield, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, relieving Lieutenant General Chen Qingyun. ww2dbase [Jianqiao Airfield | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | CPC]
- The 1936 Olympic Games started in Berlin, Germany; anti-Semitic posters were temporarily removed for the duration of the events. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Berlin | TH]
- The keel of Wilhelm Gustloff was laid down by Blohm und Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany. ww2dbase [Blohm und Voss | Wilhelm Gustloff | Hamburg | CPC]
- Korechika Anami was made the head of the Military Affairs Bureau of the Army Ministry. ww2dbase [Korechika Anami | CPC]
- Shunroku Hata was named the commanding officer of the Taiwan Army. ww2dbase [Shunroku Hata | CPC]
France
- The French Army completed its first evaluation of the Lorraine 37L armored tracked carrier; it was rejected due to an inadequate powerplant. ww2dbase [37L | CPC]
- General Ioannis Metaxas, the Greek Royalist Dictator, declared the 4th of August Regime; he took on the title of Arkhigos. With the authority of the recently restored King George II, he issued a decree putting an end to party politics. His rule was enforced by the police and secret police of his loyal supporter, Constantinos Maniadakis, Minister of National Security. ww2dbase [Ioannis Metaxas | Athens | CPC, AC]
- A Spanish Republican expeditionary force of Catalan and Valencian troops, commanded by Air Force Captain Alberto Bayo and Guardia Civil Captain Manuel Uribarri, landed on the iland of Ibiza, Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. With the help of local people the expeditionary force quickly overcame the Nationalist garrison, and the island returned to Republican rule. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- During the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal, becoming the first American to win four medals in one Olympiad. Owens commented that Adolf Hitler, although biased against people of African descent, rose and waved at him as he paraded with other medal winners before the German leader; Franklin Roosevelt, however, "didn't even send me a telegram." ww2dbase [Berlin | CPC]
- Cruiser Köln completed operations off Spain. ww2dbase [Köln | CPC]
- The Spanish Nationalist gunboat Eduardo Dato was sunk at Algeciras, Spain by the Republican battleship Jaime I. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
Germany
- U-27 was commissioned into service with Korvettenkapitän Hans Ibbeken in command; the submarine was assigned to 2nd Flotilla. ww2dbase [U-27 | CPC]
- The keel of Wilhelm Bauer was laid down at the Howaldtswerke shipyard in Kiel, Germany. ww2dbase [Howaldtswerke Kiel | Wilhelm Bauer | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
- The Spanish Republican battleship Jaime I was damaged by a Nationalist air attack off the coast of Malaga, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Spanish Nationalist forces, drawn from the Army of Africa and led by Colonel Juan Yague, captured Badajoz, Spain. The two parts of Nationalist Spain were now linked. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Franklin Roosevelt made a speech at Chautauqua, New York, United States, in which he stated "I hate war". ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | Chautauqua, New York | CPC]
- Spanish Republican Catalan troops led by Captain Bayo landed on Majorca, Spain and by the evening had advanced eight miles inland from their landing place at Porto Cristo. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Filipp Golikov was awarded the Order of the Red Star for the first time. ww2dbase [Filipp Golikov | CPC]
- The first five CV 35 tanks arrived at Vigo harbour, Spain, as the first step in the Italian involvement in the Spanish Civil War. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Georgy Zhukov was awarded the Order of Lenin for the first time. ww2dbase [Georgy Zhukov | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The Hurricane prototype fighter took another test flight at Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey, England, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Hurricane | Weybridge, England | CPC]
- Philippine President Manuel Quezon granted Douglas MacArthur the title of field marshal in the Philippine Army. ww2dbase [Douglas MacArthur | CPC]
- The new Soviet Ambassador, Marcel Rosenberg, arrived in Republican Spain. He was accompanied by a large number of Soviet "advisers". ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- The Cunard White Star liner RMS Queen Mary, arrived in New York, United States having made the Atlantic crossing in 4 days 27 minutes and taking the Blue Riband from the French liner Normandie. ww2dbase [Queen Mary | New York | AC]
