Tag: 1939

Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: What Happened In 1939?

Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: What Happened In 1939?

39 Trivia Questions for 1939 History

(answers)

1. What was the highest-grossing film of 1939?

2. What museum and Hall of Fame opened in 1939?

3. In 1939, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?

4. Created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger, what costumed adventurer made his first appearance in the spring of 1939?

5. Where did Batman make his first appearance?

6. Starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, and Bela Lugosi, what was the third Frankenstein film

7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1939?

8. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1939?

9. 1939 Catchphrase: Who said, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”?

10. Directed by Frank Capra, this political comedy/drama featured Jimmy Stwart as Jefferson Smith and everyman selected to serve as a United States senator…

11. Based on a book written in 1900, this 1939 film has become the most-watched film in movie history…

12. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1939?

13. How many people lived in the United States in 1939?

14. Anticipating possible war with Germany, what famous museum packed and transported its art treasures to secret locations for safekeeping?

15. This 1939 John Ford film gave John Wayne his breakout role…

16. This film series went on two 14 films, all starring Basil Rathbone as the title character..

17. This comic book featured the first appearances of the characters Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch. What was it?

18. Who was the President of the United States in 1939?

19. What celebrity was NOT born in April 1939: Ali McGraw, Marvin Gaye, Tammy Wynette, Francis Ford Coppola, or Paul Sorvino?

20. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1939?

21. On June 6, 1939, Williamsport, Pennsylvania featured the debut of what activity for children?

22. On August 26, 1939, the first televised Major League baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers was broadcast on station W2XBS. What city was it broadcast from?

23. Who won the 1939 World Series?

24. What popular woman’s elastic apparel went on sale, becoming an instant affordable hit?

25. Who were the MGM cartoon studio’s most successful (with 163 cartoon shorts) animated characters?

26. What American event featured the motto “The World of Tomorrow”?

27. What first-time event was held in conjunction with New York’s World’s Fair, featuring attendees like Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Jack Williamson, and Forrest J. Ackerman?

28. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1939?

29. On July 2, 1939, the fourth presidential head was dedicated at Mount Rushmore. Which president was it?

30. What was the Glen Miller Band’s biggest number-one hit?

31. What was the title of Billie Holiday’s song protesting the lynchings of Black Americans?

32. Adjusting for inflation, what is the biggest-grossing film ever?

33. In March of 1939, Students at Harvard University introduced what ingestion fad?

34. After missing for 18 months, what famous aviator was officially declared dead?
Amelia Earhart

35. With millions of readers, This popular Hollywood gossip columnist also had a radio show that ran alternatively on CBS, NBC, and ABC through 1951.

36. Who were the teams that competed during the first NFL televised game?

37. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1939?

38. Focusing on the Joad family, what John Steinbeck Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl was released?

39. On May 2, 1939, what baseball great retired with a (then) record 2,130 games-played streak?

Trivia Team Bonus Questions:

1. What was New York Yankee player Lou Gehrig’s nickname?

2. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1939?

3. Who was the MGM cartoon studio’s first successful (with 26 cartoon shorts) animated character?

4. Al Capone was transferred from San Fransico’s Alcatraz Federal Prison to what Los Angeles Federal Prison?

5. Who was the Pope in 1939?

6. Featured in the film Love Affair, what was Glen Miller’s first number-one hit?

7. Who were the 1939 NFL Champions?

8. What was Adolf Hitler’s ‘Plan Z’?

9. Who was the American Vice-President in 1939?

10. What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as?

The Answers:

39 Trivia Answers for 1939 History

1. What was the highest-grossing film of 1939?
Gone With The Wind

2. What museum and Hall of Fame opened in 1939?
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

3. In 1939, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
Men – 62.1 years, Women – 65.4 years.

4. Created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger, what costumed adventurer made his first appearance in the spring of 1939?
Batman

5. Where did Batman make his first appearance?
Detective Comics #27 (comic book)

6. Starring Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, and Bela Lugosi, what was the third Frankenstein film?
Son of Frankenstein

7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1939?
Deep Purple by Larry Clinton

8. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1939?
8 cents

9. 1939 Catchphrase: Who said, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn”?
Rhett Butler on Gone with the Wind

10. Directed by Frank Capra, this political comedy/drama featured Jimmy Stwart as Jefferson Smith, and everyman selected to serve as a United States senator…
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

