What Happened In August 1939 In History

Historical Events for August, 1939

• 2nd » Albert Einstein and Leó Szilárd write Einstein–Szilárd letter named a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging him to begin the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon.
• 15th » Thirteen Junkers Ju 87 named Stukas dive into the ground during a disastrous air-practice at Neuhammer. There are no survivors.
• 23rd » World War II: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression treaty, the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. In a secret addition to the pact, the Baltic states, Finland, Kingdom of Romania named Romania, and Second Polish Republic or Poland are divided bet
• 25th » The United Kingdom and Second Polish Republic e.g Poland form a Anglo-Polish military alliance e.g military alliance in which the UK promises to defend Poland in case of invasion by a foreign power.
• 31st » Nazi Germany mounts a staged Gleiwitz incident named attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day thus starting European Theatre of World War II named World War II in Europe.

Famous Birthdays on August in 1939

• 1st » Terry Kiser, American actor
• 1st » Stephen Sykes, English bishop and theologian (d. 2014)
• 1st » Robert James Waller, American author and photographer
• 2nd » Benjamin Barber, American theorist, author, and academic
• 2nd » Wes Craven, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 2nd » John W. Snow, American politician, 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury
• 3rd » Jimmie Nicol, English drummer (The Spotnicks and Colin Hicks & The Cabin Boys)
• 3rd » Apoorva Sengupta, Indian general and cricketer
• 4th » Jack Cunningham, Baron Cunningham of Felling, English politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office
• 4th » Frank Vincent, American actor and producer
• 5th » Roger Clark, English race car driver (d. 1998)
• 5th » Princess Irene of the Netherlands
• 7th » Anjanette Comer, American actress
• 7th » Verna Bloom, American actress
• 8th » Phil Balsley, American singer-songwriter (The Statler Brothers)
• 8th » Viorica Viscopoleanu, Romanian long jumper
• 8th » Alexander Watson (diplomat) named Alexander Watson, American diplomat
• 9th » Hércules Brito Ruas, Brazilian footballer
• 9th » Vincent Hanna, Irish journalist (d. 1997)
• 9th » The Mighty Hannibal, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2014)
• 9th » Billy Henderson (American singer) e.g Billy Henderson, American singer (The Spinners (American R&B group) or The Spinners) (d. 2007)
• 9th » Bulle Ogier, French actress
• 9th » Romano Prodi, Italian politician, 52nd Prime Minister of Italy
• 9th » Butch Warren, American bassist (d. 2013)
• 10th » Charlie Rose (congressman) named Charlie Rose, American politician (d. 2012)
• 11th » Ronnie Dawson (musician) called Ronnie Dawson, American singer and guitarist (d. 2003)
• 12th » Michael D. Antonovich, American politician
• 12th » Skip Caray, American sportscaster (d. 2008)
• 12th » George Hamilton (actor) called George Hamilton, American actor and producer
• 12th » David King (chemist) known as David King, South African chemist and academic
• 12th » Roy Romanow, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Premier of Saskatchewan
• 13th » Ed Burton, American basketball player (d. 2012)
• 15th » Bill Wratten, English air marshal
• 16th » Seán Brady, Irish cardinal
• 16th » Trevor McDonald, Trinidadian-English journalist and academic
• 16th » Billy Joe Shaver, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 17th » Luther Allison, American singer and guitarist (d. 1997)
• 17th » Anthony Valentine, English actor
• 18th » Harald Heide-Steen Jr., Norwegian actor (d. 2008)
• 18th » Robert Horton (businessman) named Robert Horton, English businessman (d. 2011)
• 18th » Johnny Preston, American singer (d. 2011)
• 19th » Ginger Baker, English drummer and songwriter (Cream (band) known as Cream, Blind Faith, Blues Incorporated, and Atomic Rooster)
• 19th » Miranda Guinness, Countess of Iveagh
• 20th » Fernando Poe, Jr., Filipino actor and politician (d. 2004)
• 21st » James Burton, American guitarist (TCB Band)
• 21st » Festus Mogae, Botswana economist and politician, 3rd President of Botswana
• 21st » Harold Reid, American singer-songwriter (The Statler Brothers)
• 21st » Clarence Williams III, American actor
• 22nd » Valerie Harper, American actress and singer
• 22nd » George Reinholt, American actor
• 22nd » Carl Yastrzemski, American baseball player
• 25th » John Badham, English-American actor, director, and producer
• 25th » John Bardon, English actor (d. 2014)
• 26th » Pinchas Goldstein, Israeli politician (d. 2007)
• 26th » Todor Kolev (actor) or Todor Kolev, Bulgarian actor and singer (d. 2013)
• 26th » Jorge Paulo Lemann, Brazilian banker and financier
• 27th » William Least Heat-Moon, American historian and author
• 27th » Edward Patten, American singer-songwriter and producer (Gladys Knight & the Pips) (d. 2005)
• 28th » John Kingman, English mathematician and academic
• 29th » Jolán Kleiber-Kontsek, Hungarian discus thrower
• 29th » Joel Schumacher, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 31st » Jerry Allison, American drummer and songwriter (The Crickets)

Famous Deaths for August 1939

• 2nd » Harvey Spencer Lewis, American mystic and author (b. 1883)
• 5th » Béla Jankovich, Hungarian economist and politician, Minister of Education of Hungary (b. 1865)
• 11th » Jean Bugatti, German-Italian engineer (b. 1909)
• 11th » Siegfried Flesch, Austrian fencer (b. 1872)
• 23rd » Eugène-Henri Gravelotte, French fencer (b. 1876)
• 25th » Babe Siebert, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1904)

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