What Happened in Oct 1939

First Jewish ghetto established at Lublin

The Lublin district became a Judenreservat (Jewish reservoir): All Jews from the Generalgouvernement, the occupied Polish districts and the German... Read more

Von Manstein Formulates the Manstein Plan to Invade France After Rejection of Halder Plan

Von Manstein, chief of staff of Army Group A, had originally formulated his plan in October 1939 in Koblenz on instigation of his superior General... Read more

'The King's Stilts' is Published

King Birtram’s order of business every day was to keep a watchful eye over the Kingdom of Binn. The kingdom was protected by the giant, knotted... Read more

Battle of Kock (1939)

On 30 September, the commander of 10th Army, Walther von Reichenau, ordered his staff to plan the destruction of a large Polish force which was... Read more

1939 World Series

The 1939 World Series featured the three-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Cincinnati Reds, who were making their first Series... Read more

Germany Directly Annexes Western Poland and the Former Free City of Danzig

On 8 October, Germany directly annexed western Poland and the former Free City of Danzig and placed the remaining block of territory under... Read more

Britain Refuses Hitler's Offer of Peace

On 10 October 1939, the British refused Hitler's offer of peace; on 12 October the French did the same. Franz Halder, the chief of staff of the... Read more

German U-47 sinks British battleship HMS Royal Oak

HMS Royal Oak (pennant number 08) was a Revenge-class battleship of the British Royal Navy, torpedoed at anchor by the German submarine U-47 on 14... Read more

Finland and Soviet Union Hold Negotiations to Resolve Border Dispute

On 5 October 1939, the Soviet Union invited a Finnish delegation to Moscow for negotiations. J.K. Paasikivi, the Finnish ambassador to Sweden, was... Read more

"Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" Is Released

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is an American 1939 comedy/drama film starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur, about one man's effect on American... Read more

Advisory Committee on Uranium Holds Meeting Determining the Potential for Weaponizing of Uranium Ore

In August 1939, prominent physicists Leó Szilárd and Eugene Wigner drafted the Einstein–Szilárd letter, which warned of the potential development... Read more