11. Based on a book written in 1900, this 1939 film has become the most-watched film in movie history…
The Wizard of Oz

12. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1939?
In 1939, The Boston Bruins won over the Toronto Maple Leafs (4 games to 1)

13. How many people lived in the United States in 1939?
The population was an estimated 130,879,718 people.

14. Anticipating possible war with Germany, what famous museum packed and transported its art treasures to secret locations for safekeeping?
The Louvre, in Paris, France

15. This 1939 John Ford film gave John Wayne his breakout role…
Stagecoach

16. This film series went on two 14 films, all starring Basil Rathbone as the title character…
(The Adventures of) Sherlock Holmes

17. This comic book featured the first appearances of the characters Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch. What was it?
Marvel Comics #1. (cover date October 1939)

18. Who was the President of the United States in 1939?
Franklin D. Roosevelt (March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945)

19. What celebrity was NOT born in April 1939: Ali McGraw, Marvin Gaye, Tammy Wynette, Francis Ford Coppola or Paul Sorvino?
Tammy Wynette (born May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998)

20. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1939?
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

21. On June 6, 1939, Williamsport, Pennsylvania featured the debut of what activity for children?
Little League Baseball

22. On August 26, 1939, the first televised Major League baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers was broadcast on station W2XBS. What city was it broadcast from?
New York (Ebbets Field). W2XBS later became WNBC-TV.

23. Who won the 1939 World Series?
In 1939, The New York Yankees won, beating the Cincinnati Reds (4 games to 0)

24. What popular woman’s elastic apparel went on sale, becoming an instant affordable hit?
Nylon stockings

25. Who were the MGM cartoon studio’s most successful (with 163 cartoon shorts) animated characters?
Tom and Jerry

26. What American event featured the motto “The World of Tomorrow”?
The 1939-40 New York World’s Fair

27. What first-time event was held in conjunction with New York’s World’s Fair, featuring attendees like Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Jack Williamson, and Forrest J. Ackerman?
The First World Science Fiction Convention

28. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1939?
$0.19 per gallon

29. On July 2, 1939, the fourth presidential head was dedicated at Mount Rushmore. Which president was it?
Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt

30. What was the Glen Miller Band’s biggest number-one hit?
In The Mood (12 weeks at number one)

31. What was the title of Billie Holiday’s song protesting the lynchings of Black Americans?
Strange Fruit

32. Adjusting for inflation, what is the biggest-grossing film ever?
Gone With the Wind

33. In March of 1939, Students at Harvard University introduced what ingestion fad?
Swallowing goldfish

34. After missing for 18 months, what famous aviator was officially declared dead?
Amelia Earhart

35. This popular Hollywood gossip columnist, with millions of readers, also had a radio show that ran alternatively on CBS, NBC, and ABC through 1951.
Hedda Hopper

36. Who were the teams that competed during the first NFL televised game?
The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 23-14 at Ebbets Field.

37. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1939?
Joseph Stalin

38. Focusing on the Joad family, what John Steinbeck Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl was released?
The Grapes of Wrath

39. On May 2, 1939, what baseball great retired with a (then) record 2,130 games-played streak?
Lou Gehrig

Trivia Team Bonus Questions:

1. What was New York Yankee player Lou Gehrig’s nickname?
The Iron Horse

2. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1939?
Johnstown

3. Who was the MGM cartoon studio’s first successful (with 26 cartoon shorts) animated character?
Barney Bear

4. Al Capone was transferred from San Fransico’s Alcatraz Federal Prison to what Los Angeles Federal Prison?
Terminal Island Federal Prison

5. Who was the Pope in 1939?
Pope Pius XI, February 6, 1922 – February 10, 1939, and Pope Pius XII, March 2, 1939 – October 9, 1958

6. Featured in the film Love Affair, what was Glen Miller’s first number-one hit?
Wishing (Will Make It So)

7. Who were the 1939 NFL Champions?
Green Bay Packers

8. What was Adolf Hitler’s ‘Plan Z’?
He planned to build a German Navy that could overpower the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy within a few years.

