1937: A Year of Growing Tensions and Technological Advance
1937 was a year marked by escalating international tensions, significant technological and scientific breakthroughs, and cultural developments that reflected the anxieties and hopes of the era. The shadow of fascism grew darker in Europe, while the United States grappled with the lingering effects of the Great Depression.
Political Events
January 20: Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States. This followed his landslide victory in the 1936 election, signaling strong support for his New Deal policies.
January 25: The Second Moscow Trial begins in the Soviet Union. Nikolai Bukharin, Alexei Rykov, and other prominent Old Bolsheviks are accused of treason and other crimes in a show trial. This marks a further escalation of Joseph Stalin's Great Purge.
February 5: Franklin D. Roosevelt proposes his plan to reorganize the United States Supreme Court, known as the "court-packing plan." This controversial proposal aimed to appoint additional justices who would be sympathetic to his New Deal legislation. The plan faced considerable opposition in Congress and ultimately failed.
March 22: The St. Patrick's Day Flood devastates parts of the United States' Ohio River Valley, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. This led to increased calls for improved flood control measures.
April 26: The Condor Legion of the German Luftwaffe bombs Guernica, Spain during the Spanish Civil War. This act of aerial bombardment against a civilian population horrified the world and became a powerful symbol of the brutality of war.
May 6: The Hindenburg disaster occurs in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The German airship LZ 129 Hindenburg bursts into flames while attempting to dock, killing 36 people. This event effectively ended the era of passenger airships.
July 7: The Marco Polo Bridge Incident occurs near Beijing, marking the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. This conflict would eventually merge into World War II.
November 5: Italy joins the Anti-Comintern Pact, allying itself with Germany and Japan against the Soviet Union. This solidified the Axis powers and foreshadowed the coming global conflict.
Scientific and Technological Events
March 23: The discovery of Krebs Cycle (Citric Acid Cycle) by Hans Krebs, a key part of cellular respiration, is published. This breakthrough provided a crucial understanding of how living cells derive energy.
July 2: Guglielmo Marconi, the pioneer of radio transmission, dies. His work laid the foundation for modern wireless communication.
Wallace Carothers and his team at DuPont patent nylon. This invention revolutionized the textile industry and had a profound impact on various aspects of life.
Development of the first successful electron microscope prototype in Germany. This technology dramatically increased the resolution of microscopy, opening new avenues for scientific research.
Cultural Events
Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premieres. This groundbreaking animated feature film became a massive critical and commercial success, solidifying Disney's place as a major force in the entertainment industry.
The Golden Gate Bridge opens in San Francisco, California. This iconic structure became a symbol of American engineering and resilience during the Great Depression.
Publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit in the United Kingdom. This fantasy novel introduced readers to Middle-earth and paved the way for The Lord of the Rings.
Pablo Picasso paints Guernica in response to the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica. This monumental artwork became a powerful anti-war statement.