What Happened in December 1934

Historical Events

Sergey Kirov

Dec 1 Leningrad mayor Sergey Kirov is assassinated, Joseph Stalin uses it as an excuse to begin his Great Purge of 1934-38

Toronto Maple Leafs

Dec 1 Toronto Maple Leafs beat St. Louis Eagles, 4-3 to set an NHL record for the most wins to start the season with 8; Leafs do it again 59 years later; won 10 in a row to start 1993-94 season

  • Dec 2 5.08-m (200") Mt Palomar Observatory mirror is cast
  • Dec 3 Italian colonial Tripoli & Cyrenaica annexed to Libya
  • Dec 3 KYW-AM in Chicago Ill moves to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Dec 8 Friedrich Wolf's "Professor Mamlock" premieres in Zurich

NY Giants vs. Chicago Bears

Dec 9 National Football League Championship, Polo Grounds, NYC: New York Giants defeat Chicago Bears, 30-13

  • Dec 10 Fascist dictator of Latvia Ulmanis begins building concentration camp
  • Dec 10 NFL adopts player waiver rule; applies after 6th game of season
  • Dec 10 Saint-Adelbert cooperation formed by Catholic elite
  • Dec 11 1935 All-Star Game is assigned to Cleveland
  • Dec 11 1st successful penalty shot by a Toronto Maple Leaf - Charlie Conacher stopped by New York Rangers Andy Aitkenhead at Madison Square Garden
  • Dec 11 1st Toronto Maple Leaf penalty shot, Conacher unsuccessful vs Rangers
  • Dec 11 Ford C. Frick becomes president of baseball's National League
  • Dec 11 NL votes to permit night baseball (up to 7 games per home team)
  • Dec 13 Mark Hellinger Theater (Warner Bros) opens at 237 W 51st St NYC
  • Dec 14 1st streamlined steam locomotive introduced in Albany, NY

The 'Snip' Departs

Dec 15 Dutch airplane the 'Snip' (Fokker F.XVIII) departs the Netherlands for the 1st flight to Paramaribo and Curacao, takes 55 hours 58 minutes

  • Dec 19 Japan agrees to naval treaty of 1922 & 1930

"Zouzou"

Dec 21 French film "Zouzou" premieres in Paris, starring Josephine Baker; 1st black woman to star in a major motion picture

  • Dec 22 1st flight from Netherland to Curacao (Christmas flight 1934)
  • Dec 22 Miss Theo Trowbridge sets female bowling record 702 pins in games
  • Dec 24 Clarrie Grimmett takes 9-180 for SA as Queensland make 430
  • Dec 25 Four centuries for SA as they make 7-644 v Qld before 6,180
  • Dec 25 Samson Raphaelson's "Accent on Youth" premieres in NYC
  • Dec 26 Yomiuri Giants, Japan's 1st professional baseball team forms
  • Dec 27 1st youth hostel in US opens (Northfield, Mass)

"Thumbs Up"

Dec 27 Musical revue "Thumbs Up", including music and lyrics by Vernon Duke, James Hanley, and Ira Gershwin (among others), premieres at the St. James Theatre, NYC; runs for 156 performance

Persia Renamed Iran

Dec 27 Shah of Persia Mohammad Reza Pahlavi declares Persia now Iran

"Bright Eyes"

Dec 28 Film "Bright Eyes" premieres starring Shirley Temple and featuring the song "On the Good Ship Lollipop"