9. Who was the American Vice-President in 1939?
John Garner (March 4, 1933 – January 20, 1941)

10. What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as?
ALS, or motor neuron disease (MND), or Lou Gehrig’s disease

June 26, 2025
1940 Oscars 12th Academy Awards
1940 Oscars 12th Academy Awards
The 12th Academy Awards were held on February 29, 1940, at the Cocoanut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

This year’s Oscars were hosted by the iconic comedian Bob Hope.

Films released in the eligibility year of 1939 were the show’s stars.

Significant Moments:

Gone with the Wind dominated the awards, scooping up eight Oscars, including Best Picture.

Gone with the Wind earned 13 nominations.

The Wizard of Oz had six nominations, winning 2.

Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to receive an Academy Award, for her performance in Gone With The Wind.

Gone with the Wind is an American epic historical romance film, adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel of the same name.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington had 11 nominations, winning one.

The role of Scarlett O’Hara earned Vivien Leigh a Best Actress Oscar.

Hattie McDaniel won Best Supporting Actress for her role in the same film, making history as the first African American to win an Oscar.

A Bit of Trivia:

Gone with the Wind was the first color film to win Best Picture.

Judy Garland received a Juvenile Award for her role in The Wizard of Oz, a not-so-regular category designed to honor younger performers.

Bob Hope was hosting for the first time but would go on to host the Oscars a record 19 times.

Take our 1940 Quiz!
1940 Oscar Nominees and Winners

Outstanding Production:
Gone With the Wind – David O. Selznick for Selznick International and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (WINNER)
Dark Victory – David Lewis for Warner Bros.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips – Victor Saville for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Love Affair – Leo McCarey for RKO Radio
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Frank Capra for Columbia
Ninotchka – Sidney Franklin for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Of Mice and Men – Lewis Milestone for Hal Roach Prod. and United Artists
Stagecoach – Walter Wanger for United Artists
The Wizard of Oz – Mervyn LeRoy for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Wuthering Heights – Samuel Goldwyn for Samuel Goldwyn Productions and United Artists

Best Director:
Victor Fleming – Gone With the Wind (WINNER)
Sam Wood – Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Frank Capra – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
John Ford – Stagecoach
William Wyler – Wuthering Heights

Best Actor:
Robert Donat – Goodbye, Mr. Chips as Mr Chips (WINNER)
Clark Gable – Gone With the Wind as Rhett Butler
Laurence Olivier – Wuthering Heights as Heathcliff
Mickey Rooney – Babes in Arms as Mickey Moran
James Stewart – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as Jefferson “Jeff” Smith

Best Actress:
Vivien Leigh – Gone With the Wind as Scarlett O’Hara (WINNER)
Bette Davis – Dark Victory as Judith Traherne
Irene Dunne – Love Affair as Terry McKay
Greta Garbo – Ninotchka as Nina Ivanovna ‘Ninotchka’ Yakushova
Greer Garson – Goodbye, Mr. Chips as Katherine

Best Supporting Actor:
Thomas Mitchell – Stagecoach as Doc Boone (WINNER)
Brian Aherne – Juarez as Maximilian I of Mexico
Harry Carey – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as President of the Senate
Brian Donlevy – Beau Geste as Sergeant Markoff
Claude Rains – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as Senator Joseph Harrison “Joe” Paine

Best Supporting Actress:
Hattie McDaniel – Gone With the Wind as Mammy (WINNER)
Olivia de Havilland – Gone with the Wind as Melanie Hamilton
Geraldine Fitzgerald – Wuthering Heights as Isabella Linton
Edna May Oliver – Drums Along the Mohawk as Mrs McKlennar
Maria Ouspenskaya – Love Affair as Grandmother Janou

Best Story:
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Lewis R. Foster (WINNER)
Bachelor Mother – Felix Jackson
Love Affair – Mildred Cram and Leo McCarey
Ninotchka – Melchior Lengyel
Young Mr. Lincoln – Lamar Trotti

Best Screenplay:
Gone With the Wind – Sidney Howard (posthumous award), based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell (WINNER)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips – Eric Maschwitz, R. C. Sherriff and Claudine West, based on the novel by James Hilton
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Sidney Buchman, based on a story by Lewis R. Foster
Ninotchka – Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch, and Billy Wilder, based on a story by Melchior Lengyel
Wuthering Heights – Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, based on the novel by Emily Brontë

Best Live Action Short Film, One-Reel:
Busy Little Bears – Paramount Pictures (WINNER)
Information Please – RKO Radio
Prophet Without Honor – MGM
Sword Fishing – Warner Bros.

