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

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

  • 01 Nov 1938 Seabiscuit Defeats War Admiral in Historic Horse Race: In a legendary horse racing event dubbed 'the match of the century', Seabiscuit, an underdog thoroughbred, defeated the favored War Admiral in a stunning upset at Pimlico Race Course. The race, watched by a crowd of 40,000 spectators, became an iconic moment in sports history, symbolizing the triumph of an unlikely champion.
  • 02 Nov 1938 Vienna Award: Territorial Redistribution: Following the Munich Agreement, an Italo-German arbitration commission awarded Hungary significant territories from Czechoslovakia, including the Felvidek region of South Slovakia and Ruthenia. This territorial redistribution was part of the pre-World War II geopolitical restructuring.
  • 03 Nov 1938 Japan Announces 'New Order in East Asia': Japanese Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe delivered a significant national address, outlining a proposed 'New Order in East Asia'. The speech emphasized a vision of regional cooperation between Japan, China, and Manchukuo, which was effectively a Japanese puppet state in northeastern China. This announcement was part of Japan's expansionist imperial strategy in the lead-up to World War II.
  • 04 Nov 1938 Deportation of Jews from Slovakia Begins: The systematic deportation of Jews from Slovakia commenced, carried out by the Hlinka Guard and local police. This event was part of the broader persecution of Jewish populations in Europe during the lead-up to World War II, representing a dark chapter in the Holocaust's early stages.
  • 05 Nov 1938 Hungarian Territorial Expansion: As part of the Munich Agreement's aftermath, Hungary begins occupying a ceded section of Czechoslovak territory in Slovakia, reflecting the geopolitical tensions and territorial redistributions preceding World War II.
  • 06 Nov 1938 DiMaggio Brothers Make Baseball History: On November 6, 1938, a remarkable moment in baseball history occurred when all three DiMaggio brothers - Joe, Dom, and Vince - played together for the first time in a charity all-star game. This unique event showcased the extraordinary baseball talent of the DiMaggio family, who would become legendary figures in America's national pastime.
  • 07 Nov 1938 Assassination of Ernst vom Rath by Herschel Grynszpan: On November 7, 1938, Herschel Grynszpan, a 17-year-old Polish Jewish teenager whose family had been deported from Germany, shot and fatally wounded Ernst vom Rath, a German diplomat, at the German embassy in Paris, France. This politically charged act was motivated by Grynszpan's anger over the Nazi regime's persecution of Jews and the deportation of his family. The assassination would become a critical catalyst for the Kristallnacht pogroms, a violent antisemitic pogrom that would occur in Nazi Germany just days later.
  • 08 Nov 1938 Franklin D. Roosevelt's Third Presidential Term: Franklin D. Roosevelt was re-elected for an unprecedented third term as President of the United States, breaking the traditional two-term precedent set by previous presidents. This election marked a significant moment in American political history, demonstrating Roosevelt's popularity during the Great Depression and the lead-up to World War II.
  • 09 Nov 1938 Kristallnacht: Nazi Germany's Anti-Jewish Violence: Kristallnacht was a devastating pogrom marking Nazi Germany's first large-scale, systematic physical attack against Jewish citizens. On this night, Nazi paramilitary forces and civilians systematically destroyed Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, and homes, shattering windows and initiating widespread violence that signaled escalating antisemitic persecution.
  • 10 Nov 1938 Kristallnacht: Nazi Pogrom Against Jews: A devastating pogrom erupted throughout Nazi Germany and parts of Austria, marking a horrific escalation of state-sponsored antisemitic violence. Jewish synagogues were burned, businesses destroyed, and Jewish citizens were subjected to widespread persecution, arrests, and violence, signaling an intensification of the Nazi regime's systematic oppression of Jewish communities.
  • 11 Nov 1938 Nazi Economic Persecution of Jews: On Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), German and Austrian Jewish communities suffered extensive economic damage estimated at 1 billion Reichsmarks, involving widespread destruction of Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, and properties.
  • 12 Nov 1938 Nazi Germany Imposes Massive Fine on Jewish Population: Nazi Germany imposed a punitive fine of 1 billion Reichsmarks on the Jewish population, effectively targeting their economic survival and further escalating systematic persecution.
  • 13 Nov 1938 Attempted Hitler Assassination Plot Discovered: On November 13, 1938, Maurice Bavaud was apprehended while stowing away on a train in Augsburg, Germany. During subsequent Gestapo interrogation, he admitted to his clandestine plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler, which ultimately failed.
  • 14 Nov 1938 Lions Gate Bridge Opens in Vancouver: The Lions Gate Bridge, a significant infrastructure project, was inaugurated, connecting Vancouver to the North Shore region and dramatically improving transportation links in British Columbia. The suspension bridge, with its iconic design, would become a landmark of the city's urban landscape.
  • 15 Nov 1938 Nazi Germany Bans Jewish Children from Schools: In the aftermath of Kristallnacht, Nazi Germany implements a discriminatory policy prohibiting Jewish children from attending public schools, escalating the systematic persecution of Jewish people.