  • Dec 28 First ever Women's cricket international begins England vs Australia in Australia
  • Dec 29 Federico Garcia Lorca's "Yerma" premieres in Madrid
  • Dec 29 First collegiate basketball doubleheader is played at Madison Square Garden, NYC; New York University beats Notre Dame, 25-18; Westminster edges St. John's, 37-33
  • Dec 29 Japan renounces Wash Naval Treaty of 1922 and London Treaty of 1930
  • Dec 30 New York Rangers and Boston Bruins battle out a 0-0 tie; first of a 37-game overtime undefeated streak for the Bruins, the longest in NHL history; streak spans over 4 years and includes 27 ties
  • Dec 31 Helen Richey becomes 1st woman to pilot an airmail transport
1934 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Dec 1 Billy Paul [Paul Williams], American singer ("Me & Mrs. Jones"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2016)
  • Dec 1 Hilly Axwijk, Suriname-Dutch social worker and women's rights activist
  • Dec 1 LaMar Clark, American boxer (record most consecutive knockouts 44, including unsanctioned bouts), born in Cedar City, Utah (d. 2006)
  • Dec 2 Andre Rodgers, Bahamian baseball shortstop (first Bahamian to play in MLB; NY/SF Giants; Chicago Cubs), born in Nassau, Bahamas (d. 2004)
  • Dec 3 Viktor Vassilyevich Gorbatko, USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 7, 24, 37/36)
  • Dec 4 Victor French, American actor (Highway to Heaven), born in Santa Barbara, California (d. 1989)
  • Dec 4 Wink Martindale, American TV host (Tic-Tac-Dough, Can You Top This), born in Jackson, Tennessee
  • Dec 5 Art Davis, American bassist ("A Time Remembered"), born in Hamburg, Pennsylvania (d. 2007)
  • Dec 5 Eberhard Jüngel, German Lutheran theologian, born in Magdeburg, Germany (d. 2021)
  • Dec 5 Joan Didion, American author and journalist (The year of Magical Thinking), born in Sacramento, California
  • Dec 6 Nick Bockwinkel, American professional wrestler (WCW/AWA), born in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2015)
  • Dec 7 Armando Manzanero, Mexican composer and singer ("It’s Impossible"; "Adoro"), born in Merida, Mexico (d. 2020) date disputed [1]
  • Dec 9 Alan Ridout, British composer, born in West Wickham, England (d. 1996)

Judi Dench (89 years old)

Dec 9 British actress (Henry V, Wetherby, Skyfall), born in York, England

  • Dec 9 Junior Wells, American blues singer ("In My Younger Days"), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 1998)
  • Dec 10 Howard Martin Temin, American geneticist (Nobel 1975), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1994)
  • Dec 11 Mike Nykoluk, Canadian ice hockey coach (NHL's 1st full-time assistant coach - Philadelphia Flyers, 1972-78), and (head coach - Toronto Maple Leafs, 1980-84), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2022)
  • Dec 11 Salim Durani, Indian cricket all-rounder (29 Tests, 1 x 100, 74 wickets, BB 6/73; Saurashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan), born in Kabul, Afghanistan (d. 2023)
  • Dec 12 Habib Hassan Touma, Palestinian composer, born in Nazareth, Israel (d. 1998)
  • Dec 12 Miguel de la Madrid, President of Mexico (1982-1988), born in Colima, Mexico (d. 2012)
  • Dec 13 Richard Darryl Zanuck, American Academy Award-winning film producer, born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2012)
  • Dec 16 John L. Rotz, American thoroughbred jockey (Preakness Stakes 1962; Belmont Stakes 1970; Racing Hall of Fame 1983), born in Niantic, Illinois (d. 2021)
  • Dec 17 Ray Wilson, English footballer (1966 World Cup team), born in Shirebrook, England (d. 2018)
  • Dec 18 Boris Volynov, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz 5, 21), born in Irkutsk, Siberia
  • Dec 18 Colin Baker, Welsh soccer wing half (7 caps; Cardiff City 298 games), born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 2021)
  • Dec 18 John Bingham, Lord Lucan, British peer suspected of murdering his nanny who disappeared, born in London (presumed dead)

Al Kaline (1934-2020)

Dec 19 American Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (18 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1968; 10 × Gold Glove Award; Detroit Tigers), born in Baltimore, Maryland

  • Dec 19 Casper R. Taylor, Jr., American politician
  • Dec 19 Pratibha Patil, 1st female President of India (2007-12) and Governor of Rajasthan (2004-07), born in Nadgaon, India
  • Dec 19 Rudi Carrell [Rudolf W Kesselman], Dutch showmaster
  • Dec 21 (Bennie Ross) "Hank" Crawford, American saxophonist, arranger and songwriter ("Help Me Make It Through the Night"), born in Memphis, Tennessee (d. 2009)

Hanif Mohammad (1934-2016)

Dec 21 Pakistani cricket batsman (55 Tests; longest Test innings in history at 16 hours, 337 v WI 1958; 12 x 100), born in Junagadh, British India

  • Dec 21 Harmonica Slim [Travis Blaylock], American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter ("You Better Believe It"), born in Texarkana, Texas (d. 1984)

David Pearson (1934-2018)

Dec 22 American auto racer (NASCAR Cup Series C'ship 1966, 68, 69; NASCAR Rookie of the Year 1960; Daytona 500 1976), born in Spartanburg, South Carolina

  • Dec 23 Claudio Scimone, Italian conductor (I Solisti Veneti), born in Padua (d. 2018)
  • Dec 24 Stjepan Mesić, president of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Secretary General of Non-Aligned Movement and president of Croatia.
  • Dec 25 Bob Martinez, American politician (Governor of Florida 1987-91), born in Tampa, Florida
  • Dec 25 Giancarlo Baghetti, Italian auto racer (French GP 1961) and journalist/photographer, born in MIlan, Italy (d. 1995)
  • Dec 25 John Ashley, actor (Clipper-Straightaway), born in Kansas City, Missouri
  • Dec 25 McKinley Mitchell, American gospel, blues, and R&B singer ("The Town I Live In"), born in Jackson, Mississippi (d. 1986)
  • Dec 26 Martín Pando, Argentine soccer forward (11 caps; Argentinos Juniors, River Plate), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2021)

Larisa Latynina (89 years old)

Dec 27 Ukrainian gymnast (winner most Olympic medals in her sport [18]; 9 x gold USSR 1956, 1960, 1964; World C'ship gold x 9), born in Kherson, Ukraine

  • Dec 28 David Warrilow, English actor (Radio Days, Dakota Road, Barton Fink), born in Stone, England (d. 1995)
  • Dec 28 John Akers, American business executive (head of IBM, 1983-93), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2014)

Maggie Smith (89 years old)

Dec 28 English actress (Harry Potter, Death on the Nile, Clash of Titans), born in Ilford, England

  • Dec 28 Peggy Wilson, American golfer (US Open runner-up 1969), born in Lauderdale, Mississippi
  • Dec 28 Virginio Pizzali, Italian track cyclist (Olympic gold team pursuit 1956), born in Mortegliano, Udine, Italy (d. 2021)
  • Dec 28 Yujiro Ishihara, Japanese actor (Crazed Fruit), born in Kobe, Japan (d. 1987)
  • Dec 29 Benny Dees, American college basketball coach (U of New Orleans; U of Wyoming; Western Carolina Uni), born in Mount Vernon, Georgia (d. 2021)
  • Dec 29 Ed Flanders, American actor (Dr Westphall-St Elsewhere), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Dec 29 Forough Farrokhzad, Iranian pre-eminent poet and film director, born in Tehran, Iran (d. 1967)
  • Dec 29 Tom Jarriel, American television news reporter (ABC Weekend News, 20/20), born in LaGrange, Georgia
  • Dec 30 Barry Briggs, New Zealand speedway rider (World Champion 1957-58, 64, 66; British Championship 1961, 64-67, 69), born in Christchurch, Canterbury
  • Dec 30 Del Shannon [Charles Westover], American rock guitarist, singer and songwriter ("Runaway"), born in Grand Rapids, Michigan (d. 1990)
  • Dec 30 Fred Lorenzen, American auto racer (Daytona 500 1965; USAC Stock Car Champion 1958, 59; World 600 Winner 1963, 65), born in Elmhurst, Illinois
  • Dec 30 John Norris Bahcall, American physicist (d. 2005)
  • Dec 30 Joseph Bologna, American actor (Citizen Cohn, My Favorite Year), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Dec 30 Joseph P. Hoar, former US Central Command commander
  • Dec 30 Nicolas Coster, British actor (Our Private World, Ryan's Four), born in London
  • Dec 30 Russ Tamblyn, actor (Win Place or Steal, Twin Peaks), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Dec 31 Akram Awan, Islamic scholar & spiritual leader, born in Chakwal, Pakistan (d. 2017)
Born in 1934

Famous Deaths

  • Dec 1 Sergei Kirov, Russian politician who was Mayor of Leningrad and a friend of Joseph Stalin, assassinated in Leningrad at 48
  • Dec 1 Sergey Kirov [Kostrikov], Russian Bolshevik leader and politician (First Secretary (Mayor) of Leningrad, 1926-34), shot to death in his office at 48
  • Dec 3 Charles James O'Donnell, Irish politician (b. 1849)
  • Dec 6 Duke Charles Michael of Mecklenburg, head of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, dies at 71
  • Dec 8 Bernhard Seklas, German pianist, composer, conductor, and pedagogue thought to be the first jazz instructor, dies at 62
  • Dec 12 Thorleif Haug, Norwegian Nordic skier (b. 1894)
  • Dec 13 Thomas A. Watson, American assistant to Alexander Graham Bell in inventing the telephone, dies at 80 [1]
  • Dec 15 Maggie L. Walker, African-American teacher and businesswoman (1st female Bank President), dies at 69
  • Dec 17 Edwin Binney, American inventor and businessman (carbon black, 1st dustless white chalk, Crayola crayon), dies at 68 [1]