1935 History Events: What Happened in 1935

1935 was a year of genuinely global significance, with the Great Depression well started and the Second World War just a few years away. Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Regime had firmly taken control of Germany at this time, and in 1935, Hitler began taking critical moves that would eventually lead to the outbreak of global war. Hitler re-established the German Air Force in February (the Luftwaffe). Hitler formally revealed German re-armament to the world a month later. Hitler then announced conscription into the German Army in May. (the Wehrmacht). All of these actions were conducted in defiance of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, which formally concluded World War One hostilities between Germany and the Allies.

In addition to developments in modern technology, 1935 saw some particularly significant achievements in the realm of aeronautics. Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo from Hawaii to California in January. With a high speed of 352 mph, Howard Hughes set the airspeed record for the time. Radar was utilised for the first time in England to identify incoming aircraft, which was a significant development.

Thousands of Americans faced the Dust Bowl, a period of severe drought and dust storms that ravaged the American Great Plains, in addition to the horrible problems they had during the Great Depression. 1935 was a particularly challenging year, with circumstances in the Great Plains deteriorating to the point where millions of Americans abandoned their farms and sought fresh opportunities elsewhere.

While this was going on, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law in Washington, D.C. This was a key component of his “New Deal” policy, and it signalled a profound shift in the federal government’s relationship with citizens across the country.

Continue reading to discover more about the events of 1935.

Event
(February 20, 1935) Caroline Mikkelsen is the first woman to step foot on the continent of Antarctica.
Advertisements (May 19, 1935) T.E. Lawrence, a British archaeological scholar, military strategist, and author whose biography inspired the epic film Lawrence of Arabia (1962), died in a motorbike accident at the age of 46.
(June 11, 1935) In Alpine, New Jersey, inventor Edwin Armstrong makes the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the United States.
(June 12, 1935) Bolivia and Paraguay arrange a cease-fire, effectively ending the Chaco War.
(July 16, 1935) The first parking metre in the world is put in Oklahoma City.