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Herbert Hoover becomes President.
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Severe drought hits the Midwestern and Southern Plains. As the crops die, the “black blizzards” begin. Dust from the over-plowed and over-grazed land begins to blow
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This and the next year are the worst years of the Great Depression. For 1932, GNP falls a record 13.4 percent; unemployment rises to 23.6 percent
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Black Sunday. The worst “black blizzard” of the Dust Bowl occurs, causing extensive damage.
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Top tax rate raised to 79 percent
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The extensive work re-plowing the land into furrows, planting trees in shelterbelts, and other conservation methods has resulted in a 65 percent reduction in the amount of soil blowing. However, the drought continues
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The United States will begin emerging from the Depression as it borrows and spends $1 billion to build its armed forces
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World War II starts with Hitler's invasion of Poland
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The top tax rate is 91 percent. It will stay at least 88 percent until 1963, when it is lowered to 70 percent. During this time, America will experience the greatest economic boom it had ever known until that time.
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Great dust storms spread from the Dust Bowl area. The drought is the worst ever in U.S. history, covering more than 75 percent of the country and affecting 27 states severely.