Best Live Action Short Film, Two-Reel:
Sons of Liberty – Warner Bros. (WINNER)
Drunk Driving – MGM
Five Times Five – RKO Radio

Best Animated Short Film:
The Ugly Duckling – Walt Disney Productions and RKO Radio (WINNER)
Detouring America – Warner Bros.
Peace on Earth – MGM
The Pointer – Walt Disney Productions and RKO Radio

Best Score:
Stagecoach – Richard Hageman, W. Franke Harling, John Leipold and Leo Shuken (WINNER)
Babes in Arms – Roger Edens and Georgie Stoll
First Love – Charles Previn
The Great Victor Herbert – Phil Boutelje and Arthur Lange
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Alfred Newman
Intermezzo – Lou Forbes
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Dimitri Tiomkin
Of Mice and Men – Aaron Copland
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex – Erich Wolfgang Korngold
She Married a Cop – Cy Feuer
Swanee River – Louis Silvers
They Shall Have Music – Alfred Newman
Way Down South – Victor Young

Best Original Score:
The Wizard of Oz – Herbert Stothart (WINNER)
Dark Victory – Max Steiner
Eternally Yours – Werner Janssen
Golden Boy – Victor Young
Gone With the Wind – Max Steiner
Gulliver’s Travels – Victor Young
The Man in the Iron Mask – Lud Gluskin and Lucien Moraweck
Man of Conquest – Victor Young
Nurse Edith Cavell – Anthony Collins
Of Mice and Men – Aaron Copland
The Rains Came – Alfred Newman
Wuthering Heights – Alfred Newman

Best Song:
“Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Yip Harburg (WINNER)
“Faithful Forever” from Gulliver’s Travels – Music by Ralph Rainger; Lyrics by Leo Robin
“I Poured My Heart Into a Song” from Second Fiddle – Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
“Wishing” from Love Affair – Music and Lyrics by Buddy DeSylva

Best Sound Recording:
When Tomorrow Comes – Bernard B. Brown (WINNER)
Balalaika – Douglas Shearer
Gone With the Wind – Thomas T. Moulton
Goodbye, Mr. Chips – A. W. Watkins
The Great Victor Herbert – Loren L. Ryder
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – John O. Aalberg
Man of Conquest – Charles L. Lootens
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – John P. Livadary
Of Mice and Men – Elmer Raguse
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex – Nathan Levinson
The Rains Came – Edmund H. Hansen

Best Art Direction:
Gone With the Wind – Lyle R. Wheeler (WINNER)
Beau Geste – Hans Dreier and Robert Odell
Captain Fury – Charles D. Hall
First Love – Jack Otterson and Martin Obzina
Love Affair – Van Nest Polglase and Alfred Herman
Man of Conquest – John Victor Mackay
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Lionel Banks
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex – Anton Grot
The Rains Came – William S. Darling and George Dudley
Stagecoach – Alexander Toluboff
The Wizard of Oz – Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning
Wuthering Heights – James Basevi

Best Cinematography, Black and White:
Wuthering Heights – Gregg Toland (WINNER)
First Love – Joseph Valentine
The Great Victor Herbert – Victor Milner
Gunga Din – Joseph H. August
Juarez – Tony Gaudio
Intermezzo – Gregg Toland
Lady of the Tropics – Norbert Brodine
Of Mice and Men – George J. Folsey
Only Angels Have Wings – Joseph Walker
The Rains Came – Arthur Charles Miller
Stagecoach – Bert Glennon

Best Cinematography, Color:
Gone With the Wind – Ernest Haller and Ray Rennahan (WINNER)
Drums Along the Mohawk – Ray Rennahan and Bert Glennon
The Four Feathers – Georges Périnal and Osmond Borradaile
The Mikado – William V. Skall and Bernard Knowles
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex – Sol Polito and W. Howard Greene
The Wizard of Oz – Hal Rosson

Best Film Editing:
Gone With the Wind – Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom (WINNER)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips – Charles Frend
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Gene Havlick and Al Clark
The Rains Came – Barbara McLean
Stagecoach – Otho Lovering and Dorothy Spencer

