(Sunday, April 30, 1939, 3:12 p.m. EDT) — Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to deliver a speech on live television today as he officially opened the 1939–40 New York World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, a public park in the northern part of Queens, New York City. Continue reading FDR delivers first televised presidential speech 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 30 1939)
Category Archives: 1930s
‘Heaven Can Wait’ by Glen Gray peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 22 1939)
(Saturday, April 22, 1939) — “Heaven Can Wait” by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra (vocal chorus by Clyde Burke) peaked at #1 on today’s Your Hit Parade weekly music chart for two consecutive weeks (Apr. 22/29, 1939). Continue reading ‘Heaven Can Wait’ by Glen Gray peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 22 1939)
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Marian Anderson performs historic concert at Lincoln Memorial 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 9 1939)
Video: '"Marian Anderson Sings at the Lincoln Memorial" Newreel Story'
(Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939, 5:00-5:30 p.m. EST, during the Civil rights movement (1896–1954)) — Singer Marian Anderson performed an open air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to 75,000 people today after being denied the use of Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution because she was black. Continue reading Marian Anderson performs historic concert at Lincoln Memorial 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 9 1939)
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Mussolini’s Italy invades Albania 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 7 1939)
Video: 'Invasion Of Albania (1939)'
(Good Friday, April 7, 1939, 4:50 a.m. Central European Time; during the Italian invasion of Albania, part of Interwar period) — Italian troops landed in Albania at dawn today, debarking from sixteen units of the First Italian Naval Squadron at Santi Quaranta, Valona, Durazzo and San Giovanni di Medua. Continue reading Mussolini’s Italy invades Albania 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 7 1939)
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Nazis begin complete occupation of Czechoslovakia 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 15 1939)
Video: '1939 Invasion of Prague'
(Wednesday, March 15, 1939, 6:00 a.m. Central European Time) — The German Army poured into Bohemia and Moravia this morning as they began a complete occupation of Czechoslovakia in direct violation of the Munich Agreement signed Sept. 30, 1938. Continue reading Nazis begin complete occupation of Czechoslovakia 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 15 1939)
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‘Deep Purple’ by Larry Clinton peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 4 1939)
(Saturday, March 4, 1939) — “Deep Purple” by Larry Clinton and his Orchestra (with vocal by Bea Wain) peaked at #1 on today’s Your Hit Parade weekly music chart for seven consecutive weeks (Mar. 4/11/18/25, Apr. 1/8/15, 1939). Continue reading ‘Deep Purple’ by Larry Clinton peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 4 1939)
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‘Stagecoach’ opens in New York City 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 2 1939)
Video: 'Stagecoach' trailer
(Thursday, March 2, 1939, 11:40 a.m. EDT) — Stagecoach, an American Western film about a group of disparate passengers who battle personal demons and each other while racing dangerous Apache territory, opened this morning at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Continue reading ‘Stagecoach’ opens in New York City 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 2 1939)
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‘You Can’t Take It with You’ wins Outstanding Production at 11th Academy Awards 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 23 1939)
Video: 'Bette Davis, Spencer Tracy and Deanna Durbin winning Oscars'
(Thursday, February 23, 1939, 8:30-10:36 p.m. PST) — You Can’t Take It with You, a 1938 American romantic comedy film about a man from a family of rich snobs who becomes engaged to a woman from a good-natured but decidedly eccentric family, won Outstanding Production tonight at the 11th Academy Awards at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Continue reading ‘You Can’t Take It with You’ wins Outstanding Production at 11th Academy Awards 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 23 1939)
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22,000 American Nazis rally in Madison Square Garden in New York City 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 20 1939)
Video: 'A Night at The Garden - Field of Vision'
(Monday, February 20, 1939, 8:55-11:00 p.m. EST) — 22,000 members of the German American Bund, a pro-Nazi group, packed Madison Square Garden tonight in New York City to hear Bund leader Fritz Kuhn, known as the “American Hitler,” criticize U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt by repeatedly referring to him as “Frank D. Rosenfeld,” calling his New Deal the “Jew Deal” and denouncing what he believed to be Bolshevik-Jewish American leadership. Continue reading 22,000 American Nazis rally in Madison Square Garden in New York City 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 20 1939)
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28,000 people killed by earthquake in in south-central Chile 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 24 1939)
Video: 'Earthquake In Chile (1939)'
(Tuesday, January 24, 1939, 11:32 p.m. Chile Standard Time) — Some 28,000 people were killed tonight when the 1939 Chillán earthquake occurred in south-central Chile with a surface wave magnitude of 8.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). Continue reading 28,000 people killed by earthquake in in south-central Chile 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 24 1939)
