1938 in the United States - wikipedia 1938 in the United States 1938 in the United States Years 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 Flag 48 stars ( 1912 -- 59 ) Timeline of United States history History of the United States ( 1918 -- 45 ) Events from the year 1938 in the United States. Contents 1 Incumbents 1.1 Federal Government 1.2 Governors 1.3 Lieutenant Governors 2 Events 2.1 January -- March 2.2 April -- June 2.3 July -- September 2.4 October -- December 2.5 Ongoing 3 Births 4 Deaths 5 See also 6 References 7 External links Incumbents Federal Government President : Franklin D. Roosevelt ( D - New York ) Vice President : John Nance Garner ( D - Texas ) Chief Justice : Charles Evans Hughes ( New York ) Speaker of the House of Representatives : William B. Bankhead ( D - Alabama ) Senate Majority Leader : Alben W. Barkley ( D - Kentucky ) Congress : 75th show Governors and Lieutenant Governors Governors Governor of Alabama : Bibb Graves ( Democratic ) Governor of Arizona : Rawghlie Clement Stanford ( Democratic ) Governor of Arkansas : Carl Edward Bailey ( Democratic ) Governor of California : Frank Merriam ( Republican ) Governor of Colorado : Teller Ammons ( Democratic ) Governor of Connecticut : Wilbur Lucius Cross ( Democratic ) Governor of Delaware : Richard C. McMullen ( Democratic ) Governor of Florida : Fred P. Cone ( Democratic ) Governor of Georgia : Eurith D. Rivers ( Democratic ) Governor of Idaho : Barzilla W. Clark ( Democratic ) Governor of Illinois : Henry Horner ( Democratic ) Governor of Indiana : M. Clifford Townsend ( Democratic ) Governor of Iowa : Nelson G. Kraschel ( Democratic ) Governor of Kansas : Walter A. Huxman ( Democratic ) Governor of Kentucky : Happy Chandler ( Democratic ) Governor of Louisiana : Richard W. Leche ( Democratic ) Governor of Maine : Lewis O. Barrows ( Republican ) Governor of Maryland : Harry W. Nice ( Republican ) Governor of Massachusetts : Charles F. Hurley ( Democratic ) Governor of Michigan : Frank Murphy ( Democratic ) Governor of Minnesota : Elmer A. Benson ( Farmer - Labor ) Governor of Mississippi : Hugh L. White ( Democratic ) Governor of Missouri : Lloyd C. Stark ( Democratic ) Governor of Montana : Roy E. Ayers ( Democratic ) Governor of Nebraska : Robert Leroy Cochran ( Democratic ) Governor of Nevada : Richard Kirman, Sr. ( Democratic ) Governor of New Hampshire : Francis P. Murphy ( Republican ) Governor of New Jersey : Harold G. Hoffman ( Republican ) ( until January 18 ), A. Harry Moore ( Democratic ) ( starting January 18 ) Governor of New Mexico : Clyde Tingley ( Democratic ) Governor of New York : Herbert H. Lehman ( Democratic ) Governor of North Carolina : Clyde R. Hoey ( Democratic ) Governor of North Dakota : William Langer ( Republican ) Governor of Ohio : Martin L. Davey ( Democratic ) Governor of Oklahoma : Ernest W. Marland ( Democratic ) Governor of Oregon : Charles H. Martin ( Democratic ) Governor of Pennsylvania : George Howard Earle III ( Democratic ) Governor of Rhode Island : Robert E. Quinn ( Democratic ) Governor of South Carolina : Olin D. Johnston ( Democratic ) Governor of South Dakota : Leslie Jensen ( Republican ) Governor of Tennessee : Gordon Browning ( Democratic ) Governor of Texas : James Allred ( Democratic ) Governor of Utah : Henry H. Blood ( Democratic ) Governor of Vermont : George David Aiken ( Republican ) Governor of Virginia : George C. Peery ( Democratic ) ( until January 15 ), James H. Price ( Democratic ) ( starting January 15 ) Governor of Washington : Clarence D. Martin ( Democratic ) Governor of West Virginia : Homer A. Holt ( Democratic ) Governor of Wisconsin : Philip La Follette ( Wisconsin Progressive ) Governor of Wyoming : Leslie A. Miller ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governors Lieutenant Governor of Alabama : Thomas E. Knight ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas : Robert L. Bailey ( political party unknown ) Lieutenant Governor of California : George J. Hatfield ( Republican ) Lieutenant Governor of Colorado : Frank J. Hayes ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut : T. Frank Hayes ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Delaware : Edward W. Cooch ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Idaho : Charles C. Gossett ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Illinois : John H. Stelle ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Indiana : Henry F. Schricker ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Iowa : John K. Valentine ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Kansas : William M. Lindsay ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky : Keen Johnson ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana : Earl K. Long ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts : Francis E. Kelly ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Michigan : Leo J. Nowicki ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota : Gottfrid Lindsten ( Republican ) Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi : Jacob Buehler Snider ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Missouri : Frank Gaines Harris ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Montana : Hugh R. Adair ( political party unknown ) Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska : Walter H. Jurgensen ( Democratic ) ( until November 8 ), Nate M. Parsons ( Democratic ) ( starting November 8 ) Lieutenant Governor of Nevada : Fred S. Alward ( political party unknown ) Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico : Hiram M. Dow ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of New York : M. William Bray ( Democratic ) ( until end of December 31 ) Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina : Wilkins P. Horton ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota : Thorstein H.H. Thoresen ( Republican ) Lieutenant Governor of Ohio : Paul P. Yoder ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma : James E. Berry ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania : Thomas Kennedy ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island : Raymond E. Jordan ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina : Joseph Emile Harley ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota : Donald McMurchie ( Republican ) Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee : Bryan Pope ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Texas : Walter Frank Woodul ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Vermont : William H. Wills ( Republican ) Lieutenant Governor of Virginia : James H. Price ( Democratic ) ( until January 15 ), Saxon W. Holt ( Democratic ) ( starting January 15 ) Lieutenant Governor of Washington : Victor A. Meyers ( Democratic ) Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin : vacant ( until May 16 ), Herman L. Ekern ( Progressive ) ( starting May 16 ) Events January -- March January 3 -- The March of Dimes is established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. January 16 -- The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert is recorded live when Benny Goodman and his orchestra become the first jazz musicians to headline a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City. January 22 -- Thornton Wilder 's play Our Town is performed for the first time anywhere in Princeton, New Jersey. It premieres in New York City on February 4. January 27 -- The Niagara Bridge at Niagara Falls, New York collapses due to an ice jam. January 28 -- The first ski tow in America begins operation in Vermont. March 3 -- The Santa Ana River in California spills over its banks during a rainy winter, killing 58 people in Orange County and causing trouble as far inland as Palm Springs. April -- June April 18 -- First appearance of comic book superhero Superman ( as a backup story ), in Action Comics # 1 ( cover date June ). April 25 -- Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins : The U.S. Supreme Court overturns a century of federal common law. April 28 -- The towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott in Massachusetts are disincorporated to make way for the Quabbin Reservoir. April 30 -- The first cartoon to feature a prototypical Bugs Bunny, Porky 's Hare Hunt, is released. May 17 -- Information Please debuts on NBC Radio. June 22 -- Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis knocks out Max Schmeling in the first round of their rematch at Yankee Stadium in New York City. June 23 The Civil Aeronautics Act is signed into law, forming the Civil Aeronautics Authority in the U.S. Marineland opens near St. Augustine, Florida. June 24 -- A 450 - metric - ton ( 496 - short - ton ) meteorite explodes about 12 miles ( 19 km ) above the earth near Chicora, Pennsylvania. June 25 -- Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act is signed into law by president Franklin D. Roosevelt July -- september July 3 -- The last reunion of the Blue and Gray commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. July 5 -- The Non-Intervention Committee reaches an agreement to withdraw all foreign volunteers from the Spanish Civil War. The agreement is respected by most Republican foreign volunteers, notably by those from England and the United States, but is ignored by the governments of Germany and Italy. July 18 -- Wrong Way Corrigan takes off from New York City, ostensibly heading for California. He lands in Ireland instead. August 6 -- The Looney Tunes animated short Porky & Daffy is released. August 18 -- The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting the United States with Canada, is dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. August 31 -- Winston Churchill, still believing France and Britain mean to honor their promises to defend Czechoslovakia against Nazi aggression, suggests in a personal note to Neville Chamberlain that His Majesty 's Government may want to set up a broad international alliance including the United States ( specifically mentioning U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt as possibly receptive to the idea ) and the Soviet Union. September 1 -- Haggar debuts a new pant concept, `` Slacks '', as the appropriate pant to wear during a man 's `` Slack Time. '' September 4 -- During the ceremony marking the unveiling of a plaque at Pointe de Grave, France celebrating Franco - American friendship, American Ambassador William Bullitt in a speech states, `` France and the United States were united in war and peace '', leading to much speculation in the press that if war did break out over Czechoslovakia, then the United States would join the war on the Allied side. September 9 -- U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt disallows the popular interpretation of Bullitt 's speech at a press conference at the White House. Roosevelt states it is `` 100 % wrong '' the U.S. would join a `` stop - Hitler bloc '' under any circumstances, and makes it quite clear that in the event of German aggression against Czechoslovakia, the U.S. would remain neutral. September 12 -- Hitler makes his much - anticipated closing address at Nuremberg, in which he vehemently attacks the Czech people and President Beneš. American news commentator Hans von Kaltenborn begins his famous marathon of broadcast bulletins over the CBS Radio Network with a summation of Hitler 's address. September 21 -- The New England Hurricane of 1938 strikes Long Island and southern New England, killing over 300 along the Rhode Island shoreline and approximately 600 in total. September 22 -- Olsen and Johnson 's musical comedy revue Hellzapoppin ' begins its 3 - year run on Broadway. October -- december October 10 -- The Blue Water Bridge opens, connecting Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario. October 16 -- Winston Churchill, in a broadcast address to the United States, condemns the Munich Agreement as a defeat and calls upon America and western Europe to prepare for armed resistance against Adolf Hitler. October 24 -- The minimum wage is established by law in the United States. October 30 -- Orson Welles 's radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds is broadcast, causing panic in various parts of the United States. October 31 -- Great Depression : In an effort to try restore investor confidence, the New York Stock Exchange unveils a 15 - point program intended to upgrade protection for the investing public. November 1 -- Horse Racing : Seabiscuit defeats War Admiral by four lengths in their famous match race at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. November 10 -- On the eve of Armistice Day, Kate Smith sings Irving Berlin 's `` God Bless America '' for the first time on her weekly radio show. December -- President Franklin Roosevelt agrees to lend $25 million to Chiang Kai - shek, cementing the Sino - American relationship and angering the Japanese government. Ongoing New Deal ( 1933 -- 1936 ) Recession of 1937 -- 1938 ( 1937 -- 1938 ) The Dictionary of Occupational Titles was established. It would run until 1998, when it was replaced with O * Net OnLine Births January 2 -- Dana Ulery, computer scientist January 4 -- Eddie Southern, hurdler January 14 -- Allen Toussaint, R&B musician, songwriter / composer and record producer ( died 2015 ) January 18 -- Paul G. Kirk, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts from 2009 to 2010 February 4 -- Donald W. Riegle, Jr., U.S. Senator from Michigan from 1976 to 1995 March 5 -- Lynn Margulis, biologist ( died 2011 ) March 7 -- David Baltimore, biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1975 April 3 -- John Darley, social psychologist April 7 -- Jerry Brown, Governor of California April 13 -- Frederic Rzewski, composer April 23 -- Steve Symms, U.S. Senator from Idaho from 1981 to 1993 April 25 -- Roger Boisjoly, rocket engineer ( died 2012 ) May 10 -- Henry Fambrough, soul singer May 11 -- Bruce Langhorne, guitarist ( died 2017 ) June 3 -- David L. Mills, computer scientist and engineer June 7 -- Goose Gonsoulin, American football player ( died 2014 ) June 16 -- Joyce Carol Oates, novelist June 24 -- Lawrence Block, crime writer June 28 -- Leon Panetta, 23rd