In history, this year was shaping up to be an interesting period across the world, where many of the events have been recorded in our 1938 newspaper articles. This was the year George Cukor cast Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind, based on the book by Margaret Mitchell and H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, narrated by Orson Welles, aired on the radio.
25th January 1938
A brilliant aurora borealis, often described as “a curtain of fire”, amazes people across Europe. The light display is visible as far south as Gibraltar.
6th February 1938
Three-hundred swimmers are dragged out to sea due to three freak waves at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Eighty lifesavers perform heroically, saving all but five people.
3rd March 1938
Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.
25th May 1938
Alicante is bombed during the Spanish Civil war, resulting in 313 deaths.
19th June 1938
Italy beats Hungary 4-2 to win the 1938 World Cup.
24th June 1938
A 450-metric-ton meteorite explodes approximately twelve miles above the earth, near Chicora in Pennsylvania.
25th June 1938
Dr. Douglas Hyde is elected the first President of Ireland.
14th July 1938
Howard Hughes sets a new record by completing an aircraft flight around the world in just ninety-hours.
24th July 1938
Swiss climbers Christian Almer and Peter Bohren, and Irishman Charles Barrington, complete the first successful ascent of the Eiger mountain in the Bernese Alps.
30th July 1938
The first edition of “The Beano” is published.
26th September 1938
During a venomous speech at Berlin‘s Sportpalast, Hitler implies war with Czechoslovakia will begin at any time.
29th September 1938
German, Italian, British and French leaders agree to German demands regarding the annexation of Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovak government is largely excluded from the negotiations and is not a signatory to the agreement.
30th September 1938
Neville Chamberlain returns to Britain following a meeting with Adolf Hitler and declares “Peace in our Time.” Many senior figures, such as Winston Churchill, are disgusted by the outcome of the meeting. Germany marches into Sudetenland on the following morning and demands control of Teschen within a twenty-four hour period.
Not found what you’re looking for? If you want an exact newspaper on particular events or persons, you can contact research@historic-newspapers.co.uk for in-depth articles. Many areas of interest like these are some of history’s greatest moments. You’ll find 1938 news headlines covering events worldwide, capturing the history that made the year worth remembering.
With a variety of regional and national titles available, you’ll be able to hear from multiple first-hand accounts reporting on the events of this year. The headlines in our archive reflect society at that time, giving you a unique view of how the world has since changed. In regard to social, economic and political values, a 1938 newspaper compared to a paper from today, will be a fascinating comparison for anyone keen on history.