Best Special Effects:
The Rains Came – E. H. Hansen and Fred Sersen (WINNER)
Gone With the Wind – John R. Cosgrove, Fred Albin and Arthur Johns
Only Angels Have Wings – Roy Davidson and Edwin C. Hahn
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex – Byron Haskin and Nathan Levinson
Topper Takes a Trip – Roy Seawright
Union Pacific – Farciot Edouart, Gordon Jennings and Loren L. Ryder
The Wizard of Oz – A. Arnold Gillespie and Douglas Shearer

Academy Honorary Awards

Douglas Fairbanks “recognizing the unique and outstanding contribution of Douglas Fairbanks, first President of the Academy, to the international development of the motion picture.”

Motion Picture Relief Fund “acknowledging the outstanding services to the industry during the past year of the Motion Picture Relief Fund and its progressive leadership.” Presented to Jean Hersholt, President; Ralph Morgan, Chairman of the Executive Committee; Ralph Block, First Vice-President; and Conrad Nagel.

William Cameron Menzies “for outstanding achievement in the use of color for the enhancement of dramatic mood in the production of Gone with the Wind.”

The Technicolor Company “for its contributions in successfully bringing three-color feature production to the screen.”

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award:
The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award was presented to David O. Selznick.

Academy Juvenile Award:
The Academy Juvenile Award was presented to Judy Garland for The Wizard of Oz.

Oscar® and Academy Awards® and Oscar® design mark are the trademarks and service marks and the Oscar© statuette the copyrighted property, of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Pop Culture Madness is neither endorsed by nor affiliated with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
February 29, 1940
1939 Trivia, History and Fun Facts
1939 History, Facts and Trivia

Quick Facts from 1939:
A World-Changing Event: General Motors introduced the Hydra-Matic drive, the first mass-produced, fully automatic transmission, as an option in 1940 model year Oldsmobile automobiles.

Another World-Changing Event: Batman, created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger, made his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 (May cover date)

Influential Songs include Over The Rainbow by Judy Garland and God Bless America by Kate Smith.

The Movies to Watch include The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Son of Frankenstein, Gunga Din, Mister Smith Goes to Washington, Destry Rides Again, and Stagecoach.

The Most Famous Person in America was probably Lou Gehrig.

Notable books include And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

Minimum Wage in 1939: 30 cents/hour

Amelia Earhart was officially declared dead after her 1937 disappearance.

Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood debuted on the radio with gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as host.

The 1939 New York World’s Fair opened on April 30th.

The Conversion: In 1939, Thanksgiving was moved to give merchants a more extended period to sell goods before Christmas to increase profits and spending.
Top Ten Baby Names of 1939

Mary, Barbara, Patricia, Betty, Shirley, Robert, James, John, William, Richard

US Life Expectancy

(1939) Males: 62.1 years, Females: 65.4 years

The Stars

Ingrid Bergman, Claudette Colbert, Olivia de Havilland, Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Katharine Hepburn, Hedy Lamarr, Vivien Leigh, Myrna Loy, Brenda Marshall, Ginger Rogers, Barbara Stanwyck, Lana Turner

Entertainment History The Oscars

The 11th Academy Awards unfolded on February 23, 1939, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. For this ceremony, the host was none other than Frank Capra. The evening’s big winner was You Can’t Take It with You, directed by Capra, which bagged the Best Picture award. Spencer Tracy took home the Best Actor statuette for his role in Boys Town, making it his second win. Meanwhile, Bette Davis claimed Best Actress for her performance in Jezebel. This was the first time the Best Picture nominee pool was limited to 10 films, a rule that lasted until 1943. The film eligibility year was from January 1, 1938, to December 31, 1938. To spice it up with a trivia fact: Walt Disney received an Honorary Award this year for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, recognized as a “significant screen innovation” that “pioneered a new form of entertainment.”

Miss America

Patricia Donnelly (Detroit, Michigan)

Time Magazine’s Man of the Year

Joseph Stalin

Firsts, Inventions, and Wonders

The first Thin Mint cookies were baked by the Girl Scouts in 1939.

Founded by Carl Stotz, the first Little League Baseball game was played in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In the 1939 film The Women, no men or even male animals or portraits appear on-screen. The only visibly male creatures are a drawing of a bull and an advertisement.

