-
Warren G. Harding is inaugurated as the 29th President
-
Former President Taft is appointed as the Chief Justice
This makes him the first and only person to serve both as the President and on the Supreme Court. -
President Harding dies of cardiac arrest
-
Vice President Calvin Coolidge is sworn in as the 30th President
He would finish Harding's term and be re-elected for one more term. -
First flight of a liquid-fueled rocket
Robert Goddard finally achieved flight using two liquid propellants. -
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act is signed
This set of laws extended the power of the FDA in response to many deaths caused by a dangerous practice in the pharmaceutical industry. -
Herbert Hoover is inaugurated as the 31st President
-
The stock market crashes, Great Depression starts
This is often viewed as the primary cause of the Great Depression, and is frequently labeled as its start. The Great Depression was an extended period of heavy economic downturn worldwide. It did not truly end in the US until WWII. -
The 20th Amendment is ratified
This moved the date of inauguration from Mar 4 to Jan 20, and added rules for if the President-elect dies. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated as the 32nd President
He would be the only President to serve more than two terms, being elected for four, but dying early into his fourth. His inauguration would mark the start of both his famous "First 100 Days" and the New Deal -
The Civilian Conservation Commision is founded
This was one of FDR's big organizations to provide labor and lower unemployment while doing good work for the enviornment. -
The 21st Amendment is ratified
This amendment repealed the 18th amendment and thereby ended prohibition in all states that did not have their own specific laws regarding alcohol. -
"Black Sunday" the worst of the dust blizzards
This day represented the worst dust storms to strike the plains during the Dust Bowl from 1934-1940. This happened because of poor farming techniques and an extended drought during the Great Depression. -
The Hoover Dam is dedicated
This marks the end of its tiresome five-year construction, which provided much needed jobs during the Great Depression. -
The Grapes of Wrath is published
This fictional story of an American family captures the spirit of sorrow present in the Great Depression. The book helped its author John Steinbeck win a Nobel Prize in addition to a Pulitzer Prize. -
The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact is signed
Also known as the German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, this was an agreement between Germany and the USSR to avoid combat. The Germans would later break this pact with the launch of Operation Barbarossa. -
Germany invades Poland, starting WWII
Germany launched a surprise invasion of Poland which cause France and Britain to declare war on Germany two days later. -
Operation Barbarossa is launched by Germany
Germany launched a full-scale invasion of Russia despite the non-aggression pact they had signed. It was extremely costly to both sides, but especially for the Russian civilians. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
This surprise Sunday attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor killed over 2300 people and destroyed more than 20 ships and tons of aircraft. Known as "a day that will live in infamy," this attack led the US to declare war on Japan the following day, which caused the rest of the axis powers to declare war on the US shorty after. In short, this event propelled the US into WWII.