- Porter was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Porter | CPC]
- Albatros completed her first patrol during the Spanish Civil War. ww2dbase [Albatros | CPC]
- German authorities arrested large numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses, sending some of them to concentration camps. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | CPC]
- Spanish Nationalist aircraft bombed Madrid, Spain for the first time. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- U-23 was launched by Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany. ww2dbase [Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft | U-23 | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
- The United States passed a neutrality bill according to popular isolationist sentiment. The slogan "schools, not battleships" was used by supporters of this bill. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Drayton was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Drayton | CPC]
- Arthur Chin was promoted to first lieutenant and was assigned the flight leader of the Chinese 6th Squadron. ww2dbase [Arthur Chin | CPC]
- Gao Youxin enrolled in the Central Aviation Academy of China. ww2dbase [Gao Youxin | CPC]
- U-23 was assigned to the 1st Submarine Flotilla; Korvettenkapitän Eberhard Friedrich Clemens Godt was named her commanding officer. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
- Spanish Republican Catalan troops on Majorca, Spain, faced by a much stronger Spanish Nationalist Garrison (than that on Ibiza) under the command of Colonel Garcia Ruiz, were thrown back by a counter-attack supported by Italian fighters aircraft and bombers. The Republican force rapidly withdrew to the beaches and, covered by the guns of the battleship Jaime I, re-embark aboard the ships which had brought them. Meanwhile, on the mainland, Nationalist forces captured Talavera de la Reina. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Tatsuta Maru arrived at San Francisco, California, United States. ww2dbase [Tatsuta Maru | San Francisco, California | CPC]
- Francisco Largo Caballero (the leader of the Socialists) became Spain's Prime Minister. His Government was a coalition of Socialists, Communists and Left Republicans. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- The Spanish Nationalists closed the border between the Basque Provinces in Spain and France when Irun was captured by troops led by Colonel Alfonso Beorlegui. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Zang Xilan arrived at the Army Military Academy in Nanjing, China for physical examination as preparation for flight training. ww2dbase [Zang Xilan | Nanjing | CPC]
- Italian aircraft arrived in Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain and set up bases from which to bomb Spanish Republican positions. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- The first autonomous Basque Government, led by Jose Antonio Aguirre, was formed in Spain. ww2dbase [AC]
- Pierre Barjot was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander. ww2dbase [Pierre Barjot | CPC]
- Shigure was launched at Uraga, Japan. ww2dbase [Shigure | Uraga, Kanagawa | CPC]
France
- French Army tested AMR 33 light tanks with upgraded suspension systems. ww2dbase [AMR 33 | CPC]
- At the annual party rally Hitler announced a four year plan for economic and military revival under the supervision of Hermann Göring. Hjalmar Schlat, the Reich Minister of Economics, insultingly was not notified of the plan until it was publicly announced. ww2dbase [Hermann Göring | AC]
- The Non-Intervention Committee met for the first time in London, England, United Kingdom. It was created to prevent personnel and matériel reaching the warring parties of the Spanish Civil War. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | London, England | AC]
- Do 18 flying boat "Zephir" piloted by Lufthansa Flugkapitän Blankenburg was launched from the German seaplane tender Schwabenland by catapult in the Azores. Do 18 flying boat "Aeolus" was similarly launched. ww2dbase [Do 18 | CPC]
- Do 18 flying boat "Aeolus" arrived at Hamilton, Bermuda from the Azores after a 18-hour 15-minute flight. Several hours later, Do 18 flying boat "Zephir" arrived at New York, New York, United States from the Azores after a 22-hour 12-minute flight. ww2dbase [Do 18 | CPC]
- A TB-3-4AM-34FRN aircraft, piloted by A. B. Yumashev, broke the payload-to-altitude record by carrying a 5,000-kilogram load to the altitude of 8,116 meters. ww2dbase [TB-3 | CPC]
- The AT-2/Ki-34 aircraft took its first flight. ww2dbase [Ki-34 | CPC]