The Westinghouse Time Capsules are two time capsules prepared by the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company: “Time Capsule I” was created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and “Time Capsule II” was created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Both are buried 50 feet below Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, the site of both world’s fairs; the 1965 capsule was placed ten feet north of the 1939 capsule. The capsules will be opened simultaneously in 6939, five thousand years after the first capsule was sealed.

Winston Churchill coined “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma” during his The Russian Enigma broadcast.

The Wizard of Oz, based on L. Frank Baum’s novel, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. In the original story, Dorothy wore silver slippers to protect her from the Wicked Witch of the West, but this was changed to Ruby Slippers in the film to take advantage of the new Technicolor process.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was officially dedicated in Cooperstown, New York.

Ernest Vincent wrote the book Gadsby, which contains over 50,000 words, all without the letter ‘e.’

The Quote

David Sarnoff, the president of RCA, declared television would allow “Americans (to) attain the highest general cultural level of any people in the history of the world.”

Pop Culture Facts & History

Playing Card Game Canasta was created by Segundo Santos and Alberto Serrato in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1939. It spread to the US by the late 1940s.

In 1939, the New York Times predicted that television would fail because the average American family would not have enough time to sit around watching it.

The Magna Carta was on display at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, but WWII had broken out, and the Magna Carta was moved to Fort Knox for safekeeping until the end of the war.

The Cowardly Lion costume from The Wizard of Oz was made from the skin and fur of a real lion.

Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the last week in November to the 4th week in November to boost retail sales during the Great Depression.

Penicillin, discovered in 1925, was tested on humans, curing many diseases, including tuberculosis and gonorrhea. It was the first proper antibiotic.

The First World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) was held in the Caravan Hall in New York from July 2 to July 4, 1939.

The American Humane Association is in charge of stating that “no animals were harmed during the making of this film.” They became involved in films because of the 1939’s Jesse James, which included a blindfolded horse forced to jump off a 70-foot cliff.

NBC broadcast its first black-and-white television images. Only approximately 1,000 homes had television sets in the New York area.

The current world record holder for the world’s oldest dog was Bluey, who lived from 1910 to 1939 and died at the age of 29 years and five months.

Bob Feller pitched a game against the White Sox on Mother’s Day, 1939, with his family in attendance. One of his pitches was fouled off into the seats, into his mother’s face right above the right eye, resulting in her needing seven stitches. Feller went on to win the game.

Futurama is named after a 1939 World’s Fair exhibit that showed what they thought the world would be like in 1959.

The Los Angeles Times got the Oscar winner’s names before the official presentations. That’s why Price Waterhouse gained control of holding the winner’s names, although they had been tabulating the votes since 1935.

On March 3, 1939, Harvard freshman Lothrop Withington, Jr, became the first goldfish swallower, winning a $10.00 bet. Other, less adventurous people, were reading John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath or watching Gone With The Wind in movie theaters.

The release of Gone With the Wind on December 15th was so big that the mayor of Atlanta declared a 3-day festival that concluded with a state holiday on the day of release.

AT&T made a working answering machine in 1939 but suppressed it, thinking public fear of being recorded would lead to widespread abandonment of the telephone.

Lina Medina, a 5-year-old Peruvian girl, gave birth to a baby boy, becoming the youngest confirmed mother in medical history.

In 1939, 20,000 people (Americans) attended a Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden.

Nobel Prize Winners

Physics – Ernest Lawrence
Chemistry – Adolf Friedrich Johann Butenandt, Leopold Ružicka
Physiology or Medicine – Gerhard Domagk
Literature – Frans Eemil Sillanpää
Peace – not awarded

Broadway Show

Life With Father (Play) Opened on November 8, 1939, and closed on July 12, 1947

Popular and Best-selling Books From 1939

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
All This, and Heaven Too by Rachel Field
Disputed Passage by Lloyd C. Douglas
Escape by Ethel Vance
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
Kitty Foyle by Christopher Morley
The Nazarene by Sholem Asch
Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Tree of Liberty by Elizabeth Page
Wickford Point by John P. Marquand
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Sports

World Series Champions: New York Yankees
NFL Champs: Green Bay Packers
Stanley Cup Champs: Boston Bruins
U.S. Open Golf: Byron Nelson
U.S. Tennis (Men/Ladies): Bobby Riggs/Alice Marble
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Bobby Riggs
NCAA Football Champions: Texas A&M
NCAA Basketball Champions: Oregon
Kentucky Derby Winner: Johnstown
Boston Marathon Winner: Ellison Brown Time: 2:28:51

