Major Events of March 1937: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from March 1937 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of March 1937: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Mar 1937 Kyösti Kallio Becomes President of Finland: Kyösti Kallio was elected by Finland's parliament and sworn in as the fourth President of Finland, marking a significant moment in Finnish political history. His transition from Prime Minister to President represented a peaceful democratic transfer of power.
02 Mar 1937 British Rearmament and Italian Militarization: The British House of Commons voted 243 to 134 to endorse the government's rearmament program. In response, Italy ordered all males between 18 and 55 to be prepared for 'integral militarization', signaling rising tensions in pre-World War II Europe.
03 Mar 1937 Amelia Earhart's Mysterious Disappearance: Amelia Earhart, pioneering American aviator known for her groundbreaking long-distance flights and efforts to advance women's roles in aviation, was noted as disappeared on this date. Born in 1897, she was a trailblazing pilot who challenged gender norms and inspired generations of women to pursue careers in aviation and exploration.
04 Mar 1937 9th Academy Awards Ceremony: The prestigious 9th Academy Awards were held in Los Angeles, celebrating outstanding achievements in cinema. Notable winners included 'The Great Ziegfeld' for Best Picture, Frank Capra winning Best Director for 'Mr. Deeds Goes to Town', Paul Muni and Luise Rainer receiving Best Actor and Best Actress honors, and Walter Brennan and Gale Sondergaard winning Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards.
05 Mar 1937 Battle of Cape Machichaco during Spanish Civil War: On March 5, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Nationalist cruiser Canarias intercepted the transport ship Galdames in a naval engagement off the coast. The Canarias engaged four Basque Auxiliary Navy trawlers escorting the vessel. In the battle, the trawler Nabarra was sunk, resulting in the tragic loss of 29 sailors. An additional 20 survivors were captured and imprisoned. Four passengers aboard the Galdames were killed, including the notable Catalan legislator Manuel Carrasco Formiguera, who was subsequently imprisoned and executed by Nationalist forces in 1938.
06 Mar 1937 Battle of Pozoblanco during Spanish Civil War: The Battle of Pozoblanco was a significant military engagement during the Spanish Civil War, taking place in the Córdoba province of Spain. This battle was part of the broader conflict between Republican and Nationalist forces, representing the complex and brutal nature of the internal struggle that would ultimately lead to Francisco Franco's victory.
07 Mar 1937 Political Purge in Soviet Communist Party: Nikolai Bukharin, Genrikh Yagoda, and Alexei Rykov were expelled from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) during Joseph Stalin's Great Purge. These prominent Bolshevik leaders, once close to Lenin, were accused of being 'counter-revolutionary' and conspiring against Stalin's regime. Their removal was part of a systematic elimination of potential political rivals and represented a critical moment in Stalin's consolidation of absolute power.
08 Mar 1937 Battle of Guadalajara Details: The Battle of Guadalajara involved 35,000 Italian troops of the Corpo Truppe Volontarie, equipped with 81 tanks, attacking Spanish Republican forces. Adverse weather conditions, including heavy rains and mud, significantly hampered the Italian offensive, and they were subjected to bombardment by the Spanish Air Force.
09 Mar 1937 Roosevelt's Supreme Court Expansion Proposal: President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a landmark Fireside Chat proposing a controversial plan to expand the Supreme Court by adding one justice for every sitting justice over the age of 70, a move aimed at shifting the court's ideological balance during the New Deal era.
10 Mar 1937 Pope Pius XI's Encyclical Against Nazi Regime: Pope Pius XI published the encyclical 'Mit brennender Sorge' (With Deep Anxiety), a bold and unprecedented critique of the Nazi regime's violations of religious freedoms and human rights.
11 Mar 1937 Pope Pius XI Condemns Nazi Regime in Landmark Encyclical: Pope Pius XI issued the groundbreaking encyclical 'Mit brennender Sorge' (German for 'With deep anxiety') on March 14, strongly condemning the Nazi regime's breaches of the Reichskonkordat. Notably, this was an unprecedented papal document written in German instead of the traditional Latin, signaling the Vatican's direct confrontation with Nazi policies.
12 Mar 1937 Aimo Cajander Becomes Prime Minister of Finland: Aimo Cajander was appointed Prime Minister of Finland for the third time, forming a new government of ministers. This marked another significant period in Finnish political leadership during the interwar years.
13 Mar 1937 Steel Workers Organizing Committee Achieves Major Breakthrough: In a landmark moment for labor relations, the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC), under the leadership of Philip Murray, successfully negotiated a collective bargaining agreement with United States Steel Company. This agreement was groundbreaking, as it established SWOC as the sole bargaining representative for U.S. Steel employees, significantly strengthening the union's position in the steel industry and marking a pivotal moment in American labor history.
14 Mar 1937 Pope Pius XI Publishes Anti-Nazi Encyclical: Pope Pius XI issued the landmark encyclical 'Mit brennender Sorge' (German for 'With burning concern'), a powerful condemnation of Nazi Germany's violations of religious freedoms and breaches of the Reichskonkordat. This document was a bold and rare public criticism of the Nazi regime's policies and treatment of the Catholic Church.
15 Mar 1937 Anti-Nazi Rally at Madison Square Garden: A massive anti-Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City drew 20,000 passionate attendees. The event featured prominent speakers like Hugh S. Johnson, former director of the National Recovery Administration, and displayed banners calling for a boycott of Nazi goods, demonstrating growing American opposition to Nazi Germany's policies.
