January 16
January 16
“Moon Maniac” killer is executed
Albert Fish is executed at Sing Sing prison in New York. The “Moon Maniac” was one of America’s most notorious and disturbed killers. Authorities believe that Fish killed as many…
A Year In History: 1936
This Year in History:
1936
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 26
January 26
So‑called “Mad Butcher” terrorizes Cleveland
The dismembered body of Florence Polillo is found in a basket and several burlap sacks in Cleveland. The 42‑year‑old woman was the third victim in 18 months to be found…
January 29
January 29
U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects first members
On January 29, 1936, the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects its first members in Cooperstown, New York: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson. The…
February 8
February 8
Jay Berwanger picked No. 1 in first NFL draft
On February 8, 1936, at Philadelphia’s Ritz‑Carlton Hotel, University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger, the first Heisman Trophy winner, is picked No. 1 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first NFL…
February 27
February 27
Shirley Temple receives $50,000 per film
On February 27, 1936, Shirley Temple receives a new contract from 20th Century Fox that will pay the seven‑year‑old star $50,000 per film. Temple was born in 1928 in Santa…
March 7
March 7
Hitler reoccupies the Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Versailles
Nazi leader Adolf Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact by sending German military forces into the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone along the Rhine River in western…
April 3
April 3
Bruno Hauptmann, convicted of kidnapping Lindbergh’s son, executed
Bruno Richard Hauptmann, convicted in the 1932 kidnapping and murder of the 20‑month‑old son of Charles A. Lindbergh, is executed by electrocution. On March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr., the…
April 17
April 17
A single horsehair helps solve murder of Nancy Titterton
After a week of tracking down every conceivable lead, police finally find the evidence they need in order to break the case of Nancy Titterton’s rape‑murder in New York City.…
June 3
June 3
Western author Larry McMurtry is born
Larry McMurtry, one of the most well‑known modern writers working in the western genre, is born in Wichita Falls, Texas. McMurtry’s family had been involved in Texas ranching for three…
June 30
June 30
“Gone With the Wind” published
Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind, one of the best‑selling novels of all time and the basis for a blockbuster 1939 movie, is published on June 30, 1936. In 1926,…
July 18
July 18
Spanish Civil War breaks out
On July 18, 1936, the Spanish Civil War begins as a revolt by right‑wing Spanish military officers in Spanish Morocco and spreads to mainland Spain. From the Canary Islands, General…
August 1
August 1
Hitler oversees Berlin Olympics opening ceremony
As more than 5,000 athletes from 51 countries march into a stadium packed with 100,000 onlookers, Adolf Hitler makes his only public statement of the Berlin Olympics at its opening…
August 4
August 4
Jesse Owens wins long jump—and respect—in Germany
On August 4, 1936, American Jesse Owens wins gold in the long jump at the Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. It was the second of four gold medals Owens won…
August 9
August 9
Jesse Owens wins 4th gold medal
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, African American track star Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold medal of the Games in the 4×100‑meter relay. His relay team set a new world…
September 7
September 7
Rock ‘n’ roll legend Buddy Holly is born
If you took out a map of the United States and traced a line beginning at New Orleans and running up the Mississippi River to Memphis, the tip of your…
October 9
October 9
Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to Los Angeles
On October 9, 1936, harnessing the power of the mighty Colorado River, Hoover Dam begins sending electricity over transmission lines spanning 266 miles of mountains and deserts to run the…
November 23
November 23
First issue of “Life” is published
On November 23, 1936, the first issue of the pictorial magazine Life is published, featuring a cover photo of the Fort Peck Dam’s spillway by Margaret Bourke‑White. Life actually had…
December 11
December 11
Edward VIII abdicates
After ruling for less than one year, Edward VIII becomes the first English monarch to voluntarily abdicate the throne. He chose to abdicate after the British government, public, and the…
December 30
December 30
Sit‑down strike begins in Flint
At 8 p.m. on December 30, 1936, in one of the first sit‑down strikes in the United States, autoworkers occupy the General Motors Fisher Body Plant Number One in Flint,…