More 1939 Facts & History Resources:

Most Popular Baby Names (BabyCenter.com)
Popular and Notable Books (popculture.us)
Broadway Shows that Opened in 1939
1939 Calendar, courtesy of Time and Date.com
Fact Monster
The Great Depression EconLib
1930s, Infoplease.com World History
1939 in Movies (according to IMDB)
Retrowaste Vintage Culture
1930s Slang
Wikipedia 1939
WW II Timeline (Historic UK)
December 30, 1939
1939 Music: Popular Music, Songs and Artists

1939 Popular Music, Songs and Artists

Glenn Miller
Little Brown Jug
1869 would mark the public publishing of this song that would remain part of American culture. The song is a drinking song and though it waned popularity for a while it regained its stature during the era of the 1920s and prohibition. Glenn Miller and his orchestra would produce a swing version of the tune and it would become a standard of the Big Band Era.

Andrews Sisters
Beer Barrel Polka
This song, also known as Roll Out The Barrel, was written in 1927 by a Czech musician named Jaromir Vejvoda. As originally written it was played without lyrics. The song became popular with soldiers during World War II, but it’s origins as well as lyrics and translations came much earlier. Many artists and bands would record the song. The Wiggles made a recording of it for their album and video Sailing Around The World. If you grew up in Philadelphia you would be exposed to song fairly early as it was a staple for yearly Mummers Parade.

Judy Garland
Over The Rainbow
What can be said about Over The Rainbow that has not already been written? The song was created by Harold Arlen with lyrics by E.Y. Harburg for one of the most famous movies of the 20th Century, The Wizard of OZ. The song is sung by the character of Dorothy Gale played by Judy Garland as she yearns for someplace there would not be any trouble. Before the film’s release, the song was threatened to be cut, but wiser heads prevailed. The song would have had quite a different history and impact if it had starred Shirley Temple as MGM would have preferred. Temple’s little girl sweetness and attitudes would probably not have the same impact as Garlands’ more mature voice.

The song would have very few recordings made by other artists before Barbra Streisand would use the song in her 1986 One Voice Concert that was performed on September the 6th at her Malibu home for 5000.00 dollars a ticket. Miss Streisand would pay homage to Garland before singing the song. Mr. Shue played by Mathew Morrison would sing the song in the first season finale of Glee.

Kate Smith
God Bless America
Written by Irving Berlin, legend has it that Kate Smith called Berlin and asked him to give her something new for her radio program. Mr. Berlin searched through his back files and pulled out God Bless America. Kate Smith would perform the song to almost immediate popularity. The song would long be associated with Miss Smith and at the end of her life while she lived in Philadelphia she sang the song regularly at The Philadelphia Flyers home games. Philadelphia honored Miss Smith by erecting a statue of her outside The Flyers Home Stadium. Many people feel that this song would make a better national anthem that Star-Spangled Banner.

Kay Kyser
Three Little Fishies
Three little Fishies is best described as a novelty song, like Shaving Cream or They’re Coming To Take Me Away. Only Three Little Fishies was is on the verge of cute and sweet and fun. Sung by Kay Kyser, with words and music by Saxie Dowell. The song would become a number one hit in 1939. But it would live on as children in the 1930s would sing this song to their children into the 1960s.

Mary Martin
My Heart Belongs to Daddy

Written by Cole Porter for the musical Leave It To Me, this song would introduce the world to Miss Mary Martin. In the musical Miss Martin played the mistress of a newspaper publisher and the ‘Daddy” she is referring to is her lover. The song is also done a striptease, though, risqué, still tame by today’s standards. Gene Kelly would also make one of his early appearances in the show. Miss Martin would go on to become one of the queens of Broadway, sharing the crown with the great Ethel Merman.

Miss Martin originated the role of Nellie Forbush in Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s South Pacific in which she starred alongside Enzio Pinza. This would be the first time a Broadway star and an Opera Star would share the spotlight together. She went on to again work with the musical team when she originated the role of Maria in The Sound Of Music. She also starred in a musical version of Peter Pan which still appears on Broadway from time to time. Miss Martin is the mother of Larry Hagman the Co-star of I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas. Mary Martin would title her autobiography My Heart Belongs.

Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
This song actually has two other titles Wimoweh and Mbube. The song was written in the 1920s by Solomon Linda of the Zulu tribe in Africa and first recorded there. The song would make its way across the Atlantic to become a hit in 1939. In 1961, the song would become a number one hit when recorded by The Tokens and is still played on radio stations today. Walt Disney Studios would use the Lion Sleeps Tonight in it’s animated classic The Lion King.

Louis Armstrong
When The Saints Go Marching In
If Jazz and New Orleans had a theme song When The Saints Go Marching In would be it. The origin of the song is unknown, but it began as a hymn and usually used as part of the funeral profession. While the casket was being taken to the cemetery the song would be played as a dirge or as a slow march. On the return from the cemetery the song would go upbeat and would signify Jesus Christ’s Triumph over death. The New Orleans Football Team The Saints is named after this song.

Top Artists and Songs of 1939

Andrews Sisters
Beer Barrel Polka
Hold Tight Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)
We’ll All Right (Tonight’s the Night)

Art Tatum
Tea For Two

Artie Shaw
I Poured My Heart Into A Song
Thanks For Everything
They Say

Billie Holiday
Strange Fruit

Bing Crosby and Connee Boswell
An Apple For Teacher

Bing Crosby
What’s New?

Bob Hope & Shirley Ross
Two Sleep People

Bob Crosby and his Orchestra
Day-In Day-Out

Carmen Miranda and Dorival Caymmi
O Que & Que a Baiana Tem?

Charlie Barnet
Cherokee

Chick Henderson
Begin the Beguine

Count Basie
Lester Leaps In

Cripple Clarence Lofton
I Don’t Know

Dick Jurgens and his Orchestra
Careless

Fats Waller
Your Feets Too Big

Frankie Masters and his Orchestra
Scatter-Brain

Gene Autry
Back in the Saddle Again
South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)

Glen Gray
Heaven Can Wait

Glenn Miller
Blue Orchid
Forever Faithful
Little Brown Jug
Man With the Mandolin
Moon Love
Moonlight Serenade
Over the Rainbow
Stairway to the Stars
Sunrise Serenade
Wishing (Will Make It So)

Guy Lombardo
Penny Serenade
South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)

Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: What Happened In 1939?

39 Trivia Questions for 1939 History

39 Trivia Answers for 1939 History

1940 Oscars 12th Academy Awards

1940 Oscar Nominees and Winners

1939 History, Facts and Trivia

Quick Facts from 1939:

Top Ten Baby Names of 1939

US Life Expectancy

The Stars

Entertainment History The Oscars

Miss America

Time Magazine’s Man of the Year

Firsts, Inventions, and Wonders

The Quote

Pop Culture Facts & History

Nobel Prize Winners

Broadway Show

Popular and Best-selling Books From 1939

Sports

More 1939 Facts & History Resources:

1939 Popular Music, Songs and Artists

Top Artists and Songs of 1939

James Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake” Published

James Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake”

1939 Oscars 11th Academy Awards

1939 Oscars 11th Academy Awards

1939 Oscar Nominees and Winners

Tag: 1939

Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: What Happened In 1939?

Pop Culture Trivia Quiz: What Happened In 1939?

39 Trivia Questions for 1939 History

39 Trivia Answers for 1939 History

1940 Oscars 12th Academy Awards

1940 Oscars 12th Academy Awards

1940 Oscar Nominees and Winners

1939 Trivia, History and Fun Facts

1939 History, Facts and Trivia

Quick Facts from 1939:

Top Ten Baby Names of 1939

US Life Expectancy

The Stars

Entertainment History The Oscars

Miss America

Time Magazine’s Man of the Year

Firsts, Inventions, and Wonders

The Quote

Pop Culture Facts & History

Nobel Prize Winners

Broadway Show

Popular and Best-selling Books From 1939

Sports

More 1939 Facts & History Resources:

1939 Music: Popular Music, Songs and Artists

1939 Popular Music, Songs and Artists

Top Artists and Songs of 1939

James Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake” Published

James Joyce’s “Finnegans Wake”

1939 Oscars 11th Academy Awards

1939 Oscars 11th Academy Awards

1939 Oscar Nominees and Winners