1st January » Sydney or Sydney, Australia, swelters in 45 ˚C (113 ˚F) heat, a record for the city.
13th January » The Black Friday (1939) or Black Friday bush fires burn 20,000 square kilometers of land in Australia, claiming the lives of 71 people.
16th January » The Irish Republican Army (1922–1969) known as Irish Republican Army (IRA) begins a S-Plan named bombing and sabotage campaign in England.
24th January » The 1939 Chillán earthquake e.g deadliest earthquake in Chilean history strikes Chillán, killing approximately 28,000 people.
26th January » Spanish Civil War Catalonia Offensive: Troops loyal to nationalist General Francisco Franco and aided by Kingdom of Italy named Italy take Barcelona.
27th January » First flight of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.
5th February » Generalísimo Francisco Franco becomes the 68th "'Caudillo de España'", or Leader of Spain.
10th February » Spanish Civil War: The Francoist Spain e.g Nationalists conclude their Catalonia Offensive or conquest of Catalonia and seal the border with France.
11th February » A Lockheed P-38 Lightning flies from California to New York in 7 hours 2 minutes.
1st March » A Japanese Imperial Army ammunition dump explodes at Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, killing 94.
2nd March » Cardinal (Catholicism) Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli is Papal conclave, 1939 elected Pope and takes the name Pope Pius XII Pius XII.
3rd March » In Mumbai, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi called Mohandas Gandhi begins to fast in protest at the autocratic rule in British Raj e.g India.
14th March » Slovak Republic (1939–1945) called Slovakia declares independence under Nazi Germany or German pressure.
15th March » World War II: Nazi Germany called German troops occupy the remaining part of Bohemia and Moravia; Czechoslovakia ceases to exist.
15th March » Carpatho-Ukraine declares itself an independent republic, but is annexed by Hungary the next day.
16th March » From Prague Castle, Hitler proclaims Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia named Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate.
16th March » Marriage of Princess Princess Fawzia Fuad of Egypt called Fawzia of Egypt to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran.
17th March » Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanchang between the Kuomintang and Empire of Japan known as Japan begins,
22nd March » World War II: Germany takes Klaipėda Region e.g Memel from Lithuania.
23rd March » The Kingdom of Hungary (Regency) named Hungarian air force attacks the headquarters of Slovenské vzdušné zbrane called Slovak air force in the city of Spišská Nová Ves, kills 13 people and began the Slovak–Hungarian War.
26th March » Spanish Civil War: Francoist Spain named Nationalists begin their Final offensive of the Spanish Civil War or final offensive of the war.
28th March » Spanish Civil War: Generalissimo Francisco Franco conquers Madrid after Siege of Madrid e.g a three-year siege.
30th March » The Heinkel He 100 fighter sets a world airspeed record of 463 mph (745km/h).
30th March » 'Detective Comics' 27 is released, introducing Batman.
1st April » Spanish Civil War: Generalissimo Generalísimo Francisco Franco of the Francoist Spain Spanish State announces the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the last of the Second Spanish Republic Republican forces surrender.
4th April » Faisal II of Iraq e.g Faisal II becomes King of Iraq.
14th April » 'The Grapes of Wrath', by American author John Steinbeck is first published by the Viking Press.
20th April » Billie Holiday records the first civil rights song "Strange Fruit".
3rd May » The All India Forward Bloc is formed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
13th May » The first commercial Frequency Modulation or FM radio station in the United States is launched in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The station later becomes WDRC-FM.
14th May » Lina Medina becomes the youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five.
21st May » The Canadian National War Memorial (Canada) National War Memorial is unveiled by George VI King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Queen Elizabeth in Ottawa.
22nd May » World War II: Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel.
23rd May » The United States Navy called U.S. Navy submarine USS Sailfish (SS-192) called USS 'Squalus' sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian n
29th May » The Albanian Fascism or fascist leader Tefik Mborja is appointed as member of the Italian Chamber of Fasces and Corporations.
