World EventsWorld Events

19361936

January 20: January 20: King George V King George V of the United of the United Kingdom dies. Kingdom dies. His eldest son His eldest son succeeds the succeeds the throne throne becoming becoming Edward VIII.Edward VIII.

February 6- The IV Winter Olympic Games opens in Garmisch-Partenkirhcen, Germany.

March 1- Construction of Hoover Dam is completed

March 7- Violating the Treaty of Versailles, Nazi Germany reoccupies the Rhineland

March 9- Pro-democratic militarist Keisuke Okada stepped down as Prime Minister of Japan and was replaced by radical militarist Koki Hirota.

May 27 - British luxury liner The Queen Mary leaves Southampton on her maiden voyage over the Atlantic

June 19 - Max Schmeling knocks out Joe Louis in the 12th round of their HWT boxing match at Yankee Stadium in NYC

July 7: War between China and Japan begins, to continue through World War II.

July 18 - Spain's civil war begins when nationalist troops under the command of General Francisco Franco rise against the democratic republic.

August 1 - 1936 Summer Olympics open in Berlin, Germany, and mark the 1st live television coverage of a sports event in world history..

August 3 - African-American athlete Jesse Owens wins the 100 meter dash at the Berlin Olympics.

At the 1936 Summer Olympics, Adolf Hitler refused to recognize the achievements of Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals.

August: Joseph Stalin begins a “great purge'' to liquidate his enemies. By 1939, over 8 million are dead and perhaps 10 million imprisoned.

October 6: In baseball, Joe DiMaggio joins the New York Yankees, who win the World Series, 4-2, against the New York Giants.

October 25: Rome-Berlin Axis is proclaimed (Japan to join in 1940).

November 3 - U.S. presidential election, 1936: Franklin D. Roosevelt is reelected to a second term in a landslide victory over Alf Landon.

November 23 - The first edition of Life is published.

November 25: Japan and Germany sign anti-Comintern pact; joined by Italy in 1937.

December 30 - The United Auto Workers union stages its first sit-down strike.