United States Secretary of Defense July 20 -- Natalie Wood, actress ( died 1981 ) July 21 -- Janet Reno, United States Attorney General from 1993 to 2001 ( died 2016 ) August 15 -- Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the U.S. from 1994 August 20 -- Kaneaster Hodges, Jr., U.S. Senator from Arkansas from 1977 to 1979 August 21 -- Kenny Rogers, country singer September 6 -- Dennis Oppenheim, artist ( died 2011 ) September 8 -- Sam Nunn, U.S. Senator from Georgia from 1972 to 1997 October 6 -- Peter F. Donnelly, arts patron, vice-chairman of Americans for the Arts ( died 2009 ) October 7 -- Mary Ann Glendon, academic lawyer and bioethicist October 22 -- Christopher Lloyd, actor and entrepreneur November 12 -- Terry `` Buzzy '' Johnson, American singer - songwriter and music producer ( The Flamingos ) November 16 -- Robert Nozick, philosopher ( died 2002 ) November 19 -- Ted Turner, entrepreneur November 24 -- Charles Starkweather, spree killer ( died 1959 ) December 23 -- Bob Kahn, Internet pioneer December 29 -- Jon Voight, actor Undated -- Bruce Langhorne, folk musician ( died 2017 ) Deaths January 8 -- Johnny Gruelle, cartoonist and children 's book author ( b. 1880 ) February 2 -- Frederick William Vanderbilt, railway magnate ( b. 1856 ) February 7 -- Harvey Firestone, tire manufacturer ( b. 1868 ) February 10 -- Richard A. Whiting, composer ( b. 1890 ) February 18 -- David King Udall, politician ( b. 1851 ) March 2 -- Ben Harney, American composer and pianist ( b. 1871 ) March 6 -- Walt McDougall, American cartoonist ( b. 1858 ) March 13 -- Clarence Darrow, American attorney ( b. 1857 ) March 21 -- Oscar Apfel, American actor and director ( b. 1878 ) April 8 -- Joe `` King '' Oliver, American jazz musician ( b. 1885 ) May 23 -- Frederick Ruple, American painter ( b. 1871 ) May 22 -- William Glackens, American painter ( b. 1870 ) May 26 -- John Jacob Abel, American pharmacologist ( b. 1857 ) June 26 -- James Weldon Johnson, American author, politician, and diplomat ( b. 1871 ) July 9 -- Benjamin N. Cardozo, United States Supreme Court Justice ( b. 1870 ) August 1 -- Edmund Charles Tarbell, American artist ( b. 1862 ) August 4 -- Pearl White, American actress ( b. 1889 ) August 16 -- Robert Johnson, American blues singer ( b. 1911 ) September 15 -- Thomas Wolfe, American author ( b. 1900 ) September 19 -- Pauline Frederick, American stage & screen actress, ( b. 1883 ) September 28 -- Con Conrad, American composer ( b. 1891 ) October 13 -- E.C. Segar, American comics artist and creator of Popeye ( b. 1894 ) October 27 -- Alma Gluck, American soprano ( b. 1884 ) October 28 -- Fred Kohler, American actor ( b. 1888 ) October 30 -- Robert Woolsey, American film comedian ( b. 1888 ) November 1 -- Charles Weeghman, American restaurateur and owner of Chicago Cubs ( b. 1874 ) November 4 -- Samuel W. Bryant, American admiral ( b. 1877 ) December 20 -- Annie Armstrong, American missionary leader ( b. 1850 ) See also List of American films of 1938 Timeline of United States history ( 1930 -- 1949 ) References Jump up ^ `` A Look Back : Flood of ' 38 was county 's worst natural disaster ''. Archived from the original on 2009 - 05 - 20. Retrieved 2009 - 05 - 18. Jump up ^ The date is established in court documents released during a legal battle over the rights to the character. External links Media related to 1938 in the United States at Wikimedia Commons Years in the United States ( 1776 -- present ) 18th century 1776 1777 1778 1779 1780 1781 1782 1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791 1792 1793 1794 1795 1796 1797 1798 1799 1800 19th century 1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 20th century 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 21st century 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Timeline of United States history Period Before 1760 American Revolution ( 1760 -- 1789 ) 1790 -- 1819 1820 -- 1859 1860 -- 1899 1900 -- 1929 1930 -- 1949 1950 -- 1969 1970 -- 1989 1990 -- present Topic Diplomatic history Military operations Related History of the United States Outline of United States history Years in the United States United States history timelines 1938 in North America Sovereign states Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States Dependencies and other territories Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1938_in_the_United_States&oldid=840944242 '' Categories : 1938 in the United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bân - lâm - gú Français עברית Edit links This page was last edited on 13 May 2018, at 02 : 18 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who was president of the united states in 1938
Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt