What Happened in August 1938

Historical Events

  • Aug 2 MLB conducts the first test of bright yellow baseballs during Dodgers vs Cardinals doubleheader

Baseball Record

Aug 7 2,000th Brooklyn Dodgers home run: legendary shortstop Leo Durocher homers off Reds hurler Peaches Davis in 8th inning of a 6-3 win

  • Aug 7 Nazis close theologic department of Innsbruck university
  • Aug 8 6th Venice Film Festival opens
  • Aug 8 Great Trek Centenary Celebrations commence; the Great Trek was a migration involving Boers leaving the Cape Colony and settling in the interior of South Africa
  • Aug 10 119°F (48°C), Pendleton, Oregon (state record)
  • Aug 14 BBC's 1st feature film on TV (Student of Prague)
  • Aug 17 1st aircraft owned by US Forest Service in service (Oakland)
  • Aug 17 Henry Armstrong wins his 3rd concurrent boxing championship

Thousand Islands Bridge

Aug 18 FDR dedicates Thousand Islands Bridge connecting US & Canada

Baseball Record

Aug 20 NY Yankees future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig hits record 23rd & final grand slam in 11-3 win over Philadelphia A's at Shribe Park

  • Aug 21 Italy bars all Jewish teachers in Public & High School

You Can’t Take It With You

Aug 23 "You Can’t Take It With You" from the play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart, directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart and Jean Arthur premieres. Best Picture (1939)

  • Aug 23 England score 7-903 declared v Australia, Len Hutton scores 364
  • Aug 24 England beat Australia by an innings & 579 runs at The Oval
  • Aug 24 Virgil Trucks strikes out his 418th batter, highest season total in organized ball-for Andalusia in an Alabama-Florida League game
  • Aug 26 British leaders & Arabians fight in Palestine
  • Aug 26 Montreal Maroons dropped from NHL

Sports History

Aug 27 New York Yankees pitcher Monte Pearson no-hits Cleveland Indians, 13-0; Joe DiMaggio hits 3 triples

  • Aug 27 Two NYC subway trains collide at 116th Street killing 2 and injuring 51
  • Aug 28 Mauthausen concentration camp opens in Austria
  • Aug 28 Northwestern University awards honorary degree to dummy Charlie McCarthy
  • Aug 28 On Connie Mack Day at Philadelphia's Shibe Park, the A's win a doubleheader
  • Aug 31 5th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 28, Washington 16 (74,250)
1938 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Aug 1 Paddy Moloney, Irish uilleann pipe and tin whistle player, composer, and producer (The Chieftains), born in Donnycarney, County Dublin, Ireland (d. 2021)
  • Aug 2 Brunhilde Hendrix, German relay runner (Olympic silver 1960), born in Langenzenn, Germany (d. 1995)
  • Aug 2 Pierre de Bané, French Canadian politician (Senator for De la Vallière, Quebec), born in Haifa, British Mandate for Palestine
  • Aug 3 George Memmoli, American actor (Earl-Hello Larry), born in New York City (d. 1985)
  • Aug 3 Terry Wogan, British broadcaster (Eurovision Song Contest, Blankety Blank), born in Limerick, Ireland (d. 2016)
  • Aug 4 Ellen Schrecker, American college professor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Aug 4 Kenny Malone, American Nashville-based session drummer (Dolly Parton; Dobie Gray: Waylon Jennings), born in Denver, Colorado (d. 2021)
  • Aug 5 Hayes Jones, American athlete (Olympic gold 110m hurdles 1964), born in Sturksville, Mississippi
  • Aug 6 Bernardino Lombao, Spanish handballer (Atlético de Madrid 1967-69), coach (Nat basketball teams) and TV presenter (De Olimpia a Los Ángeles, Objetivo 92), born in Ribas de Sil, Spain (d. 2020)
  • Aug 6 Carry Tefsen, Dutch actress (Say A)
  • Aug 6 Igor Mikhailovich Luchenok, Belarusian composer and teacher, born in Minsk, Belarus (d. 2018)
  • Aug 6 Paul Bartel, director/actor (Eating Raoul), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Aug 6 Peter Bonerz, American actor (The Bob Newhart Show - "Jerry"), and director, born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
  • Aug 7 Dewi Bebb, Welsh rugby union winger (34 Tests Wales, 8 British & Irish Lions; Swansea RFC) and journalist, born in Bangor, Wales (d. 1996)
  • Aug 7 Helen Caldicott, Australian physician and anti-war activist, born in Melbourne, Victoria
  • Aug 8 Connie Stevens [Concetta Ingoglia], American actress (Hawaiian Eye - "Cricket"; Back to the Beach), and singer ("Sixteen Reasons"), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Aug 8 Jacques Hétu, Canadian composer, born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec (d. 2010)
  • Aug 9 Dick Anthony Williams, American actor (Our Family Honor), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2012)
  • Aug 9 Leonid Kuchma, 2nd President of Ukraine (1994-2005) and 2nd Prime Minister of Ukraine (1992-93), born in Chaikyne, Ukraine
  • Aug 9 Otto Rehhagel, German football manager, born in Essen, Germany

Rod Laver (85 years old)

Aug 9 Australian tennis player (1962, 1969 Grand Slam; 11 x Grand Slam singles titles; 8 x Pro major titles), born in Rockhampton, Queensland

  • Aug 10 Lou Campanelli, American basketball coach (James Madison University 1972-85; University of California, Berkeley 1986-93), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey (d. 2023)
  • Aug 11 Branko Stanovnik, Slovenian chemist
  • Aug 11 Charles Hugh Shirley, publisher
  • Aug 11 Rainer Boesch, Swiss pianist, composer, improviser, and teacher, born in Männedorf, Switzerland (d. 2014)
  • Aug 12 Jean-Paul L'Allier, Canadian politician (Mayor of Quebec City), born in Hudson, Quebec (d. 2016)
  • Aug 12 Lionel Morgan, Australian rugby league winger (3 Tests; first Indigenous Australian to play in a recognised RL Test), born in Tweed Heads, Australia (d. 2023)
  • Aug 13 Dave "Baby" Cortez [Clowney], American pop keyboardist ("The Happy Organ"; "Rinky Dink"), born in Detroit, Michigan
  • Aug 14 Bennie Muller, Dutch soccer midfielder (43 caps; AFC Ajax 341 games), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2024)
  • Aug 14 Niara Sudarkasa [Gloria Albertha Marshall], American educator and anthropologist (Lincoln College), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (d. 2019)
  • Aug 15 Janusz A. Zajdel, Polish sci-fi author (The Whole Truth about Planet Xi), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1985)
  • Aug 15 Maxine Waters, American politician (Rep-D-California), born in St. Louis, Missouri
  • Aug 15 Nesbert "Stix" Hooper, American jazz drummer (The Crusaders), born in Houston, Texas
  • Aug 15 Ottavio Cinquanta, Italian sports executive (President International Skating Union 1994-2016; IOC Executive Committee 2000-08), born in Rome, Italy (d. 2022)
  • Aug 15 Stephen Breyer, American lawyer and Justice of the Supreme Court, born in San Francisco, California
  • Aug 16 Oleg Grigoryevich Kononenko, Russian cosmonaut
  • Aug 17 Abu Bakar Bashir, Indonesian Muslim cleric, born in Jombang, Dutch East Indies
  • Aug 17 Theodoros Pangalos, Greek politician (Deputy Prime Minister), born in Eleusis, Greece (d. 2023)
  • Aug 18 Joe Frank [Joseph Langermann], American radio personality (KCRW), born in Strasbourg, France (d. 2018)
  • Aug 18 Orestes Quércia, Brazilian politician (Governor of São Paulo, 1987-91), born in Pedregulho, Brazil (d. 2010)
  • Aug 19 Diana Muldaur, American actress (McCloud, Star Trek Next Gen, LA Law), born in New York City
  • Aug 19 Valentin Mankin, Ukrainian yachtsman (Olympic gold, USSR, Finn class 1968), born in Kyiv, Ukraine (d. 2014)
  • Aug 20 Alain Vivien, French Socialist Party politician (MILS, French Mission Interministérielle pour la Lutte contre les Sectes Chairman 1998-2002), born in Melun, France
  • Aug 20 Jean-Loup Chrétien, French cosmonaut (T-6, TM-7, STS 86), born in La Rochelle, France

Kenny Rogers (1938-2020)

Aug 21 American pop and country singer-songwriter ("The Gambler"; "Through the Years") and entrepreneur (Kenny Rogers Roasters), born in Houston, Texas