- Rudolf Höss was promoted to the rank of SS-Untersturmführer. ww2dbase [Rudolf Höss | CPC]
- The Spanish Nationalists captured San Sebastian, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Karl Burk was promoted to the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer. ww2dbase [Karl Burk | CPC]
- Franklin Roosevelt ordered the United States Post Office, employers, and labor unions to assist the United States Social Security Administration to distribution SS-4 employer and SS-5 employee application forms for establishing Social Security Numbers. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- Submarine Pollack was launched, sponsored by Miss Anne Carter Lauman. ww2dbase [Pollack | CPC]
- The Spanish Nationalists captured Ronda, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Charles Hippolyte Noguès was made the Resident-General of French Morocco, replacing Marcel Peyrouton. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Horst Wessel was completed. ww2dbase [Horst Wessel | CPC]
- A TB-3-4AM-34FRN aircraft, piloted by A. B. Yumashev, broke the payload-to-altitude record by carrying a 10,000-kilogram load to the altitude of 6,605 meters. ww2dbase [TB-3 | CPC]
Germany
- Horst Wessel was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Horst Wessel | CPC]
- Mahan was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Mahan | CPC]
- Mahan-class destroyer USS Shaw was commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ww2dbase [Philadelphia Navy Yard | Shaw | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | DS]
- The Spanish Republican submarine B6 was sunk by Nationalist naval forces, led by the destroyer Velasco, off Cape Penas near Santander, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
Russia
- A TB-3-4AM-34FRN aircraft, piloted by A. B. Yumashev, broke the payload-to-altitude record by carrying a 12,000-kilogram load to the altitude of 2,700 meters. ww2dbase [TB-3 | CPC]
- Do 18 flying boat "Aeolus" arrived at Horta, Azores from Hamilton, Bermuda after a 17-hour 50-minute flight. ww2dbase [Do 18 | CPC]
- The French Army started its second evaluation of the Lorraine 37L armored tracked carrier. ww2dbase [37L | CPC]
Germany
- U-23 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [U-23 | CPC]
- Jules Marcel de Coppet was named the Governor-General of French West Africa. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Arturo Riccardi was made Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus. ww2dbase [Arturo Riccardi | CPC]
- Albatros began her second patrol during the Spanish Civil War. ww2dbase [Albatros | CPC]
- The Spanish Republican destroyer Almirante Juan Fernandez was sunk by the Nationalist cruiser Canarias during a naval battle off the coast near Gibraltar. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- ShCh-317 was commissioned into service with Captain V. A. Yegorov in command. ww2dbase [ShCh-317 | CPC]
Japan
- Mutsu completed her reconstruction at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, Japan. ww2dbase [Yokosuka Naval Arsenal | Mutsu | Yokosuka, Kanagawa | CPC]
- At Burgos, Spain, Francisco Franco was publicly proclaimed as the Head of State and the GeneralÃsimo of the military. ww2dbase [Francisco Franco | CPC]
- The Spanish Republican Government approved the statute giving autonomy to the Basque Provinces. ww2dbase [AC]
- The US 1st Marine Brigade began a three-month amphibious and field landing exercise in and near Potomac, Maryland, United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Maximilian von Weichs was promoted to the rank of General der Kavallerie. ww2dbase [Maximilian von Weichs | CPC]
- Alexander Gelhaar was named the commanding officer of U-1, relieving Klaus Ewerth. ww2dbase [U-1 | CPC]
- Werner Mölders received the Dienstauszeichnung 4th Class award. ww2dbase [Werner Mölders | CPC]
- Kurt Fricke was awarded the Wehrmacht Long Service Award 1st with 4th Class. ww2dbase [Kurt Frike | CPC]
- Georg von Küchler was made the deputy president of the military court system. ww2dbase [Georg von Küchler | CPC]
- Walther von Brauchitsch was awarded the Wehrmacht Long Service Award 1st Class. ww2dbase [Walther von Brauchitsch | CPC]
United Kingdom
- Battle of Cable Street: In Britain, Sir Oswald Ernald, 6th Baronet, Mosley, led around 2,000 BUF members in uniform in a march through the East End (an area of London known to have a high proportion of Jewish residents and much poverty) in an attempt designed to intimidate local Jews and rally fascist sympathisers. This was a fatal mistake, for waiting for him in Cable Street were around 100,000 counter-demonstrators who had overturned a lorry and piled up bricks as a barricade. The police seeing what was about to happen ordered Moseley and his men to turn away. They did. The police then turned on the anti-fascist demonstrators and in the ensuing fracas more than a hundred people were injured and eighty arrested. This confrontation was just as disastrous to the BUF as the Olympia rally had been. Moderates deserted in droves. ww2dbase [Oswald Mosley | London, England | AC]
