Events in year of 1937
- 01-01Anastasio Somoza becomes President of Nicaragua
- 01-01Count Claus von Stauffenberg promoted to captain
- 01-01US Army Air Corps physiological research laboratory completed, Ohio
- 01-05Fingleton and Bradman make record stand of 346 for 6th wkt
- 01-05Only unicameral state legislature in US opens 1st session (Nebr)
- 01-06Bradman scores 270 Aust vs. England at the MCG, incl 110 singles
- 01-09Italian regime bans marriages between Italians and Abyssinians
- 01-12Plow for laying submarine cable patented
- 01-19Cy Young, Tris Speaker and Nap Lajorie elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
- 01-19Millionaire Howard Hughes sets transcontinental air record (7h28m25s)
- 01-201st Inauguration day on Jan 20th, (held every 4th years there-after)
- 01-251st broadcast of "Guiding Light" on NBC radio
- 01-25Miami-to-Tampa bus overturned in a canal, kills 13
- 01-25Soap Opera "Guiding Light" premieres on radio
- 02-01Stapleton, Staten Island becomes a customs-free port
- 02-04Jim Margie, Philadelphia, bowls 900 in 3 (unsanctioned) games
- 02-051st Charlie Chaplin talkie, "Modern Times, " released
- 02-05FDR proposes enlarging Supreme Court, "court packing" plan failed
- 02-06K Elizabeth Ohi becomes 1st Japanese-US female lawyer
- 02-10Ragnhild Hveger swims world free style record 400m (5:14.2)
- 02-1144-day sit-down strike at General Motors in Flint Michigan ends
- 02-12Cleveland (now Los Angeles) Rams granted an NFL franchise
- 02-13"Prince Valiant" comic strip appears; known for historical detail
- 02-13Maribel Vinson wins her 9th US figure skating championship
- 02-13NFL Boston Redskins move to Washington DC
- 02-13US female Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson
- 02-13US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
- 02-16DuPont Corp patents nylon, developed by employee Wallace H Carothers
- 02-201st automobile / airplane combination tested, Santa Monica, California
- 02-241st US group hospital-medical cooperative authorized, Washington, DC
People born in year of 1937
- 01-02Marianne McDonald: Classicist / philanthropist
- 01-04Dyan Cannon: Tacoma, Washington -- Mrs Cary Grant / actress (Heaven Can Wait)
- 01-06Doris Troy [Payne]: US soul singer / songwriter (Just One Kiss)
- 01-06Lou Holtz: United States -- Football coach (New Jersey Jets)
- 01-08Robert Moran: Composer
- 01-09K Schlesinger: Writer
- 01-12Liliana Cavani: Bologna, Italy -- Director (Berlin Affair)
- 01-12Marie Dubois: Paris, France -- Actress (Wise Guys, Jules & Jim)
- 01-14Billie Jo Spears: Country singer
- 01-16Bob Bogle: Portland -- Rock bassist / guitarist (Ventures-Batman Theme)
- 01-16Conny Vandenbos: Dutch singer (My rose, my little rose)
- 01-20Dorothy Provine: Deadwood, South Dakota -- Actress (Good Neighbor Sam, Darn Cat)
- 01-25Don Maynard: NFL receiver (NY Jets) #13
- 01-25Kathleen Tynan Halton: Writer
- 01-26Gerrit Gerritse: Dutch MP (CDA)
- 01-26Joseph Saidu Momoh: General / President (Sierra Leone)
- 01-26S J B Langdale: Headmaster (Shrewsbury School)
- 01-27John Ogdon: Manchester, England -- Pianist / composer
- 01-28Ken Hill: Playwright / director
- 01-29Bobby Scott: Jazz singer
- 01-30Boris Spassky: USSR -- World chess champion (1969-72)
- 01-31Philip Glass: Baltimore, Maryland -- Minimal composer (Einstein on the Beach)
- 02-04Collin Wilcox: Highlands, North Carolina -- Actor (To Kill a Mocking Bird)
