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Major Events of December 1933: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from December 1933 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of December 1933: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Dec 1933 Nazi Leadership Appointments: Rudolf Hess and Ernst Röhm become ministers in Adolf Hitler's German government, marking a significant consolidation of Nazi power and leadership.
  • 02 Dec 1933 Release of 'Dancing Lady' Film: On December 2, 1933, MGM released 'Dancing Lady,' a significant musical film that marked an important milestone in Fred Astaire's film career. This movie was one of Astaire's early Hollywood appearances and helped establish him as a prominent dance and musical performer.
  • 03 Dec 1933 Joe Lilliard Breaks NFL Color Barrier: Joe Lilliard becomes one of the first African American players in the NFL, playing quarterback for the Chicago Cardinals. His participation was significant, as he was among the last black players before a de facto racial segregation period that would last until 1946.
  • 04 Dec 1933 King Kong Film Premiere: The groundbreaking original King Kong film had its premiere, introducing audiences to a landmark moment in cinema history. This film would become a significant milestone in special effects, monster movies, and Hollywood storytelling.
  • 05 Dec 1933 End of Prohibition in the United States: On December 5, 1933, Utah became the 36th U.S. state to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution, achieving the required 75% state approval needed to officially repeal the 18th Amendment. This landmark decision effectively ended the nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol, marking a significant moment in American social and legal history.
  • 06 Dec 1933 Landmark Literary Freedom Decision: Ulysses Ruled Not Obscene: In a groundbreaking legal decision, U.S. District Judge John M. Woolsey ruled that James Joyce's novel 'Ulysses' is not obscene, despite its controversial language and sexual content. This ruling was a significant moment for literary freedom and censorship, effectively ending the book's 12-year ban in the United States.
  • 07 Dec 1933 Uneventful Day in 1933: While no significant historical events were recorded for December 7, 1933, this period was during the Great Depression era in the United States. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies were actively being implemented during this time to help the country recover from economic hardship.
  • 08 Dec 1933 Canonization of Saint Bernadette Soubirous: On December 8, 1933, Bernadette Soubirous was officially canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Bernadette, a young French nun from Lourdes, gained worldwide recognition for her reported visions of the Virgin Mary at the Grotto of Massabielle in 1858. Her spiritual experiences and subsequent life of religious devotion led to her eventual sainthood, making her an important figure in Catholic hagiography. The Lourdes apparitions, where she claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary multiple times, became a significant pilgrimage site and a place of reported miraculous healings.
  • 09 Dec 1933 Prohibition Ends in the United States: The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, officially repealing the 18th Amendment and ending the nationwide prohibition of alcohol. This landmark legislative action marks a significant shift in American social policy, effectively concluding the 13-year experiment with nationwide alcohol prohibition.
  • 10 Dec 1933 Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Dirac and Schrödinger: Paul Dirac and Erwin Schrödinger were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking contributions to atomic theory. Their work fundamentally transformed our understanding of quantum mechanics, providing new and productive theoretical frameworks that explained atomic and subatomic behavior.
  • 11 Dec 1933 Uneventful Day in 1933: While no specific major historical events were documented for December 11, 1933, this period was during the Great Depression era in the United States. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies were actively being implemented during this time to address economic challenges and provide relief to struggling Americans.
  • 12 Dec 1933 Warburg Institute Library Escapes Nazi Persecution: In a critical moment of cultural preservation, the entire Warburg Institute library was relocated from Hamburg to London on December 12, 1933. This dramatic move was necessitated by the rising antisemitism of Nazi Germany, which threatened the library's existence because its director, Fritz Saxl, was Jewish. The library, containing invaluable renaissance materials, was carefully transported on two freighters, saving a significant collection of scholarly works from potential destruction and symbolizing the intellectual resistance against Nazi oppression.
  • 13 Dec 1933 Warburg Institute Library Escapes Nazi Destruction: In a critical act of cultural preservation, the entire collection of the Warburg Institute library, containing invaluable renaissance materials, was relocated from Hamburg to London. This emergency move was necessitated by the Nazi government's threat to destroy the library due to its Jewish director, Fritz Saxl, representing a significant moment of intellectual resistance against Nazi persecution.
  • 14 Dec 1933 Josephine Baker's Performance in Amsterdam: Renowned African American performer Josephine Baker captivated audiences in Amsterdam with her groundbreaking dance and musical performance. As a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance and an international star, Baker's appearance represented a significant cultural exchange and a moment of artistic brilliance during the early 1930s.