United States
- Submarine Permit was launched at Groton, Connecticut, United States, sponsored by the wife of Harold G. Bowen. ww2dbase [Electric Boat Company | Permit | Groton, Connecticut | CPC]
- Francisco Franco decided that the time was ripe for an attack on Madrid, Spain and entrusted the task to José Enrique Varela, the most dynamic Nationalist commander, who was fresh from his Toledo triumph. His force of 10,000 men was to be divided into four columns; two of which under Juan Yagué (now recovered from his "collapse with exhaustion") would advance along the Toledo-Madrid road, while Varela would take the other two columns along the Mérida-Madrid road. A subsidiary force of 5,000 men under General Valdes Cabanillas was ordered to make a diversionary attack from the west across the Sierra Guadarrama. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Oswald Mosley married Diana Mitford in secret at the home of Joseph Goebbels in Berlin, Germany. Their guests included Adolf Hitler. ww2dbase [Oswald Mosley | Berlin | CPC]
Germany
- The keel of Komet was laid down at the Deschimag shipyard in Bremen, Germany. ww2dbase [Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG | Komet | Bremen, Weser-Ems | AG]
France
- The French Army issued the third and final order of AMR 35 light tanks. ww2dbase [AMR 35 | CPC]
- The Spanish Republican Government announced the creation of the Popular Army. This was to incorporate both the Army units which had remained loyal to the Government and the Party Militias. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Emden departed Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [Emden | Wilhelmshaven | CPC]
- Harrow aircraft took flight for the first time. ww2dbase [Harrow | CPC]
- The first Soviet aid to the Spanish Republicans arrived. Meanwhile, the Republican submarine B5 was sunk by Nationalist aircraft off the coast near Malaga, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Liu Zhesheng graduated from the Central Aviation Academy of China. ww2dbase [Liu Zhesheng | CPC]
- The United States Social Security Administration's first field office opened in Austin, Texas, United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Spanish Republican Popular Army established a system of Commissars (Political Officers) in each unit. ww2dbase [AC]
- Japanese cruiser Kumano launched at Kawasaki's shipyard, Kobe. Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, a second cousin to the Emperor, represents the Imperial family. ww2dbase [Kumano | Kobe, Hyogo | DS]
- 50 Soviet T-26 Model 1933 light tanks arrived in Spain to aid the Republic forces in the Spanish Civil War. ww2dbase [T-26 | CPC]
- The second Four-Year plan was passed into law, which gave Göring the authority to remove any political or institutional obstacle to achieving the plan (e.g. to ride roughshod over any objections to rearmament). ww2dbase [Hermann Göring | AC]
China
- Japanese-backed Mongolian troops marched into Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Suiyuan | Suiyuan | CPC]
China
- Ding Delong was promoted to the rank of major general. ww2dbase [Ding Delong | CPC]
- The Rome-Berlin Axis treaty was signed. ww2dbase [CPC]
- A large part of Spain’s gold reserves (which remained in Republican controlled Spain after the rising) was transferred to Russia to pay for Soviet aid. ww2dbase [AC]
- Germany set up a the Reich Central Office for Combating Abortion and Homosexuality to specifically deal with homosexuality and abortion, both of which, in their thinking, decreases the German birth rate. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Preston (Mahan-class) was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Preston (Mahan-class) | CPC]
- Mrs. Wallis Simpson, mistress of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, was awarded a decree nisi in her divorce proceedings against her second husband. ww2dbase [AC]
- The first 25 I-15 fighters, accompanied by 15 Soviet pilots, arrived in Cartagena, Spain. ww2dbase [I-15 | CPC]
- A TB-3-4AM-34FRN aircraft, piloted by A. B. Yumashev, broke the payload-to-altitude record by carrying a 5,000-kilogram load to the altitude of 8,900 meters. ww2dbase [TB-3 | CPC]