- 02-04John Devitt: Australia -- 100m freestyle swimmer (1960 Olympics - Gold Medalist)
- 02-04Magnar Solberg: Norway -- 20K biathalete (1968, 72 Olympics - Gold Medalist)
- 02-05Cocky van Oost [Kommertje van Vliet]: Dutch dancer (Sylphides)
- 02-05Gaston Roelants: Belgium -- World cross-country champion
- 02-05Stuart Damon: Brooklyn, New York -- Actor (Alan Quartermaine- General Hospital)
- 02-06Baldev Singh Chahal: Campaigner
- 02-08Joe Raposa: Composer / songwriter (Sesame Street)
People died in year of 1937
- 01-02Ross Alexander: Actor (Captain Blood, Boulder Dam), dies at 29
- 01-08John Felix August Korling: Composer, dies at 72
- 02-01Marguerite Audoux: Writer
- 02-07Elihu Root: US Minister of War / Foreign affairs (Nobel 1912), dies at 91
- 02-08Scato Gocko de Vries: Dutch paleographer / librarian, dies at 75
- 02-13C A Bernoulli: Writer
- 02-14Erkki Gustav Melartin: Composer, dies at 62
- 03-02Gustav Wohlgemuth: Composer, dies at 73
- 03-06Frank Vosper: Actor / writer (Jew Suss), dies at 37
- 03-08Albert Verwey: Dutch Poet / literature Historian (Motion), dies at 71
- 03-11Paul Scheinpflug: Composer, dies at 61
- 03-12Charles-Marie-Jean-Albert Widor: French Organist / composer, dies at 93
- 03-12Jeno Hubay: Composer, dies at 78
- 03-16J Austen Chamberlain: English Minister of Foreign Affairs (Nobel), dies at 73
- 03-19Horacio Quiroga: Uruguayan Author / poet, commits suicide at 58
- 03-23Helge Rode: Danish Poet / essayist, dies at 66
- 03-25John Drinkwater: English Poet / playwright (Bird in Hand), dies at 54
- 03-29Karol Szymanowski: Polish / Ukraine Composer (Stabat Mater), dies at 54
- 04-02Nathan Birnbaum: Austria philosopher (Zionism), dies at about 72
- 04-04Frantisek X Salda: Czech writer / critic, dies at 69
- 04-08Arthur William Foote: US Organist / composer, dies at 84
- 04-08William Henry Hadow: Composer (Studies in Modern Music), dies at 77
- 04-10Algernon Ashton: Composer, dies at 77
- 04-15Nikolai Artzibushev: Composer, dies at 79
- 04-19William M Conway: English Historian / explorer (Spitzbergen), dies at 81
- 04-25Clem Sohn: Air show performer dies at 26 when his chute fails to open
- 04-27Antonio Gramsci: Italian philosopher / marxist theorist, dies at 46
- 05-01Snitz Edwards: Actor (Phantom of the Opera, College), dies at 75
- 05-02Arthur Somervell: Composer, dies at 73
- 05-09Walter Mittelholzer: Swiss aviation pioneer, dies in crash at 43
Events in year of 1938
- 01-02Book publisher Simon and Schuster founded
- 01-03March of Dimes established to fight polio
- 01-06Bronze memorial statue of Henry Hudson erected in Bronx
- 01-08Bradman scores 107 for South Australia vs. Queensland (1st innings)
- 01-11Bradman scores a second innings 113 vs. Queensland after a ton in the 1st
- 01-11Frances Moulton elected 1st woman President of a US national bank
- 01-14National Society for Legalization of Euthanasia forms (NY)
- 01-16Benny Goodman refuses to play Carnegie Hall when black members of his band were barred from performing
- 01-17Supreme Soviet elects Michail Kalinin as presidium chairman
- 01-18Pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander is elected to Hall of Fame
- 01-19GM began mass production of diesel engines
- 01-21Dutch government starts obligatory unemployment insurance
- 02-04"Our Town, " by Thornton Wilder opens on Broadway
- 02-04Hitler seizes control of German army and puts Nazi in key posts