  • 15 Dec 1933 21st Amendment Repeals Prohibition: The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution officially becomes effective, repealing the Eighteenth Amendment that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol. This landmark legislation ended the nationwide prohibition of alcohol, marking a significant shift in American social and legal policy.
  • 16 Dec 1933 Spanish Political Leadership Change: Diego Martínez Barrio resigned as Prime Minister of Spain, marking a significant political transition. He was immediately succeeded by Alejandro Lerroux, reflecting the volatile political landscape of Spain during the early 1930s, a period characterized by frequent governmental changes.
  • 17 Dec 1933 NFL Begins Official Statistics Tracking: The National Football League (NFL) officially started keeping comprehensive game statistics during the championship game between the Chicago Bears and New York Giants, which the Bears won 23-21.
  • 18 Dec 1933 College Oratorical Contest: An oratorical contest was conducted at West Virginia Wesleyan College, showcasing students' public speaking skills, rhetorical abilities, and intellectual prowess.
  • 19 Dec 1933 Electric Home and Farm Authority Established: President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the Electric Home and Farm Authority (EHFA), a New Deal initiative designed to help low-income households purchase essential electrical appliances during the Great Depression. This program was part of broader economic recovery efforts to stimulate consumer spending and improve living standards.
  • 20 Dec 1933 First US Ambassador to Soviet Union Arrives: William C. Bullitt became the first American ambassador to the Soviet Union, arriving in Moscow and being welcomed with a Kremlin banquet attended by Soviet leadership. A notable and unusual moment occurred when Soviet leader Joseph Stalin reportedly kissed Bullitt on the mouth, an incident Bullitt would later describe with bitterness, feeling ultimately betrayed by Soviet diplomacy.
  • 21 Dec 1933 Medical Breakthrough: Dried Human Blood Serum Preparation: Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania achieved a significant medical milestone by successfully preparing dried human blood serum for the first time. This breakthrough would have important implications for medical treatments, blood storage, and transfusion techniques.
  • 22 Dec 1933 Uneventful Day in 1933: While no specific major historical events were documented for December 22, 1933, this period was during the Great Depression era in the United States. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies were actively being implemented during this time to help the country recover from economic hardship. The year 1933 was significant for major legislative actions like the repeal of Prohibition and the establishment of various economic recovery programs.
  • 23 Dec 1933 Marinus van der Lubbe Sentenced to Death: Dutch communist Marinus van der Lubbe was sentenced to death for allegedly setting fire to the German Reichstag building in Berlin, a pivotal event that the Nazis used to consolidate power and suppress political opposition.
  • 24 Dec 1933 FM Radio Patent: Frequency Modulation (FM) radio technology was patented, representing a significant breakthrough in communication and broadcasting technology. This innovation would revolutionize radio transmission quality and pave the way for modern audio broadcasting.
  • 25 Dec 1933 Death of Francesc Macià, Catalan Political Leader: Francesc Macià, the prominent President of the Generalitat de Catalunya and a key figure in the Catalan autonomy movement, passed away on Christmas Day. As a foundational leader of modern Catalan nationalism, his death marked a significant moment in the region's political history.
  • 26 Dec 1933 US Non-Intervention Policy in Western Hemisphere: The United States formally commits to refraining from armed intervention in the Western Hemisphere, a significant diplomatic stance reflecting the evolving foreign policy approach of the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration during the early years of the Good Neighbor Policy.
  • 27 Dec 1933 Uneventful Day in 1933: While no major historical events were specifically documented for December 27, 1933, this period was during the Great Depression era in the United States. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies were actively being implemented during this time to help the country recover from economic hardship.
  • 28 Dec 1933 FDR's Foreign Policy Address: President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a significant foreign policy speech during a 'Wilson Day' celebration at the Maywood Hotel in Washington, D.C. This address likely reflected the complex international tensions of the early 1930s, as the world was still recovering from World War I and tensions were rising in Europe and Asia.
  • 29 Dec 1933 Holodomor Famine in Ukraine: The devastating Holodomor famine occurs in Ukraine, a man-made catastrophe resulting from Soviet policies that led to the deaths of millions of Ukrainians through systematic starvation.
  • 30 Dec 1933 Women Pilots Set New World Flight Record: Helen Richey and Frances Marsalis make aviation history by setting a new world record for the longest continuous airplane flight, highlighting women's achievements in early aviation.
  • 31 Dec 1933 Kangaroos Triumph in Rugby League International Match: On December 31, 1933, Australia's national rugby team, the Kangaroos, delivered a resounding victory against a team of Rugby Football League stars from England at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The match ended with a decisive score of 63-13, demonstrating Australia's rugby league prowess and home ground advantage.