- Soviet tanks and aircraft appeared in the front-line for the first time in the Spanish Civil War. Meanwhile, German and Italian bombers began a series of raids on Madrid, Spain in the hope of destroying civilian resistance. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- In Germany, Josef Wagner, the Gauleiter of Silesia, was appointed Price Commissar to ensure that inflation did not undermine the Four Year Plan announced by Hitler in Sep 1936. ww2dbase [AC]
- The French Army completed its second evaluation of the Lorraine 37L armored tracked carrier; it was accepted. ww2dbase [37L | CPC]
- T-26 tanks saw their first combat action in Spain. ww2dbase [T-26 | CPC]
United Kingdom
- The Crystal Palace, which was built in Hyde Park, London, England, United Kingdom for the Great Exhibition in 1851, was destroyed by fire. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
Russia United Kingdom
- The Jarrow Marchers arrived in London, England, United Kingdom. This protest was the best remembered of the hunger marches of the depression years. Led by their Labour Party Member of Parliament Ellen Wilkinson (1891-1947), 200 shipyard workers marched to London from Jarrow as a demonstration against the massive unemployment in northeastern England. ww2dbase [London, England | AC]
- Destroyer Ralph Talbot was launched at the Boston Navy Yard, Massachusetts, United States. Ship's sponsor was Mrs. Mary Talbot, mother of Marine 2nd Lt Ralph Talbot, killed in World War I and after whom the ship was named. ww2dbase [Boston Navy Yard | Ralph Talbot | Boston, Massachusetts | DS]
- Tetsuzo Iwamoto promoted to the rating of mechanic 1st class. ww2dbase [Tetsuzo Iwamoto | CPC]
- The Spanish Nationalists captured Brunete near Madrid, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Commander Kanae Kozaka was made the commanding officer of Kamoi. ww2dbase [Kamoi | CPC]
- The keel of battleship Tirpitz was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft shipyard in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. ww2dbase [Kriegsmarinewerft | Tirpitz | Wilhelmshaven, Weser-Ems | CPC]
- Franklin Roosevelt was re-elected US President. ww2dbase [Franklin Roosevelt | CPC]
- The Spanish Nationalists captured Getafe near Madrid, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- U-36 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [U-36 | CPC]
- I-15 fighters first saw action in Spain, with pilots flying these aircraft shooting down two Ju 52 and two CR.32 aircraft over Madrid, Spain without any losses. ww2dbase [I-15 | CPC]
- Adolf Hitler told his top lieutenants that the German aim in the Spanish Civil War was not entirely to aid the Spanish Nationalists, but rather, to prolong the conflict to occupy the attention of the United Kingdom and France, and to continue to widen the chasm between the United Kingdom and Italy. ww2dbase [Adolf Hitler | CPC]
- Columbia-Haus Concentration Camp in Berlin, Germany was closed. ww2dbase [Discovery of Concentration Camps and the Holocaust | Berlin | CPC]
- Expecting Madrid to fall at any moment, the Spanish Republican Government moved to Valencia, Spain. A defence Junta under the leadership of General Jose Miaja was organised for the last-ditch defence of the capital. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Submarine Iride was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Iride | CPC]
- The Spanish Nationalists were now poised to make an all-out attack on Madrid in the hope of capturing the Spanish capital and thus ending the war. General Emilio Mola ordered Colonel José Varela to attack the north-west flank of the Spanish Republican defences. Most of the Nationalist troops involved being drawn from the Army of Africa. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
Japan
- Captain Kanji Ugaki was named the commanding officer of Tenryu. ww2dbase [Tenryu | CPC]
Russia
- Viktor Abakumov was assigned to the Department of Guards of Camps and Places of Imprisonment of the GULAG of the Soviet NKVD. ww2dbase [Viktor Abakumov | CPC]
- Lieutenant Commander Haruo Ota was named the commanding officer of destroyer Yuzuki. ww2dbase [Yuzuki | CPC]
- Chen Changjie was awarded the 4th grade of the Order of the Cloud and Banner. ww2dbase [Chen Changjie | CPC]
- Dong Zhao was awarded the Order of Resplendent Banner 4th Class. ww2dbase [Dong Zhao | CPC]
- The keel of Pinguin was laid down at the Deschimag shipyard in Bremen, Germany. ww2dbase [Deutsche Schiff- und Maschinenbau AG | Pinguin | Bremen, Weser-Ems | AG]
- During a debate in the House of Commons, Winston Churchill attacked the British government for its slow progress on rearmament. ww2dbase [Winston Churchill | London, England | AC]
- Tatsuta Maru became the first merchant ship to pass under the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland In California, United States. ww2dbase [Tatsuta Maru | San Francisco, California | CPC]
