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

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

01 Oct 1938 Nazi Germany Begins Sudetenland Occupation: German military forces commence the occupation of the Sudetenland region in Czechoslovakia, a pivotal moment in the lead-up to World War II, implementing the terms of the Munich Agreement.
02 Oct 1938 German Occupation of Sudetenland: As part of the Munich Agreement, German troops began systematically occupying the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia, an area with a significant ethnic German population. This occupation marked a critical moment of territorial expansion by Nazi Germany before World War II.
03 Oct 1938 British Minister Resigns Over Munich Agreement Controversy: Alfred Duff Cooper dramatically resigned from the British cabinet in protest against Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy towards Nazi Germany. His resignation came shortly after the Munich Agreement, which allowed Germany to annex parts of Czechoslovakia. Cooper was one of the few prominent politicians who strongly opposed the policy of appeasing Adolf Hitler, believing that diplomatic concessions would only embolden the Nazi regime.
04 Oct 1938 Nazi Germany: Anti-Semitic Passport Restrictions: Nazi Germany implemented a discriminatory policy invalidating Jewish passports, with new emigration passports marked with a prominent 'J' (for 'Jude' - Jew), further escalating the systematic marginalization of Jewish citizens.
05 Oct 1938 Churchill's Powerful Critique of Munich Agreement: Winston Churchill delivered a landmark speech in the House of Commons, boldly denouncing the Munich Agreement as 'a total and unmitigated defeat', highlighting the potential appeasement risks with Nazi Germany.
06 Oct 1938 First Successful Jet-Powered Aircraft Flight: On October 6, 1938, the Heinkel He 178 completed its first successful flight, marking a groundbreaking moment in aviation history. This German aircraft, designed by Hans von Ohain, was the world's first jet-powered aircraft to achieve sustained flight, revolutionizing aerospace technology and paving the way for modern jet propulsion.
07 Oct 1938 Nazi Germany Implements Discriminatory Passport Marking for Jews: On October 7, 1938, the Nazi regime mandated that all Jewish passports be stamped with the letter 'J', a discriminatory measure designed to systematically identify and marginalize Jewish citizens. This action was part of the escalating antisemitic policies of the Third Reich, which increasingly restricted the rights and freedoms of Jewish people in Germany.
08 Oct 1938 Italian Fascist Regime Dissolves Democratic Legislature: On October 8, 1938, the Italian Chamber of Deputies was officially abolished and replaced by the Chamber of Fasces and Corporations, a significant step in Benito Mussolini's consolidation of totalitarian power. This legislative restructuring effectively eliminated the last vestiges of democratic representation in Italy, marking a complete transformation of the country's political system under fascist rule.
09 Oct 1938 Yankees Win Third Consecutive World Series: The New York Yankees complete a dominant World Series performance, sweeping the Chicago Cubs and securing their third straight championship, further cementing their status as a baseball dynasty of the era.
10 Oct 1938 Germany Annexes Sudetenland: Nazi Germany completed the annexation of the Sudetenland region from Czechoslovakia, a critical territorial expansion that significantly altered the geopolitical landscape of Central Europe in the lead-up to World War II.
11 Oct 1938 Czechoslovakia Grants Autonomy to Carpathian Ukraine: On October 11, 1938, Czechoslovakia officially granted autonomy to the region of Ruthenia, which was subsequently renamed Carpathian Ukraine. This political restructuring was part of the complex geopolitical changes in Central Europe preceding World War II.
12 Oct 1938 DUPE: Japanese Invasion Near Hong Kong: Japanese Imperial Army troops landed near Hong Kong as part of the broader Canton Operation during the Second Sino-Japanese War. This strategic military movement represented an escalation of Japanese territorial expansion in southern China, signaling increasing aggression in the region.
13 Oct 1938 Production Begins on The Wizard of Oz: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) commenced production of the iconic film 'The Wizard of Oz', which would become one of the most beloved and influential movies in cinema history, starring Judy Garland.
14 Oct 1938 Nazi Regime Plans Jewish Ghettos: The Nazi regime announced plans to establish Jewish ghettos in all major cities, marking a critical and horrific escalation of their systematic persecution and segregation of Jewish populations across occupied territories.
15 Oct 1938 Nazi Germany's Anti-Semitic Legal Restrictions: Nazi Germany implemented a discriminatory law banning Jews from practicing law, forcing Jewish legal professionals to cease their legal practices by November 30, 1938, as part of the escalating systematic persecution of Jewish people.
16 Oct 1938 Churchill Warns Against Nazi Aggression: Winston Churchill delivered a powerful broadcast address to the United States, condemning the Munich Agreement as a diplomatic failure and urgently calling upon America and Western European nations to prepare for potential armed resistance against Nazi Germany's expanding threat.
17 Oct 1938 Birth of Evel Knievel: Robert Craig 'Evel' Knievel was born in Butte, Montana, destined to become one of the most famous motorcycle stunt performers in American history. Known for his daring motorcycle jumps and spectacular performances, Knievel would become a cultural icon who pushed the boundaries of extreme sports and personal risk-taking in the mid-20th century.
