1939 ( MCMXXXIX ) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar , the 1939th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 939th year of the 2nd millennium , the 39th year of the 20th century , and the 10th and last year of the 1930s decade. World War II started in this year.

Events [ change | change source ]

• May 15 ? Nazi Germany opens Ravensbruuck concentration camp , the largest Nazi concentration camp for women
• September 1 ? The Second World War begins when Nazi Germany invades Poland
• September 17 ? The Soviet Union invades Poland
• October 6 ? Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union divide and take over Poland
• November 30 ? The Winter War begins

Births [ change | change source ]

• February 6 ? Mike Farrell
• February 14 ? John Conn (Scottish-Australian writer)
• March 13 - Neil Sedaka , American singer-songwriter and musician ( The Tokens )
• April 2 ? Marvin Gaye
• July 1 - Karen Black (d. 2013 )
• July 30 - Peter Bogdanovich
• August 3 ? Wes Craven
• August 19 - Ginger Baker , English drummer ( Cream ) (d. 2019 )
• September 5 ? George Lazenby
• September 18 ? Frankie Avalon
• October 27 ? John Cleese
• November 13 ? Will Ryan ( American actor )

Deaths [ change | change source ]

• September - Khan Sahib Abdul Majid Khan Tarin , OBE , British Indian judge and legislator (b. 1877 )
• November 12 - Norman Bethune

Movies released [ change | change source ]

• Dodge City starring Errol Flynn
• Gone with the Wind starring Clark Gable
• Goodbye, Mr. Chips (Best Picture Academy Award)
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring Charles Laughton
• The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
• Stagecoach starring John Wayne
• The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland

New books [ change | change source ]

• Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

Hit songs [ change | change source ]

• "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" ? by E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, from the movie The Wizard of Oz ; won the Academy Award for the best song.