- 02-05Hans Engnestangen skates world record 500m (41.8 seconds)
- 02-10King Carol II of Romania drives out Dictator Goga
- 02-11Steve Casey beats Lou Thesz in Boston, to become wrestling champ
- 02-12Austrian chancellor Schuschnigg visits Hitler in Berchtesgaden
- 02-12German troops entered Austria
- 02-16US Federal Crop Insurance program authorized
- 02-171st public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV (London)
- 02-19Soviet arctic ice research station North Pole 1 evacuated, Denmark
- 02-20UK Foreign Secretary Eden resigns, says Prime Minister Chamberlain appeased Germany
- 02-23Joe Louis KOs Nathan Mann in 3 for heavyweight boxing title
- 02-24Du Pont begins commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles
- 02-25British Lord Halifax becomes Foreign Minister
- 02-261st passenger ship equipped with radar
- 02-26Rie Van Veen swims world record 200m free style (2:24.6)
- 02-26US female Figure Skating championship won by Joan Tozzer
- 02-26US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
People born in year of 1938
- 01-01Bill Emerson: (Rep-R-Missouri, 1981- )
- 01-02John Considine: Actor (Reginald Love-Another World)
- 01-04Louis Krebs Graham: Nashville, Tennessee -- PGA golfer (1975 US Open)
- 01-05Edwin Elliason: Washington, United States -- US archer (1992 Olympics)
- 01-05Jim Otto: NFL center (Oakland Raiders)
- 01-05Juan Carlos I: King of Spain (1975- )
- 01-05Leo Avery: Abbot of Quarr
- 01-05Piet Kruiver: Dutch soccer star
- 01-09Aad Kosto: Dutch theologist / actor / Assistant Secretary of Justice
- 01-10Francis W "Frank" Mahovlich: Canadian ice hockey player
- 01-10Ivan Twigden: English contractor / multi-millionaire (Twigden PLC)
- 01-10Willie "Stretch" McCovey: 1st baseman (SF Giant #44)
- 01-11Fischer S Black, Jr.: Financial theorist
- 01-11Michael Fenn: Docker / socialist
- 01-11Narvel Felts: Country singer
- 01-13Paavo Johannes Heininen: Composer
- 01-14Allen Toussaint [Naomi Neville]: Pianist / songwriter (Ride Your Pony)
- 01-16Michael Pataki: Youngstown, Ohio -- Actor (Get Christie Love)
- 01-17John Bellairs: United States -- Sci-fi author (Chessmen of Doom)
- 01-19Denny Smith: (Rep-R-Oregon, 1981- )
- 01-19Eskil Hemberg: Composer
- 01-23Anatoly Marchenko: Siberia -- Soviet dissident
- 01-24Julius Arthur Hemphill: Saxophonist
- 01-25Betico Croes: Arubian politician (Status Aparte)
- 01-26Margaret Daly: British MEP
- 01-29Bill Christian: United States -- Ice hockey player (1960 Olympics - Gold Medalist)
- 01-30Marcel P A van Dam: Dutch politician / CEO (VARA Radio / TV)
- 01-30Marlies van Alcmaer [Smal]: Dutch actress / director (Bridge too Far)
- 01-31Ajip Rosidi: Indonesian poet / writer (Madjalah Sunda, Pesta)
- 01-31James G Watt: Colorado, United States -- US Secretary of Interior (1981-83)
People died in year of 1938
- 01-03Arthur Boon: Flemish priest / philologist, dies at 54
- 01-10Willem de Vreese: Flemish linguist, dies at 68
- 01-17William H Pickering: Astronomer (predicted Pluto), dies at 79
- 01-28Bernd Rosemeyer: German race car driver, dies at 28
- 02-06Marianne V von Werefkin: Russ / German / Swiss house painter, dies at 77
- 02-09Truby King: Pioneer of mothercraft
- 02-16Otto zur Linde: German Author (Lieder of the Leids), dies at 64
- 02-18Alida JM Tartaud-Little: Actress (Rotterdam Stage), dies at 64
- 02-18Edward Anseele: Belgian Minister of Rail, dies at 81
