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Major Events of July 1938: 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 July 1938 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of July 1938: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Jul 1938 Don Budge Wins Wimbledon Men's Singles Title: In a dominant performance at the 58th Wimbledon Championships, American tennis player Don Budge defeated British player Henry Austin in straight sets (6-1, 6-0, 6-3). This victory was part of Budge's remarkable tennis career, during which he became the first player to win the Grand Slam in 1938.
  • 02 Jul 1938 Helen Wills Moody Wins Final Wimbledon Singles Title: Helen Wills Moody, a legendary American tennis player, secured her 8th and final Wimbledon singles championship, defeating Helen Hull Jacobs in a memorable match. This victory marked the culmination of her remarkable tennis career and solidified her status as one of the most dominant female tennis players of the early 20th century.
  • 03 Jul 1938 Last Blue and Gray Reunion: The final reunion of Civil War veterans from both the Union (Blue) and Confederate (Gray) sides commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, marking a poignant moment of reconciliation and shared national history.
  • 04 Jul 1938 Mussolini's Agricultural Propaganda: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini opened the threshing season in Aprilia, making a provocative statement about Italy's economic independence and defiance of democratic nations.
  • 05 Jul 1938 Non-Intervention Committee Agreement on Spanish Civil War Volunteers: On July 5, 1938, the Non-Intervention Committee reached a significant agreement to withdraw all foreign volunteers from the Spanish Civil War. While most Republican foreign volunteers, particularly those from England and the United States, respected the agreement, the governments of Germany and Italy deliberately ignored the resolution, continuing to support Nationalist forces.
  • 06 Jul 1938 German Annexation of Austria (Anschluss): Nazi Germany invaded and annexed Austria in a strategic territorial expansion known as the Anschluss, effectively incorporating Austria into the Third Reich and marking a significant escalation of German territorial aggression prior to World War II.
  • 07 Jul 1938 Degenerate Art Exhibition in London: On July 7, 1938, London hosted a groundbreaking exhibition featuring artworks that had been banned by the Nazi regime as 'degenerate art'. The exhibition showcased influential works by prominent artists like Max Beckmann and Wassily Kandinsky, who were deemed subversive by the Nazi cultural authorities. This event was a significant act of cultural resistance against Nazi artistic censorship.
  • 08 Jul 1938 Roosevelt Commemorates Northwest Territory's Legacy: On July 8, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a significant speech in Marietta, Ohio, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the city's establishment. As the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory, Marietta represented a pivotal moment in American westward expansion. During the dedication ceremony, Roosevelt highlighted the courage of early frontiersmen who established civil government beyond the original thirteen colonies. He drew parallels between the historical frontier challenges and the contemporary social and economic struggles of the Great Depression era, promising continued federal government support for Americans facing economic hardship.
  • 09 Jul 1938 Nazi Germany Strips Jewish Professionals of Credentials: On July 9, 1938, the Nazi regime systematically revoked professional qualifications for Jewish doctors, marking another escalation in the state-sponsored persecution of Jewish professionals. This discriminatory action was part of the broader Nazi strategy to marginalize and exclude Jews from professional and social life, a precursor to more severe forms of persecution.
  • 10 Jul 1938 Howard Hughes Sets World Flight Record: Howard Hughes completed a groundbreaking around-the-world airplane flight, setting a new global speed record by circumnavigating the globe in 91 hours and 14 minutes using a Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra.
  • 13 Jul 1938 Uneventful Day in 1938: While no specific major historical events are documented for July 13, 1938, this period was part of the tumultuous pre-World War II era. The world was experiencing significant geopolitical tensions, with Nazi Germany's expansionist policies and growing international conflicts. Despite the lack of a notable recorded event on this specific date, the broader historical context of 1938 was marked by rising global uncertainties.
  • 14 Jul 1938 Mussolini's Anti-Jewish Manifesto: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini publishes a racist anti-Jewish manifesto, marking a significant escalation of antisemitic policies in Fascist Italy that would later contribute to the persecution of Italian Jews during World War II.
  • 15 Jul 1938 Évian Conference: Global Failure to Aid Jewish Refugees: The international refugee conference held in Évian-les-Bains, France, concluded with a devastating outcome for Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. Despite growing humanitarian concerns, only the Dominican Republic demonstrated willingness to accept Jewish refugees, while other nations, including major world powers, refused to provide sanctuary. This conference tragically highlighted the international community's indifference to the escalating Jewish refugee crisis in pre-World War II Europe.
  • 16 Jul 1938 Deadly Marketplace Bombing in Jerusalem: During the period of British Mandatory Palestine, a devastating terrorist bombing occurred in a Jerusalem marketplace, resulting in 10 Arab fatalities and 29 wounded. This violent incident highlighted the escalating tensions and sectarian conflicts in the region during the late 1930s.
  • 17 Jul 1938 Douglas Corrigan's Infamous "Wrong Way" Transatlantic Flight: On July 17, 1938, Douglas Corrigan took off from Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field in a modified Curtiss Robin aircraft, ostensibly heading to California. However, in a legendary act of aviation defiance, he instead flew eastward across the Atlantic Ocean, landing in Ireland after a 28-hour flight. Despite officially being denied permission to make a transatlantic crossing, Corrigan claimed he had accidentally navigated in the wrong direction, earning him the enduring nickname "Wrong Way" Corrigan.
  • 18 Jul 1938 First Computer Mouse Patent: Douglas Carl Engelbart patents the first computer mouse, a groundbreaking invention that would fundamentally transform human-computer interaction. This innovative device would become a standard input method for personal computers worldwide, revolutionizing how people interact with digital technology.
  • 19 Jul 1938 Birth of Jayant Narlikar: Jayant Narlikar, a renowned Indian astrophysicist and cosmologist, was born on July 19, 1938, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He would go on to become a significant contributor to theoretical physics and astronomy, known for his work on alternative cosmological models and challenging traditional Big Bang theory interpretations.
  • 20 Jul 1938 US Department of Justice Antitrust Lawsuit Against Film Industry: The United States Department of Justice files an antitrust lawsuit in New York City against the motion picture industry, challenging the studio system's monopolistic practices. This legal action would ultimately lead to the industry's structural break-up in 1948.
  • 21 Jul 1938 Birth of Les Aspin: Les Aspin, an influential American politician who would later serve as United States Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton, is born. He would play a significant role in national defense policy during the early 1990s.
  • 22 Jul 1938 Britain and France Reject German Proposal on Sudetenland: In a significant diplomatic moment, Great Britain and France declined a German proposal for a four-power settlement regarding the Sudeten problem, signaling growing tensions in pre-World War II Europe. This rejection highlighted the complex geopolitical landscape and the reluctance of Western powers to engage directly with Germany's territorial ambitions.
  • 23 Jul 1938 Nazi Anti-Jewish Identification Policy: Nazi Germany orders Jews to report to police by December 31, 1938, to receive special identification cards mandatory for all government interactions, a significant step in the systematic persecution of Jewish people.
  • 24 Jul 1938 Soviet Diplomatic Stance on Czechoslovakia: A. A. Troyanovsky, Soviet ambassador to the United States, publicly declared Moscow's readiness to defend Czechoslovakia, signaling potential Soviet involvement in the escalating European tensions preceding World War II.
  • 25 Jul 1938 Nazi Restrictions on Jewish Professionals: On July 25, 1938, the Nazi regime in Germany implemented discriminatory policies prohibiting Jewish artisans from practicing their trades, further escalating the systematic persecution of Jewish professionals and craftspeople.
  • 26 Jul 1938 Spanish Civil War: Loyalist Counteroffensive at Ebro River: During the Spanish Civil War, Republican (Loyalist) forces launched a significant counteroffensive, crossing the Ebro River and capturing multiple towns in an attempt to turn the tide against Nationalist forces.
  • 27 Jul 1938 Birth of Gary Gygax, D&D Co-Creator: On July 27, 1938, Gary Gygax was born in Chicago, Illinois. He would go on to become a pioneering game designer who co-created Dungeons & Dragons, revolutionizing the role-playing game industry and influencing modern gaming culture.
  • 28 Jul 1938 Greek Political Unrest: A revolt against the authoritarian regime of Ioannis Metaxas was suppressed in Chania, Greece, highlighting the political tensions and resistance to dictatorial rule during this period.
  • 29 Jul 1938 Battle of Lake Khasan Begins: The Battle of Lake Khasan, a significant military conflict between Japanese and Soviet forces, commenced. This border engagement would become a critical prelude to larger military confrontations in the region during World War II.
  • 30 Jul 1938 Chiang Kai-shek Retreats to Chungking: Facing overwhelming Japanese military pressure during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chiang Kai-shek withdraws the Nationalist government to Chungking (Chongqing), a strategic move to continue resistance against Japanese invasion.
  • 31 Jul 1938 Balkan Non-Aggression Pact Signed: Bulgaria signed a non-aggression pact with Greece, Turkey, Romania, and Yugoslavia, representing a diplomatic effort to maintain regional stability in the lead-up to World War II.