  • Aug 22 Dale Hawkins, American rock singer and songwriter (Susie Q), born in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana (d. 2010)
  • Aug 22 Paul Maguire, American football commentator, born in Youngstown, Ohio
  • Aug 23 Roger Greenaway, British pop composer and record producer ("I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing"), born in Fishponds, England
  • Aug 24 Charles Calello, American composer, conductor, arranger (The Four Seasons; Frank Sinatra; Barbra Streisand; Bruce Springsteen), born in Newark, New Jersey
  • Aug 24 David Freiberg, American rock bassist (Quicksilver Messenger Service - "Fresh Air"; Jefferson Airplane/Starship - "Jane"), born in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Aug 24 Mason Williams, American musician, songwriter ("Classical Gas", Smother Brothers Comedy Hour), author, and photographer, born in Abilene, Texas
  • Aug 24 Roland Bader, German choral and orchestral conductor, born in Wangen im Allgäu, Germany
  • Aug 25 David Canary, American actor (Bonanza, All My Children), born in Elwood, Indiana (d. 2015)
  • Aug 25 Frederick Forsyth, British author (Day of the Jackal, Deceiver, Odessa File), born in Ashford, Kent, England
  • Aug 26 Jet Black [Brain Duffy], British punk rock drummer (The Stranglers), born in Ilford, Essex, England
  • Aug 28 Beatrice "Beebe" Freitas [nee Botty], American pianist, organist, and voice teacher (Hawaii Opera Theatre), born in Youngstown, Ohio (d. 2018)
  • Aug 28 Maurizio Costanzo, Italian television journalist (Maurizio Costanzo Show), born in Rome, Italy (d. 2023)

Paul Martin (85 years old)

Aug 28 21st Prime Minister of Canada (Liberal: 2003-06), born in Windsor, Ontario

Elliott Gould (85 years old)

Aug 29 American actor (M*A*S*H, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice), born in Queens, New York

  • Aug 29 Robert Rubin, American lawyer and government official (US Secretary of the Treasury, born in New York City
  • Aug 30 Steve Delaney, English newscaster (Monitor), born in Dobbs Ferry, New York
  • Aug 31 Martin Bell 'the man in the white suit', British journalist (BBC) and politician, born in Redisham, England
Born in 1938

Famous Deaths

  • Aug 2 Bjarni Thorsteinsson, Icelandic organist, composer, musical folklorist, and priest, dies at 76
  • Aug 3 Alexander Malyschkin, Russian writer, dies (b. 1892)
  • Aug 4 L. H. Perquin, Dutch religious radio broadcaster, dies at 73
  • Aug 4 Pearl White, American actress/stunt woman (Perils of Pauline), dies at 49
  • Aug 4 Rudolf Georg Binding, German songwriter and writer (Legenden Der Zeit), dies at 70
  • Aug 6 Warner Oland, Swedish actor (The Jazz Singer, Charlie Chan), dies at 58
  • Aug 7 Konstantin Stanislavski, Russian director and actor (Stanislavski Method for acting), dies at 75
  • Aug 9 Leo Frobenius, German ethnologist and archaeologist (African cultures), dies at 65
  • Aug 10 Joseph Moorat, British composer (Prunella), dies at 73
  • Aug 12 Ludwig Borchardt, German Egyptologist, dies at 74
  • Aug 14 Hugh Trumble, Australian cricket spin bowler and captain (32 Tests, 141 wickets; 2 x Test hat-tricks), dies of a heart attack at 71
  • Aug 14 Jim Kelly, Australian cricketer (36 Tests for Aust 1896-1905, stumped 20), dies at 71
  • Aug 14 Landon Ronald, British composer, pianist and teacher (Guildhall School of Music), dies at 65
  • Aug 16 Andrej Hlinka, Slovak politician and Catholic priest, dies at 1938

Robert Johnson (1911-1938)

Aug 16 American blues singer-songwriter, and guitarist (King of Delta Blues Singers), poisoned at 27

  • Aug 25 Aleksandr Kuprin, Russian author (Jama), dies at 67
  • Aug 29 Bela Kun, Hungarian Communist revolutionary (de facto head of Hungarian Soviet Republic 1919), executed during the 'Great Purge' in Russia at 52
  • Aug 30 Max Factor, Polish-American make-up artist, inventor and founder of cosmetics manufacturer Max Factor & Company, dies at 60