1st June » First flight of the Germany or German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter-bomber airplane.
4th June » Holocaust: The MS e.g St. Louis, a ship carrying 963 Jewish refugees, is denied permission to land in Florida, in the United States, after already being turned away from Cuba. Forced to return to Europe, more than 200 of its passengers later die in Nazism
6th June » Judge Joseph Force Crater, known as the "Missingest Man in New York", is Declared death in absentia called declared legally dead.
12th June » The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York.
17th June » Last public guillotining in France: Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is guillotined in Versailles, Yvelines or Versailles outside the Saint-Pierre prison.
4th July » Lou Gehrig, recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, informs a crowd at Yankee Stadium (1923) or Yankee Stadium that he considered himself "The luckiest man on the face of the earth", then announces his retirement from major league baseball.
4th July » Huỳnh Phú Sổ founds Hòa Hảo named Hòa Hảo Buddhism.
6th July » The Holocaust named Holocaust: the last remaining Jewish enterprises in Germany are closed.
2nd August » 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 August » Thirteen Junkers Ju 87 named Stukas dive into the ground during a disastrous air-practice at Neuhammer. There are no survivors.
23rd August » 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 August » 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 August » 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.
1st September » World War II: Nazi Germany and Slovak Republic (1939–45) Slovakia Invasion of Poland invade Second Polish Republic Poland, beginning the European phase of World War II.
1st September » General George C. Marshall becomes Joint Chiefs of Staff e.g Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
1st September » The Wound Badge for Wehrmacht, SS, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe soldiers is instituted. The final version of the Iron Cross is also instituted on this date.
1st September » Switzerland mobilizes its forces and the Swiss Parliament elects Henri Guisan to head the Swiss Army (an event that can happen only during war or mobilization).
1st September » Adolf Hitler signs an order to begin the Action T4 called systematic euthanasia of mentally ill and disabled people.
2nd September » World War II: following the start of the Invasion of Poland known as invasion of Second Polish Republic e.g Poland the previous day, the Free City of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) is annexed by Nazi Germany.
3rd September » World War II: France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia declare war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, forming the Allies of World War II known as Allies.
3rd September » World War II: The United Kingdom and France begin a Blockade of Germany (1939–45) named naval blockade of Germany that lasts until the end of the war. This also marks the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic.
4th September » World War II: A Bristol Blenheim is the first British aircraft to cross the German coast following the declaration of war and German ships are bombed.
6th September » World War II: At the Battle of Barking Creek, Britain suffers its first fighter pilot casualty of the Second World War as a result of friendly fire.
6th September » World War II: Union of South Africa named South Africa declares war on Nazi Germany.
9th September » World War II: The Battle of Hel begins, the longest-defended pocket of Polish Army resistance during the German invasion of Poland.
10th September » World War II: Canada declares war on Nazi Germany, joining the Allies of World War II e.g Allies Poland, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
14th September » World War II: The Estonian military boards the Polish submarine ship ORP Orzeł 1938 6 in Tallinn, sparking a Orzeł incident diplomatic incident that the Soviet Union will later use to justify the annexation of Estonia.
17th September » World War II: A German U-boat German submarine U-29 (1936) 'U 29' sinks the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous 50 6.
17th September » Taisto Mäki becomes the first man to run the 10000 metres known as 10,000 metres in under 30 minutes, in a time of 29:52.6
18th September » World War II: Second Polish Republic known as Polish government of Ignacy Mościcki flees to Kingdom of Romania e.g Romania.
18th September » The Nazi propaganda broadcaster known as Lord Haw-Haw begins transmitting.
19th September » World War II: The Battle of Kępa Oksywska concludes, with Polish losses reaching roughly 14% of all the forces engaged.
21st September » Romanian Prime Minister Armand Călinescu is assassinated by far-right legionnaires of the fascist paramilitary organization called the Iron Guard.