  • 16 Nov 1938 First Synthesis of LSD: Dr. Albert Hofmann, a Swiss chemist working at Sandoz Laboratories in Basel, Switzerland, first synthesizes lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) from ergotamine. This groundbreaking chemical discovery would later have profound implications for neuroscience, psychology, and counterculture movements.
  • 17 Nov 1938 Italy Enacts Anti-Jewish Legislation: The Italian government, under Benito Mussolini's fascist regime, passed a series of discriminatory racial laws targeting the Jewish population, mirroring the Nazi Germany's Nuremberg Laws. These laws institutionalized antisemitism, restricting Jewish citizens' civil rights, economic opportunities, and social integration.
  • 18 Nov 1938 Hollywood Rallies Against Nazi Persecution: On November 18, 1938, approximately 3,500 members of the motion picture industry gathered at the Philharmonic Auditorium in Los Angeles for a 'Quarantine Hitler' rally. Prominent Hollywood figures including John Garfield, Frank Capra, Joan Crawford, and Thomas Mann united to protest Nazi persecutions of Jews and Catholics. The attendees unanimously voted to send a telegram to President Roosevelt, urging him to take a stronger stance against Nazi atrocities and express American outrage.
  • 19 Nov 1938 Birth of Media Innovator Ted Turner: Ted Turner was born on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio. A pioneering media mogul, philanthropist, and businessman, Turner would later found CNN, revolutionize television broadcasting, and become a significant global philanthropic figure through the Turner Foundation and UN contributions.
  • 20 Nov 1938 Birth of Media Mogul Ted Turner: Ted Turner was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, who would later become a prominent media entrepreneur, founder of CNN, and significant philanthropist known for his global environmental and humanitarian initiatives.
  • 21 Nov 1938 Nazi Occupation of Western Czechoslovakia: Nazi Germany forcibly occupied the western regions of Czechoslovakia, unilaterally declaring the Czech population as German citizens in a clear violation of international sovereignty. This event was part of the broader Nazi expansionist strategy leading up to World War II, demonstrating Adolf Hitler's aggressive territorial ambitions and the systematic dismantling of Czechoslovakia's independence.
  • 22 Nov 1938 Hungarian Territorial Expansion and Ethnic Displacement: On November 22, 1938, Hungary, following the Vienna Award (a territorial revision agreement mediated by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy), initiated the forced expulsion of Czechoslovak inhabitants from newly acquired territories. This action was part of the broader geopolitical tensions in Central Europe preceding World War II, reflecting the aggressive territorial ambitions of Hungary and the systematic displacement of ethnic populations.
  • 23 Nov 1938 Oscar Robertson: Basketball Legend Born: Oscar Robertson, one of the most influential basketball players in NBA history, was born on November 23, 1938, in Nashville, Tennessee. Known as 'The Big O', Robertson was a groundbreaking guard who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. He was a pivotal figure in basketball, winning an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and becoming the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season.
  • 24 Nov 1938 Hitler Plans Occupation of Danzig: On November 24, 1938, Adolf Hitler issued a strategic military directive ordering preparations for the occupation of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland), signaling escalating tensions in pre-World War II Europe and foreshadowing future territorial aggression.
  • 25 Nov 1938 US Loan to Chiang Kai-shek: President Roosevelt agrees to loan $25 million to Chiang Kai-shek, a significant financial support that strengthens the Sino-American relationship and provokes tension with the Japanese government during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  • 26 Nov 1938 French Government Requisitions Railways to Suppress General Strike: On November 26, 1938, French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier took decisive action by decreeing the military requisition of principal railways. This strategic move was designed to preemptively crush an impending French general strike, demonstrating the government's determination to maintain economic and social stability during a period of significant labor unrest.
  • 27 Nov 1938 Daladier's Radio Address Against General Strike: French Prime Minister Édouard Daladier delivered a forceful radio address to the French people, denouncing the planned general strike as a potential communist plot to establish a leftist dictatorship. He firmly declared his intention to use all necessary means to suppress the labor agitation and maintain political stability.
  • 28 Nov 1938 No Notable Historical Events - November 28, 1938: While no significant historical events were documented for this specific date, the period of late 1938 was marked by rising tensions in Europe preceding World War II. The Munich Agreement had recently been signed, and Nazi Germany was expanding its territorial ambitions, creating a climate of international uncertainty.
  • 29 Nov 1938 Rotterdam Mayor Cancels Soccer Match with Germany: In a politically charged decision reflecting the rising tensions in pre-World War II Europe, the Mayor of Rotterdam prohibited a scheduled soccer match between the Netherlands and Germany. This action likely symbolized the growing diplomatic strain and underlying hostilities between the two nations in the late 1930s.
  • 30 Nov 1938 Nazi Germany Prohibits Jewish Lawyers: On November 30, 1938, Nazi Germany implemented a discriminatory law banning Jews from practicing law, further escalating the systematic persecution of Jewish professionals and citizens in the lead-up to the Holocaust.