16 Mar 1937 Italian Forces Defeated at Battle of Guadalajara: During the Spanish Civil War, the Italian Corpo Truppe Volontarie suffered a significant defeat at the Battle of Guadalajara, marking a critical moment in the conflict and demonstrating the challenges faced by foreign interventionist forces.
17 Mar 1937 Stalinist Purge in Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic: Vasily Sharangovich was appointed First Secretary of the Communist Party of Byelorussia, initiating a brutal political purge targeting alleged spies and political opponents. He orchestrated the removal of top government officials, including Nikolai Goloded and Alexander Cheryakov, under the pretext of eliminating 'enemies of the state'. His reign of terror was short-lived, as he was himself arrested on espionage charges just five months later.
18 Mar 1937 New London School Explosion Tragedy: A catastrophic natural gas explosion at the New London School in Texas resulted in the deaths of approximately 300 people, predominantly children. This devastating incident became a pivotal moment in understanding industrial safety and led to significant changes in natural gas detection and school safety protocols.
19 Mar 1937 Pope Pius XI Condemns Communism in Encyclical: Pope Pius XI published the encyclical 'Divini Redemptoris', a comprehensive theological critique of communism, outlining the Catholic Church's official stance against communist ideology. The document detailed the Church's opposition to communist principles, emphasizing their perceived incompatibility with Christian social teachings and human dignity.
20 Mar 1937 Amelia Earhart's Plane Crash in Hawaii: Pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart experienced a serious setback during her ambitious around-the-world flight attempt when her Lockheed Electra aircraft crashed and caught fire while attempting to take off from Luke Field in Hawaii. The incident, caused by a combination of a heavy fuel load and a blown tire, temporarily halted her historic circumnavigation mission and highlighted the significant risks of early long-distance aviation.
21 Mar 1937 Ponce Massacre: On March 21, 1937, a tragic event occurred in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where nineteen unarmed civilians were brutally gunned down by police in a violent attack ordered by the US-appointed Governor, Blanton Winship. This incident represents a dark moment in Puerto Rican history, highlighting the systemic oppression and violence against peaceful protesters during the island's colonial period.
22 Mar 1937 Uneventful Day in 1937: While no specific major historical events were documented for March 22, 1937, this does not necessarily mean nothing of significance occurred. Many historical moments happen without immediate global recognition. During this period, the world was experiencing significant global tensions, with events like the Spanish Civil War ongoing and rising political uncertainties in Europe preceding World War II.
23 Mar 1937 Spanish Republic Wins Battle of Guadalajara: During the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Republican forces achieved a crucial victory over Nationalist troops at the Battle of Guadalajara. This strategic win temporarily halted General Francisco Franco's advance and boosted Republican morale, though it did not ultimately change the war's final outcome.
24 Mar 1937 Scottsboro Boys Rape Charges Dropped: In a significant legal development, Alabama dropped rape charges against the Scottsboro Boys, a group of young African American men who had been falsely accused and subjected to a deeply unjust legal process that became a landmark civil rights case symbolizing racial injustice in the American judicial system.
25 Mar 1937 Italy and Yugoslavia Sign Non-Aggression Pact: Italy and Yugoslavia formalized a diplomatic agreement known as the Pact of Belgrade, establishing a mutual non-aggression treaty aimed at reducing tensions and promoting regional stability in the Balkans during the pre-World War II era.
26 Mar 1937 William H. Hastie Becomes First Black Federal Judge: William H. Hastie makes history by becoming the first African-American federal judge in the United States, breaking significant racial barriers in the judicial system.
27 Mar 1937 Feyenoord Stadium Official Opening: The iconic Feyenoord Stadium, located in Rotterdam, Netherlands, was officially inaugurated. This modern sports venue, known as De Kuip ("The Tub"), became the home ground for the renowned Dutch football club Feyenoord Rotterdam after a two-year construction period.
28 Mar 1937 Pope Pius XI Addresses Religious Persecution in Mexico: Pope Pius XI published the encyclical 'Nos es muy conocida' (We are well aware), addressing the ongoing religious persecution and challenging anti-Catholic policies in Mexico during the post-revolutionary period. The document highlighted the struggles of the Catholic Church under the secular reforms of the Mexican government, which had significantly restricted religious freedoms and the Church's institutional rights.
29 Mar 1937 Death of Karol Szymanowski, Renowned Polish Composer: Karol Szymanowski, a prominent Polish composer and pianist who significantly influenced 20th-century classical music, passed away at the age of 54 due to tuberculosis. Known for his innovative compositions that blended elements of impressionism, expressionism, and Polish folk music, Szymanowski was a key figure in the development of modern Polish musical identity. His most famous works include his opera 'King Roger' and numerous piano compositions that challenged traditional musical structures.
30 Mar 1937 Hitler's Internal Political Reconciliation: Reports emerged suggesting that German leader Adolf Hitler had resolved an internal political feud, potentially stabilizing his leadership within the Nazi Party. The details of this reconciliation remain somewhat ambiguous but indicate ongoing power dynamics within the Nazi leadership.
31 Mar 1937 Great Ohio River Flood of 1937: A catastrophic flood devastated the Ohio River Valley, causing unprecedented destruction. The massive flooding left approximately 1 million people homeless and resulted in 385 confirmed fatalities. The disaster impacted multiple states along the Ohio River, including Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia, making it one of the most significant natural disasters in the region's history.