Year

1933

7 sourced events from this year.

Events

1933 Timeline

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1933

Technology 20th Century North America

Golden Gate Bridge Construction Begins

After years of planning and political debate over funding and design, the Golden Gate Bridge project received final approvals in the early 1930s. On January 5, 1933, workers began the official start of construction by excavating millions of cubic feet of dirt for the massive anchorages on both sides of the strait. Chief engineer Joseph Strauss oversaw the ambitious suspension bridge design spanning the Golden Gate. The project employed thousands during the Great Depression and incorporated innovative safety measures, including a net that saved numerous workers. Construction concluded ahead of schedule in 1937.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1933

Politics 20th Century Europe

Reichstag Fire Destroys German Parliament Building

In the tense political climate following Adolf Hitler’s appointment as chancellor earlier that month, the Reichstag building in Berlin caught fire on the evening of February 27, 1933. A young Dutch communist named Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested at the scene and later executed after confessing, though historians debate whether he acted alone or whether the Nazis themselves orchestrated the blaze. Hitler’s government immediately blamed communists, using the incident to suspend civil liberties through the Reichstag Fire Decree and arrest thousands of political opponents. The event accelerated the Nazi consolidation of power just weeks before the March elections.

Event Detail

1933

Politics 20th Century North America

Franklin D. Roosevelt Inaugurated as President

The United States faced the depths of the Great Depression in early 1933, with widespread bank failures, unemployment exceeding 25 percent, and economic paralysis gripping the nation. Franklin D. Roosevelt had won the 1932 election promising bold action. On March 4, 1933, he took the oath of office at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., becoming the last president inaugurated on that traditional date before the Twentieth Amendment shifted inaugurations to January 20. In his address, Roosevelt delivered the famous line about fearing fear itself and outlined plans for immediate relief. Hours later, he appointed Frances Perkins as Secretary of Labor, the first woman in a U.S. cabinet position. The inauguration signaled a shift toward active federal intervention in the economy.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1933

Politics 20th Century Europe

Nazi Germany Outlaws All Other Political Parties

After Adolf Hitler became chancellor in January 1933, the Nazi regime moved swiftly to consolidate power through emergency decrees and intimidation. The Reichstag fire provided pretext for suspending civil liberties and arresting communists and other opponents. On July 14, 1933, a decree formally dissolved all remaining political parties except the National Socialist German Workers' Party, completing the Gleichschaltung process of coordination. Opposition leaders were imprisoned, exiled, or forced underground. This left the Nazis with a monopoly on political organization in Germany.

Event Detail

1933

Exploration 20th Century North America

Wiley Post Completes First Solo World Flight

Aviation pioneer Wiley Post, already known for a 1931 around-the-world flight with a navigator, sought to prove solo long-distance capabilities in the interwar era. He departed New York's Floyd Bennett Field on July 15 in his Lockheed Vega monoplane, the Winnie Mae, equipped with an autopilot and radio direction finder. The route took him across Europe, Asia, and North America with stops for repairs and refueling. On July 22, Post landed back at Floyd Bennett Field after 15,596 miles in seven days, 18 hours, and 49 minutes, setting a new record. Crowds of 50,000 greeted his return, celebrating the technological demonstration of reliable solo navigation.

Event Detail

1933

Politics 20th Century North America

United States Establishes Relations with Soviet Union

Following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, the United States had refused to recognize the Soviet government, citing ideological opposition and unpaid tsarist debts. By 1933, amid the Great Depression and rising threats from Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to expand trade opportunities and counterbalance emerging powers. On November 16, 1933, the U.S. and USSR formally established diplomatic relations through an exchange of notes between Roosevelt and Soviet Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov. The agreement included Soviet promises regarding religious freedoms for Americans in the USSR and settlement of certain financial claims. This step normalized ties after 16 years of non-recognition and opened avenues for economic and strategic cooperation.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1933

Law 20th Century North America

Twenty-First Amendment Ends National Prohibition

The Eighteenth Amendment had banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol across the United States since 1920, fueling organized crime, speakeasies, and widespread public discontent during the Roaring Twenties and Great Depression. In February 1933 Congress proposed the Twenty-First Amendment to repeal the ban, uniquely requiring ratification by state conventions rather than legislatures. On December 5 Utah became the thirty-sixth state to approve it, meeting the three-fourths threshold; Pennsylvania and Ohio had ratified earlier that day. Acting Secretary of State William Phillips certified the amendment at approximately 5:32 p.m. EST, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt quickly issued a proclamation ending national Prohibition. The repeal immediately allowed legal alcohol sales in most states and generated new tax revenue while diminishing...

Event Detail Free Speech Atlas