22nd September » Joint victory parade of Wehrmacht and Red Army in Brest, Belarus or Brest-Litovsk at the end of the Invasion of Poland.
28th September » Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union German–Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Demarcation named agree on a division of Poland after their invasion during World War II.
28th September » Warsaw surrenders to Nazi Germany during World War II.
30th September » General Władysław Sikorski becomes commander-in-chief of the Poland named Polish Government in exile.
30th September » NBC broadcasts the first televised American football game between the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets and the Fordham Rams. Fordham won the game 34-7.
1st October » After a one-month Siege of Warsaw (1939) called Siege of Warsaw, hostile Nazi forces enter the city.
8th October » World War II: Germany annexes Western Poland.
14th October » The GS U-47 1938 6 sinks the British battleship HMS Royal Oak 08 6 within her harbour at Scapa Flow, Scotland.
15th October » The New York Municipal Airport (later renamed LaGuardia Airport) is dedicated.
16th October » World War II: First attack on British territory by the Nazi Germany named German Luftwaffe.
20th October » Pope Pius XII publishes his first major encyclical entitled 'Summi Pontificatus'.
23rd October » The Japanese Mitsubishi G4M twin-engine "Betty" Bomber makes its maiden flight.
1st November » The first rabbit born after artificial insemination is exhibited to the world.
4th November » World War II: U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt named Franklin D. Roosevelt orders the United States Customs Service to implement the Neutrality Acts of 1930s or Neutrality Act of 1939, allowing cash-and-carry purchases of weapons by belligerents.
6th November » World War II: Sonderaktion Krakau takes place.
8th November » Venlo Incident: Two British agents of Secret Intelligence Service called SIS are captured by the Germans.
8th November » In Munich, Adolf Hitler narrowly escapes the assassination attempt of Georg Elser while celebrating the 16th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch.
15th November » In Washington, D.C., US President Franklin D. Roosevelt lays the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial.
23rd November » World War II: HMS Rawalpindi HMS 'Rawalpindi' is sunk by the German battleships ship German battleship Scharnhorst 2 and ship German battleship Gneisenau 2.
26th November » Shelling of Mainila: The Soviet Army orchestrates an incident which is used to justify the start of the Winter War with Finland four days later.
30th November » Winter War: Soviet Union or Soviet forces cross the Finland or Finnish border in several places and bomb Helsinki and several other Finnish cities, starting the war.
4th December » World War II: HMS Nelson 28 6 is struck by a sea mine mine (laid by GS U-31 1936 2) off the Scotland Scottish coast and is laid up for repairs until August 1940.
12th December » Winter War: Battle of Tolvajärvi Finland called Finnish forces defeat those of the Soviet Union in their first major victory of the conflict.
12th December » HMS Duchess H64 6 sinks after a collision with HMS Barham 04 6 off the coast of Scotland with the loss of 124 men.
13th December » World War II: Battle of the River Plate Captain Hans Langsdorff of the Nazi Germany German Deutschland class cruiser (pocket battleship) 'German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee Admiral Graf Spee' engages with Royal Navy cruisers HMS Exeter 68 6, HMS Ajax 22 6 a
14th December » Winter War: The Soviet Union is expelled from the League of Nations for invading Finland.
17th December » World War II: Battle of the River Plate The 'German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee named Admiral Graf Spee' is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo.
18th December » World War II: The Battle of the Heligoland Bight (1939) known as Battle of the Heligoland Bight, the first major air battle of the war, takes place.
22nd December » Indian Islam known as Muslims observe a "Day of Deliverance (India) or Day of Deliverance" to celebrate the resignations of members of the Indian National Congress over their not having been consulted over the decision to enter World War II with the Unite
24th December » World War II: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas Eve appeal for peace.
27th December » Erzincan, Turkey is hit by an 1939 Erzincan earthquake called earthquake, killing 30,000.
27th December » Winter War: Finland holds off a Soviet Union e.g Soviet attack in the Battle of Kelja.
29th December » First flight of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator.