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J. Edgar Hoover became the acting director of the Bureau of Investigation on May 10, 1924, and was named the permanent director later that year on December 10, 1924. His appointment by Attorney General Harlan Fiske Stone came after allegations of scandal tainted the previous director's tenure, and Hoover was tasked with professionalizing the agency. Hoover immediately began making significant changes, including firing unqualified agents, instituting new hiring standards. -
Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") in two volumes in 1925 and 1926. He wrote the book while imprisoned for his failed 1923 coup attempt and used it as a platform for his political beliefs, autobiography, and future plans for Germany. -
The stock market crashed in October 1929, beginning on "Black Thursday," October 24, and climaxing on "Black Tuesday," October 29, 1929. This was a sudden, steep decline in stock prices that wiped out billions of dollars in paper wealth, triggering the Great Depression. The crash happened after a period of inflated stock prices, and the resulting panic led to a cascade of failures, including banks and brokerage firms, and devastated investors -
Franklin D. Roosevelt was first elected president on November 8, 1932, defeating incumbent Herbert Hoover in a landslide victory. His election took place during the Great Depression, and he promised a "New Deal" to provide relief, recovery, and reform. Key events in his first term included a massive legislative push during his "first 100 days" and the use of his "Fireside Chats" on radio to communicate with the public -
Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933, after a series of political negotiations. He was appointed by President Paul von Hindenburg, who was convinced by conservative politicians that Hitler could be controlled within a coalition government. The appointment was the result of political maneuvering by figures like Franz von Papen, who believed they could use Hitler's popularity while limiting his power -
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created on April 5, 1933, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of the New Deal to provide jobs for unemployed young men during the Great Depression. The men worked on conservation projects to improve public lands, forests, and parks, such as planting trees, building roads and trails, and controlling erosion. The CCC was highly popular and provided a way for struggling young men to earn an income while contributing to conservation efforts across the -
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was created on May 6, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a key part of his New Deal to combat unemployment during the Great Depression. It provided jobs for millions of unemployed Americans on public works projects, such as building roads, schools, and hospitals, and also supported arts and literacy projects -
James J. Braddock won the heavyweight boxing title on June 13, 1935, when he defeated Max Baer by a 15-round unanimous decision. The fight was held at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in New York City and was considered a major upset, earning Braddock the nickname "The Cinderella Man" because he came from obscurity to become champion during the Great Depression. -
The Dust Bowl began in 1930 due to a severe drought that coincided with poor farming practices, which led to massive dust storms. The combination of a lack of rainfall, the removal of natural topsoil through over-farming, and high winds resulted in huge dust storms, known as black blizzards, that swept across the Great Plains. These storms killed crops and livestock, made living conditions unbearable, and forced millions of people to migrate, primarily to California -
The 1936 Summer Olympic Games were held in Berlin, Germany, from August 1 to August 16, under the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler. These games were used for Nazi propaganda, with Hitler temporarily masking Germany's antisemitic agenda to present a peaceful image. Notably, they were the first Olympics to be broadcast on television and introduced the torch relay tradition, with the United States' participation being a point of controversy due to boycott threats over Nazi persecutio -
Kristallnacht, also known as the "Night of Broken Glass," occurred on November 9–10, 1938, in Nazi Germany and annexed territories. In this state-sponsored and coordinated attack, Nazi paramilitary forces, Hitler Youth, and German civilians violently vandalized and destroyed Jewish homes, synagogues, schools, hospitals, and businesses. -
The Grapes of Wrath was published on April 14, 1939, and immediately became a bestseller, though its portrayal of migrant workers during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl led to controversy and bans in some areas. The novel chronicles the Joad family's journey from Oklahoma to California in search of work, detailing the poverty, exploitation, and harsh conditions they encounter. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 -
e Wizard of Oz had multiple premieres, with sneak previews in Wisconsin starting around August 11-12, 1939, and the official premiere on August 15, 1939, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It then opened nationwide on August 25, 1939. The initial release was not a major box office success, but the film gained popularity over time, especially after its first television broadcast in 1956 -
German troops invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, triggering World War II. In response to German aggression, Great Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany -
President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his "Four Freedoms" speech on January 6, 1941, during his annual State of the Union address to Congress. The speech, given when Europe was already at war with Nazi Germany, outlined the four essential human freedoms he believed the world should be founded upon: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. The speech served to rally the American public, articulate the ideological aims