Danzig
- The keel of Westerwald was laid down by F. Schichau in Danzig. ww2dbase [Nordmark | CPC]
- The US 2nd Marine Brigade began a three-day training exercise with US Navy warships at San Clemente Island, California, United States. ww2dbase [San Clemente Island, California | CPC]
- The German Condor Legion went into action for the first time, supporting further Nationalist operations to capture Madrid. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | CPC]
- Spanish Nationalist Colonel José Varela's troops had forced a bridgehead over the River Manzanares en route to Madrid, Spain. They would capture almost three quarters of the University City in the coming week before being stopped by Spanish Republican militias. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- John Winant began his second term as the Chairman of the United States Social Security Board. ww2dbase [John Winant | CPC]
- Soviet pilot Pavel Rychagov was shot down in Spain in an I-15 fighter; he survived the crash. ww2dbase [I-15 | CPC]
- Captain Ryozo Fukuda was named the commanding officer of Nachi. ww2dbase [Nachi | CPC]
- The US 2nd Marine Brigade completed a three-day training exercise with US Navy warships at San Clemente Island, California, United States. ww2dbase [San Clemente Island, California | CPC]
- Submarine ShCh-205 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [ShCh-205 | CPC]
- Italy and Germany officially recognized General Franco's government in Spain. On the same day, Benito Mussolini authorized an Italian expeditionary corps to be sent to Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC, CPC]
- Perch (Porpoise-class) was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [Perch (Porpoise-class) | CPC]
- Buenaventura Durruti, a leading figure in the Spanish Anarchist movement, died after sustaining battle wounds during the Spanish Civil War on the previous day. ww2dbase [AC]
- Jose Antonio Prima de Rivera (the leader of the Falange), who had been stranded in Republican Spain at the time of the rising, was executed in Alicante. ww2dbase [AC]
- A German decree ordered all households to save all kitchen scraps and peelings. A commissar for recycled material was appointed to encourage the public to "make-do and mend". ww2dbase [AC]
- The Spanish Nationalist attack toward Madrid had stalled, but the Spanish Republican forces were exhausted as well. Althought Nationalist Colonel José Varela had failed in his primary mission of capturing Madrid, the Nationalists now held areas in the northwest of the city, and it was becoming increasingly obvious that further frontal attacks upon Madrid would be both costly and likely to fail. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Near Bailingmiao, Suiyuan Province, China, Chinese forces began marching toward Mongolian positions at midnight. At 1300 hours, Chinese forces of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army began firing at Mongolian forward posts and took high ground. ww2dbase [Battle of Suiyuan | Bailingmiao, Suiyuan | CPC]
- The United States Social Security Administration began distributing SS-5 application forms for the future issuing of Social Security Numbers. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Chinese and Mongolian troops engaged in heavy combat near Bailingmiao, Suiyuan Province, China starting at 0100 hours through dawn, pushing back Mongolian forces back repeatedly. Chinese generals Sun Changsheng and Sun Lanfeng chose to make a major push despite sunrise, which meant Japanese air support might arrive at any time. Spearheaded by armored cars, Chinese troops pushed into the town of Bailingmiao, taking it by 0930 hours. 600 to 700 Monglians were killed, 200 were captured; the Chinese suffered 300 killed and wounded. Chinese troops captured 10 field guns, 10 machine guns, 600 rifles, several radios, 500 barrels of gasoline, a food storage dump, an ammunition dump, and many horses. ww2dbase [Battle of Suiyuan | Bailingmiao, Suiyuan | CPC]
- The order for the construction of torpedo boat T10 was issued. ww2dbase [T10 | CPC]
- Japan and Germany signed the Anti-Comintern Pact. ww2dbase [Anti-Comintern Pact | CPC]
- In a major speech announcing the new Soviet Constitution, Joseph Stalin critically accused democracy in the capitalist countries as being "democracy for only the propertied classes", and further stated that the Soviet Union only needed to be a one-party state as "there was no longer any division between capitalists and workers, landlords and peasants". ww2dbase [Joseph Stalin | AC]
