1939
Germany invades Poland
At dawn Luftwaffe planes screamed over the border and Panzer columns rolled east in the world's first blitzkrieg.
Einstein warns Roosevelt about atom bomb
Urged on by Hungarian refugee physicist Leo Szilard, Albert Einstein signed a letter to President Roosevelt warning that German physicists might build…
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact shocks the world
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, ideological sworn enemies, signed a non-aggression treaty in Moscow with a secret protocol carving up eastern Europe…
Spanish Civil War ends
After Franco's nationalist forces entered Madrid, the Republican government fled to exile and the war was over.
The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind
In a single year, Hollywood released both The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, each a spectacle of Technicolor and ambition.
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Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1939?
Saeculum lists 5 events from 1939. The most significant is Germany invades Poland: At dawn Luftwaffe planes screamed over the border and Panzer columns rolled east in the world's first blitzkrieg.
What era was 1939 part of?
1939 falls within the Modern Era (1901-2000). World wars, cold war, and the splitting of the atom.
Which regions saw notable events in 1939?
The events from 1939 span Europe and North America.