- 02-21Albert Huybrechts: Composer, dies at 39
- 02-21George Ellery Hale: Astronomer
- 03-09Sydney Baynes: Composer, dies at 59
- 03-13Clarence S Darrow: Scopes Monkey Trial attorney, dies in Chicago at 80
- 03-18Cyril Rootham: Composer, dies at 62
- 03-21Oscar Apfel: Actor (Inspiration), dies at 60
- 03-27Louis William Stern: German / US philosopher / psychologist, dies at 66
- 03-31Willem J T Kloos: Dutch Poet / critic (New Guide), dies at 78
- 04-02Alice Berend: Writer
- 04-10Nana Annor Adjaye: Pan-Africanist, dies in West Nzima, Ghana
- 04-12Feodor Chaliapine: Russian Author (Man & Mark), dies at 65
- 04-16Bertram Wagstaff Mills: Circus proprietor
- 04-18Richard Runciman Terry: Musicologist
- 04-19Henry John Newbolt: Poet / Author (Studies Green & Gray), dies at 75
- 04-21Muhammad Iqbal: Brt E Indies lawyer / Pakistan national hero, dies at 65
- 04-26Edmund Husserl: German philosopher (study of phenomenon), dies at 79
- 04-27Edmond Rubbens: Belgian Minister to Colonies, dies at 44
- 05-04Carl von Ossietzky: German pacifist / writer (Nobel 1935), dies at 48
- 05-11Arnold Sauwen: Flemish Poet (Hours of Solitude), dies at 81
- 05-14Jacobus C J "Jacques" Hermans: Actor (Ghetto), dies at 81
- 05-16Stephen Fairbairn: Oarsman / coach
Events in year of 1939
- 01-02Bradman scores 107 South Africa vs. Victoria, his 4th consecutive century
- 01-03Gene Cox becomes 1st girl page in US House of Representatives
- 01-04Frieda Wunderlich elected 1st woman Dean of a US graduate school
- 01-04Hermann Goering appoints Reinhard Heydrich head of Jewish Emigration
- 01-10Bradman hits 186 South Africa vs. Queensland before Christ catches him at short-leg
- 01-13Belgian Premier signs Burgos-treaty for trade relations with Franco
- 01-14All commercial ferry service to East Bay ends
- 01-14Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica
- 01-151st NFL pro bowl, New York Giants beat All Stars 13-10 in Wrigley Field
- 01-15Municipal Railway and Market St. RR begin service to Transbay Terminal
- 01-16Comic strip "Superman" debuts
- 01-17Ed Barrow is elected Yankee President succeeding deceased J Ruppert
- 01-19Ernest Hausen of Wisconsin sets chicken-plucking record-4.4 sec
- 01-20Hitler proclaims to German parliament to exterminate all European Jews
- 01-21US female Figure Skating championship won by Joan Tozzer
- 01-21US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
- 01-22Uranium atom 1st split, Columbia University
- 01-2430,000 killed by earthquake in Concepcion Chile
- 01-24Eddie Collins, Willie Keeler and George Sisler elected to Hall of Fame
- 01-24Spanish government moves to Figueras
- 01-25Joe Louis KOs John Henry Lewis in 1 for heavyweight boxing title
- 01-26Federal Hall National Monument established
- 01-26Filming begins on "Gone With the Wind"
- 01-26Franco conquers Barcelona
- 01-30Heavy after shocks destroy some of Chile
- 01-30Hitler calls for extermination of European Jews
- 02-04Glenn Cunningham (top miler) says 4-min mile beyond human effort
- 02-06Spanish government flees to France
- 02-09Belgian Spaak government falls
- 02-14Victor Fleming replaces George Cukor as Director of Gone With the Wind
People born in year of 1939
- 01-04Jon Appleton: Composer
- 01-05Bridget Parker: England, United Kingdom -- Equestrian 3 day event (1972 Olympics - Gold Medalist)
- 01-05Peter Struycken: Statues / computer expert / teacher
