| Timeline for 1939 |
1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 |
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1939 was a year. It was particularly notable for the outbreak of World War II.
Events
Dated
On 1 April, the Spanish Civil War, which began in 1936, ended. (PROSE: History 101 [+]Loading...["History 101 (novel)"]) Francisco Franco seized power in Spain and ruled the country until his death in 1975. (AUDIO: Fiesta of the Damned [+]Loading...["Fiesta of the Damned (audio story)"])
In August, Dr Edward Wright and Miss Bettingham-Smith were married. They eventually had five children, including the First and Second Doctor's companion Polly Wright. (AUDIO: Resistance [+]Loading...["Resistance (audio story)"])
On 15 August, The Wizard of Oz premiered in Hollywood at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The Thirteenth Doctor, Graham O'Brien, Ryan Sinclair and Yasmin Khan went there to watch it, only to find that history had been changed so that it had never been made. They left to investigate and were followed back to the TARDIS by Theodore, who stowed away. (PROSE: The Wonderful Doctor of Oz [+]Loading...["The Wonderful Doctor of Oz (novel)"])
In September, the Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown visited St Ursula's College in England. (AUDIO: An Eye For Murder [+]Loading...["An Eye For Murder (audio story)"])
On 1 September, World War II began in Europe as Germany invaded Poland. The Seventh Doctor warned Hitler that Britain and France would declare war if he took this action. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus [+]Loading...["Timewyrm: Exodus (novel)"], AUDIO: Neverland [+]Loading...["Neverland (audio story)"]) The conflict brought an end to the postwar period following the end of World War I in 1918, as well as the Great Depression of 1929, though the Twelfth Doctor noted that this was "hardly an improvement". (PROSE: A History of Humankind [+]Loading...["A History of Humankind (novel)"])
In October, Germany offered to reopen negotiations with Britain and France. The Allies refused, leading to a continuation of the war. (PROSE: Just War [+]Loading...["Just War (novel)"], AUDIO: Just War [+]Loading...["Just War (audio story)"])
Undated
Benito Mussolini's Italy invaded and conquered Albania. (PROSE: Deadly Reunion [+]Loading...["Deadly Reunion (novel)"])
A force of time travelling Cybermen from the 30th century arrived on the Channel Island of Jersey in preparation for an invasion of Earth. (PROSE: Illegal Alien [+]Loading...["Illegal Alien (novel)"])
Jack Harkness was active in this year, as shown by photos of him found in the CIA Archive. (TV: The New World [+]Loading...["The New World (TV story)"])
A failed attempt to open Devil's Hump became known as "the Cambridge University fiasco". (TV: The Dæmons [+]Loading...["The Dæmons (TV story)"])
Around this year, Ms A Bashara purchased Wester Drumlins. (PROSE: The Very Real Mystery of Wester Drumlins [+]Loading...["The Very Real Mystery of Wester Drumlins (short story)"])
Births and deaths
On 3 September, Cecelia "Sissy" Pollard, a member of the League of English Fascists and the younger sister of the Eighth Doctor's companion Charley Pollard, committed suicide in Munich as she was extremely distraught at the idea of the two countries which she loved, Britain and Germany, being at war. (AUDIO: A Blind Eye [+]Loading...["A Blind Eye (audio story)"])