January 11
January 11
Violence erupts at GM plant strike
On this day in 1937, nearly two weeks into a sit‑down strike by General Motors (GM) auto workers at the Fisher Body Plant No. 2 in Flint, Michigan, a riot…
A Year In History: 1937
Also Within This Year in History:
1937
Around the world, 1937 brought conflict, disaster and innovation. Wars in Spain and Asia highlighted growing tensions ahead of WWII. Stalin’s Great Purge killed and imprisoned millions. A killer typhoon, dirigible disaster and mysterious aviator disappearance grabbed global headlines. The majestic Golden Gate Bridge debuted, while engineers built the first jet engine. As Depression endured, Americans paid $26 to rent an average house and 10 cents for a gallon of gas. Top diversions included swing music, Tolkien’s hobbit and Disney’s dwarves.
January 20
January 20
FDR inaugurated to second term
On January 20, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated for the second time as president, beginning the second of four terms in the office. His first inauguration, in 1933,…
January 23
January 23
FDR writes letter to Baseball Writer’s Association
On this day in 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt excuses himself from attending the annual dinner of the Baseball Writer’s Association and instead sends a letter to be read in…
January 31
January 31
American composer Phillip Glass is born
Phillip Glass, a vital force in postmodern music, is born in Baltimore, Maryland, on this day in 1937. The description most often used to describe the music of American composer…
February 5
February 5
FDR announces “court‑packing” plan
On February 5, 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt announces a plan to expand the Supreme Court to as many as 15 judges, allegedly to make it more efficient. Critics immediately charged…
February 6
February 6
“Of Mice and Men” is published
John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men, the story of the bond between two migrant workers, is published. He adapted the book into a three‑act play, which was produced the…
February 11
February 11
GM signs first autoworkers contract
After a six‑week sit‑down strike by General Motors (GM) autoworkers at the Fisher Body Plant No. 2 in Flint, Michigan, GM president Alfred P. Sloan signs the first union contract…
March 18
March 18
Natural gas explosion kills nearly 300 at Texas school
Nearly 300 students in Texas are killed by an explosion of natural gas at their school on March 18, 1937. The Consolidated School of New London, Texas, sat in the…
March 23
March 23
Craig Breedlove, land‑speed record holder, born
On this day in 1937, Craig Breedlove, the first person to reach land speeds of 400mph, 500 mph and 600 mph in a jet‑powered vehicle, is born. Breedlove was raised…
April 22
April 22
Actor Jack Nicholson born
On this day in 1937, John Joseph Nicholson, who will become known as one of the greatest actors of his generation and famous for his roles in such movies as…
April 26
April 26
Nazis test new air force, Luftwaffe, on Basque town of Guernica
During the Spanish Civil War, the German military tests its powerful new air force—the Luftwaffe—on the Basque town of Guernica in northern Spain. Although the independence‑minded Basque region opposed General…
May 6
May 6
The Hindenburg disaster
The airship Hindenburg, the largest dirigible ever built and the pride of Nazi Germany, bursts into flames upon touching its mooring mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey, killing 36 passengers and…
May 6
May 6
Germany’s Hindenburg airship explodes in New Jersey
On this day in 1937, the German airship Hindenburg, the largest dirigible ever built, explodes as it arrives in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Thirty‑six people died in the fiery accident that…
May 12
May 12
George VI crowned King of the United Kingdom
At London’s Westminster Abbey, George VI and his consort, Lady Elizabeth, are crowned king and queen of the United Kingdom as part of a coronation ceremony that dates back more…
May 15
May 15
Madeleine Albright, America’s first female secretary of state, is born
Madeleine Albright, America’s first female secretary of state, is born Marie Jana Korbelova on May 15, 1937, in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). The daughter of Czech diplomat Josef Korbel,…
May 27
May 27
Golden Gate Bridge opens
On this day in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge, connecting San Francisco with Marin County, California, officially opens amid citywide celebration. Named for the narrow strait that marks the entrance…
May 27
May 27
Golden Gate Bridge opens
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, a stunning technological and artistic achievement, opens to the public after five years of construction. On opening day—“Pedestrian Day”—some 200,000 bridge walkers marveled at the…
May 28
May 28
Volkswagen is founded
On May 28, 1937, the government of Germany—then under the control of Adolf Hitler of the National Socialist (Nazi) Party—forms a new state‑owned automobile company, then known as Gesellschaft zur…
June 3
June 3
Josh Gibson hits ball 580 feet in Yankee Stadium
On this day in 1937, The Sporting News reports that catcher Josh Gibson of the Negro League’s Homestead Grays hit a ball two feet from the top of the façade…
June 3
June 3
Duke of Windsor weds American socialite Wallis Simpson
In France, the Duke of Windsor—formerly King Edward VIII of Great Britain and Northern Ireland—marries Wallis Warfield Simpson, a divorced American socialite for whom he abdicated the British throne in December 1936.…