- USS Cummings was commissioned at United Shipyards on Staten Island, New York, United States with Commander Charles P. Cecil in command. ww2dbase [Cummings | Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, New York | CPC]
Taiwan
- The consturction of the Taihoku City Hall in Taihoku (now Taipei), Taiwan was completed. It had cost 980,000 yen to build. ww2dbase [Taihoku | CPC]
China
- 3,000 Mongolian and Chinese irregulars loyal to the Japanese-sponsored puppet state Mengjiang launched an offensive toward Bailingmiao, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Suiyuan | Bailingmiao, Suiyuan | CPC]
- Albatros completed her second patrol during the Spanish Civil War. ww2dbase [Albatros | CPC]
- ShCh-320 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [ShCh-320 | CPC]
- Mitsumasa Yonai was named the commander-in-chief of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. ww2dbase [Mitsumasa Yonai | CPC]
- Hiroaki Abe became the commanding officer of cruiser Jintsu. ww2dbase [Hiroaki Abe | CPC]
- In Germany a law against economic sabotage made it a capital offence for any German citizen to "inflict serious harm on the German economy." In addition, black-marketeering, smuggling, currency fraud and even unauthorised price increases were covered by the new law and could result in long prison sentences on conviction. ww2dbase [AC]
- Mutsu was assigned to Japanese Navy Battleship Division 1. ww2dbase [Mutsu | CPC]
- Thomas Holcomb was promoted to the rank of major general and was appointed the 17th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, relieving Major General John H. Russell, Jr. who had reached the statutory retirement age. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The keel of battleship Jean Bart was laid down. ww2dbase [Jean Bart | AC]
- Chuichi Nagumo was named the commanding officer of the 8th Cruiser Division. ww2dbase [Chuichi Nagumo | CPC]
- Kanae Kozaka was promoted to the rank of captain and remained the commanding officer of Kamoi. ww2dbase [Kamoi | CPC]
- Vice Admiral Masaichi Maeda succeeded Admiral Hideho Wada as the commanding officer of the Ryojun Military Port (previously known as Port Arthur; now Lushunkou, Liaoning Province, China), Kwantung Leased Territory in northeastern China. ww2dbase [Ryojun Guard District | Lushunkou, Liaoning | CPC]
- In Germany a new law made it compulsory for all eligible ethnic German juveniles to become a member of the Hitler Youth or League of German Girls organisations. ww2dbase [AC]
- Captain Koso Abe was named the commanding officer of Naka. ww2dbase [Naka | CPC]
- Captain Naomasa Sakonjo was named the commanding officer of Settsu. ww2dbase [Settsu | CPC]
- Minoru Ota was made the executive officer of battleship Yamashiro. ww2dbase [Minoru Ota | CPC]
- Lieutenant General Seiichi Kuno was named the chief of staff of the Japanese Chosen Army in occupied Korea. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Vice Admiral Keitaro Hara was named the commanding officer of Chinkai Guard District in southern Korea; Rear Admiral Junichi Mizuno was named the chief of staff. ww2dbase [Chinkai Guard District | Chinkai, Gyeongsangnam | CPC]
- Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Miwa was named the Chief of Staff of the Mako naval port at Pescadores islands, Taiwan. ww2dbase [Mako Guard District | Shigeyoshi Miwa | Mako, Hoko | CPC]
China
- Mongolian and Chinese irregulars loyal to the Japanese-sponsored puppet state Mengjiang launched a failed attack against Chinese positions at Bailingmiao, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Suiyuan | Bailingmiao, Suiyuan | CPC]
China
- Mongolian and Chinese irregulars loyal to the Japanese-sponsored puppet state Mengjiang called off their offensive toward Bailingmiao, Suiyuan Province, China. ww2dbase [Battle of Suiyuan | Bailingmiao, Suiyuan | CPC]
- The keel of RMS Queen Elizabeth was laid down by the John Brown and Company at Clydebank, Scotland, United Kingdom. ww2dbase [Queen Elizabeth | Clydebank, Scotland | CPC]
Azerbaijan
- The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic became an independent state in the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [CPC]
- The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was created as a republic of the Soviet Union. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic was established. ww2dbase [CPC]
- Spanish Nationalist aircraft bombed Barcelona, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
United States
- The keel of Helena was laid down at New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York, United States. ww2dbase [New York Navy Yard | Helena (St. Louis-class) | Brooklyn, New York | CPC]
United States
