Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
Decades: 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s - 1930s - 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
Years: 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 - 1936 - 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941
Events
- Inge Lehmann argues that the Earth's molten interior has a solid core
- The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Turkish Straits is signed.
- Francisco Franco and other generals try a coup d'etat against the Spanish Republic and start the Spanish Civil War
- Germany reoccupies the Rhineland.
- Abdication of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom; accession of King George VI of the United Kingdom.
- Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell, is published.
- November - Franklin D. Roosevelt defeats Alfred M. Landon in the U.S. presidential election
- December 30 - The United Auto Workers union stages its first sit-down strike.
Art, Culture & Fashion
- 1936 in film
- 1936 in literature
- The Allegory of Love by C. S. Lewis
- 1936 in music
- 1936 in sports
Births
- January 10 - Stephen Ambrose, historian and Dwight Eisenhower biographer
- February 11 - Burt Reynolds, United States actor
- February 23 - Majel Barrett, United States actress
- March 17 - Ladislav Kupkovic, composer
- April 23 - Roy Orbison, singer
- May 9 - Glenda Jackson, actress and politician
- September 7 - Buddy Holly, United States singer
- October 3 - Steve Reich, composer
- October 16 - Andrei Chikatilo, Russian serial killer
- November 20 - Don DeLillo, United States author
Deaths
- January 16 - Albert Fish, serial killer (electrocuted)
- January 20 - King George V of the United Kingdom
- June 14 - Gilbert Keith Chesterton, author
- Robert E. Howard, fantasy author
- Wilhelm Gustloff, Swiss Nazi Party leader
- Grazia Deledda, Sardinian (Italy) writer - Nobel prize for literature (1926)