18 Oct 1938 Mass Expulsion of Polish Jews from Germany: In a deeply troubling act of persecution, the Nazi German government forcibly expelled 12,000 Polish Jews from German territory. The Polish government only agreed to accept 4,000 of these refugees, leaving 8,000 individuals stranded in a desperate situation at the German-Polish border's no-man's land. This event was part of the escalating antisemitic policies of Nazi Germany in the lead-up to World War II, highlighting the growing humanitarian crisis for Jewish populations in Europe.
19 Oct 1938 Lindbergh Receives Nazi Award: On October 19, 1938, Hermann Göring, a prominent Nazi leader, presented Charles Lindbergh with the Service Cross of the Order of the German Eagle. This award became highly controversial in the United States, with Lindbergh later claiming he was surprised by the presentation and had not anticipated receiving the honor. The incident highlighted the complex diplomatic and ideological tensions of the pre-World War II era.
20 Oct 1938 Czechoslovakia Bans Communist Party: The Czechoslovakian government officially outlawed the Communist Party in the provinces of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, reflecting the growing political tensions in pre-World War II Europe.
21 Oct 1938 Antisemitic Expulsion from Nazi Germany: Nazi Germany forcibly expels Jews with Polish citizenship, a cruel act of persecution that was part of the broader systematic discrimination and ethnic cleansing policies of the Nazi regime.
22 Oct 1938 First Xerographic Copying Machine Demonstration: Chester Carlson publicly demonstrated the groundbreaking xerographic copying technology, a revolutionary invention that would fundamentally transform document reproduction and office communication worldwide. This landmark moment marked the beginning of a technological revolution in information duplication.
23 Oct 1938 Poland's Military Mobilization and Soviet Warning: Poland strategically positioned its military forces along the Czechoslovakian border, creating a tense geopolitical situation. In response, the Soviet Union issued a stern warning, indicating that any Polish invasion would result in the nullification of the 1932 non-aggression pact between the two countries.
24 Oct 1938 Nazi Germany Pressures Poland over Danzig: In a tense diplomatic meeting at Berchtesgaden, Hitler's foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop demanded that the free city of Danzig (modern Gdańsk) be returned to Germany. The Polish ambassador Józef Lipski firmly rejected the proposal, signaling growing tensions that would eventually contribute to the outbreak of World War II.
25 Oct 1938 Japanese Military Occupation of Hankou and Wuhan: During the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japanese Imperial troops successfully occupied the strategic cities of Hankou and Wuhan in central China, expanding their territorial control and military presence in the region.
26 Oct 1938 Du Pont Introduces Nylon Synthetic Fiber: On October 26, 1938, Du Pont Chemical Company officially announced the development of nylon, a groundbreaking synthetic polymer fiber that would revolutionize the textile and manufacturing industries. This innovative material, created by chemist Wallace Carothers, represented a major technological breakthrough in materials science, offering superior strength, elasticity, and durability compared to natural fibers like silk and cotton.
27 Oct 1938 Nazi Persecution of Polish Jews Escalates: The Nazi regime initiated a systematic arrest campaign targeting Jews with Polish citizenship, with the explicit intention of forcibly deporting them. This action represented an escalation of antisemitic policies and a precursor to the broader Holocaust atrocities.
28 Oct 1938 Mass Deportation of Polish Jews from Nazi Germany: On October 28, 1938, Nazi Germany forcibly deported approximately 12,000 Polish Jews from German territory near the border town of Zbąszyń. This brutal action was part of an escalating campaign of antisemitic persecution. Many of the expelled Jews were denied entry into Poland due to a new denaturalization law, leaving them in a desperate humanitarian crisis. Around 5,500 deportees were left stranded, forced to seek shelter in makeshift and unsanitary conditions like disused stables, highlighting the growing humanitarian catastrophe facing Jewish populations in Europe.
29 Oct 1938 Czechoslovak Presidential Resignation amid Political Turmoil: Edvard Beneš resigned as President of Czechoslovakia, a pivotal moment occurring shortly after the Munich Agreement which forced Czechoslovakia to cede the Sudetenland to Nazi Germany. His resignation symbolized the country's political capitulation and the growing threat of Nazi expansionism.
30 Oct 1938 Orson Welles' War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast Causes Mass Panic: On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles directed and performed a groundbreaking radio adaptation of H.G. Wells's science fiction novel 'The War of the Worlds' through the Mercury Theatre on the Air. The innovative broadcast, presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, was so realistic that it caused widespread panic among listeners who believed an actual Martian invasion was occurring. The dramatization, which interrupted regular programming with seemingly live reports of an extraterrestrial attack, demonstrated the powerful persuasive potential of mass media and became a landmark moment in broadcast history.
31 Oct 1938 New York Stock Exchange Introduces Investor Protection Program: During the challenging period of the Great Depression, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) implemented a comprehensive fifteen-point program designed to restore investor confidence and enhance market transparency. This strategic initiative aimed to rebuild trust in financial markets by introducing stronger protective measures for individual and institutional investors, signaling a proactive approach to addressing the systemic vulnerabilities exposed by the economic crisis.