- The keel for the new Brooklyn-class cruiser St. Louis was laid at Newport News Shipbuilding Company, Newport News, Virginia. ww2dbase [Newport News Shipbuilding | St. Louis | Newport News, Virginia | DS]
- Xi'an Incident: Chinese generals kidnapped Chiang Kaishek in an attempt to force the Nationalist and Communist forces to form an unified front against the Japanese. ww2dbase [Xi'an Incident | CPC]
- Jiang Dingwen was interned during the Xi'an Incident. ww2dbase [Jiang Dingwen | Xi'an | CPC]
- The French battleship Strasbourg was launched at the Saint-Nazaire-Penhoet shipyard at Saint-Nazaire, France. ww2dbase [Strasbourg | Saint-Nazaire, Pays de la Loire | AC]
- With the frontal attack on Madrid, Spain having failed, the Spanish Nationalist forces attempted to tighten their siege by cutting off the capital from the rest of Republican Spain. José Varela launched an offensive to cut the Corunna Road which ran for 25 miles north of Madrid. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Kong Xiangxi was made the acting head of the Executive Yuan. ww2dbase [Kong Xiangxi | CPC]
Russia
- The keel of submarine S-7 was laid down at Krasnoye Sormovo Factory No. 112 in Gorky, Russia. ww2dbase [S-7 | Gorky | CPC]
- The US Army set up an experimental radar set which accurately detected at up to 7-mile range aircraft flying in and out of New York City, New York, United States. ww2dbase [New York | AC]
- U-36 was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [U-36 | CPC]
- The 4TP light tank design was completed by Edward Habich of the Polish firm Panstwowe Zaklady Inzynieryjne (PZInz). ww2dbase [4TP | CPC]
- Communist Party of China sent a delegation to Xi'an under the urging of Joseph Stalin. ww2dbase [Xi'an Incident | CPC]
- In Spain, the POUM (Partido Obrero de Unification Marxist [Revolutionary (i.e. anti-Stalanist) Communists]) was ousted from the Generalitat (Catalan Government) by the Communists. ww2dbase [AC]
- In a secret meeting, Hermann Göring told leading German industrialists that the war to which Germany was preparing for was on the horizon. ww2dbase [Hermann Göring | CPC]
Russia
- Viktor Abakumov was promoted to the rank of State Security Junior Lieutenant. ww2dbase [Viktor Abakumov | CPC]
- The Spanish Republican submarine C3 was sunk by an Italian submarine off the coast of Malaga, Spain. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | AC]
- Song Meiling and Song Ziwen arrived at Xi'an for negotiations to free kidnapped Chiang Kaishek. ww2dbase [Xi'an Incident | CPC]
- The first 3,000 Italian Blackshirts arrived in Spain as volunteer fighters. They were originally organized in battalion-sized units, but would later be re-organized as three divisions after the arrival of more men and equipment. ww2dbase [The Spanish Civil War | CPC]
- McDougal was commissioned into service. ww2dbase [McDougal | CPC]
- In Spain, the Council of Aragon, which was dominated by the CNT (Confederacion Nacional de Trabajo [the Anarcho-Syndicalist Trades Union]), was recognised by the Republican Government. ww2dbase [AC]
China
- General Zhang Xueliang succeeded in achieving an uneasy alliance between the Nationalist and Communist forces against the common foe, Japan. ww2dbase [Xi'an Incident | Xi'an, Shaanxi | CPC]
- Tetsuzo Iwamoto graduated from flight training and was promoted to the rating of airman 1st class. ww2dbase [Tetsuzo Iwamoto | CPC]
- Chiang Kiashek traveled from Xi'an to Nanjing in China. ww2dbase [Chiang Kaishek | Nanjing | CPC]
- He Yingqin welcomed Chiang Kaishek's arrival after the conclusion of the Xi'an Incident at the airport of Nanjing, China. ww2dbase [He Yingqin | Nanjing | CPC]
China
- Jiang Dingwen was released from captivity in Xi'an, China by Zhang Xueliang. ww2dbase [Jiang Dingwen | Xi'an | CPC]
- He Yingqin addressed a crowd of 200,000 people in a rally in Nanjing, China on behalf of Chiang Kaishek; the rally was held to celebrate Chiang's safe return after the Xi'an Incident. ww2dbase [He Yingqin | Nanjing | CPC]
Germany
- The keel of Graf Zeppelin was laid down in Dry Dock I of Deutsche Werke Kiel, Germany. ww2dbase [Deutsche Werke Kiel | Graf Zeppelin | Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | CPC]
- The keel of HMS Edinburgh was laid down. ww2dbase [Edinburgh | CPC]
- Mineichi Koga was promoted to the rank of vice admiral. ww2dbase [Mineichi Koga | CPC]
- The US 1st Marine Brigade completed its three-month amphibious and field landing exercise in and near Potomac, Maryland, United States. ww2dbase [CPC]
Timeline Section Founder: Thomas Houlihan
Contributors: Alan Chanter, C. Peter Chen, Thomas Houlihan, Hugh Martyr, David Stubblebine
Special Thanks: Rory Curtis
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Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, Aug 1939