- 01-07David Buchan: Ethno-musicologist
- 01-10Bill Toomey: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -- Decathelete (1968 Olympics - Gold Medalist)
- 01-11Anne Heggtveigt: Canada -- Slalom (1960 Olympics - Gold Medalist)
- 01-12Helmut Eisendle: Writer
- 01-12Jacobus M "Jacques" Hamelink: Dutch writer / poet (Cold Unrest)
- 01-15Charles Christopher Steel: Composer
- 01-17Toini Gustafson: Sweden -- 5K / 10K cross country skier (1968 Olympics - Gold Medalist)
- 01-18Bernard Glassman: New York, United States -- Zen teacher / head (Zen Center of NY)
- 01-20Murle Breer: LPGA golfer
- 01-20Nalin Chandra Wickramasinghe: Indian astronomer
- 01-21Mary Ellen McAnally: Illinois, United States -- Poet (Dance of the Zygotes)
- 01-26Marshall Lieb: Rocker (Teddy Bears)
- 01-27Mike Hill: Jackson, Michigan -- PGA golfer (1977 Ohio Kings Island Open)
- 01-27N R Bomford: Head master (Harrow School)
- 01-27Rawlings: Baroness
- 01-27Tigran Yegiayi Mansuryan: Composer
- 01-28John M Fabian: Goosecreek, Texas -- Colonel USAF / Astronaut (STS 7, STS 51G)
- 01-29Germaine Greer: Melbourne, Victoria -- Feminist / author (Female Eunich)
- 01-29O P Kolomitsev: Cosmonaut
- 01-30Frank R Wolf: (Rep-R-Virginia, 1981- )
- 01-30Nick Gaselee: Racehorse trainer
- 02-01Del McCoury: Bluegrass singer / musician
- 02-01Paul E Gillmor: (Rep-R-Ohio)
- 02-01Ray Sawyer: Rocker
- 02-03Vladimir Yevgenyevich Preobrazhensky: Russian Cosmonaut
- 02-04Jacques Charlier: Belgian sculptor
- 02-04John Schuck: Boston, Massachusetts -- Comedian (McMillan & Wife, Holmes & Yoyo)
People died in year of 1939
- 01-09Johann Strauss: Austrian conductor / Royal ball director, dies at 72
- 01-10Julius Bittner: Austria Composer (Missa Austriaca), dies at 64
- 01-13Jacob Ruppert: CEO (New York Yankees, 1915-39)
- 01-16Albert Fish: Mass murderer, executed
- 01-23Matthias Sindelar: Austria soccer star, commits suicide
- 01-28William Butler Yeats: Irish Poet (Nobel), dies in France at 73
- 02-04Edward Sapir: US linguist / cultural antropologist (indian), dies at 55
- 02-04Henri W A Deterding: Dutch oil magnate (Royal Oil, Shell), dies at 72
- 02-10Pius XI [Ambrogio D A Ratti]: Italian Pope (1922-39), dies at 81
- 02-11Franz Schmidt: Austrian composer, dies at 64
- 02-15Foppe G Scheltema: Dutch lawyer, dies at 47
- 02-15Henri Jaspar: Premier of Belgium (1926-31), dies at 68
- 02-16Jura Soyfer: Writer, dies at 26
- 02-18Ludwig Bonvin: Composer, dies at 89
- 02-27Nadezjda K Krupskaya: Russian revolutionary / Wife of Lenin, dies at 70
- 03-02Howard Carter: British archaeologist / Egyptologist (King Tut), dies at 65
- 03-06[Carl L] Ferdinand von Lindemann: German mathematician, dies at 86
- 03-07Amadeo Roldan: Composer, dies at 38
- 03-21Evald Aav: Composer, dies at 39
- 03-27Constance Lindsay Skinner: Author (Rivers of America), dies at 57
- 04-04Ghazi I: King of Iraq, dies in car accident
- 04-06Robert Courtneidge: British theater producer
- 04-09Emilio Serrano y Ruiz: Composer, dies at 89
- 04-10Alfredo Panzini: Ital Author (Il Bacio de Lesba), dies at 75
- 04-11SS Van Dine [William Huntingdon Wright]: Detective writer, dies at 50
- 04-18Theo Mann: Actress (Pink Bernd, Hedda Gabler), dies at 88
- 04-21Herman Finck: Composer, dies at 66
- 04-24John Foulds: Composer, dies at 58
- 05-03[Karl Eduard] Wilhelm Groener: German General, dies at 71
- 05-20Joe Carr: NFL hall of famer / NFL President (1921-39), dies at 59