1930s Trivia: Fun Facts From The Decade

Trivia from the 1930s, all of it dateable and checkable.

Every fact below has its year in brackets, so you can read the fact out, hide the year and use it as a quiz round - or leave the year in and use it for a birthday card or a reminiscence session.

For the same decade laid out year by year, use the 1930s calendar linked at the bottom.

Years covered in the 1930s

• 1930 - The R101 disaster, rising unemployment and Amy Johnson flying to Australia. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1930
• 1931 - The National Government, the gold standard abandoned and the means test. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1931
• 1932 - Broadcasting House opened, the Empire Service began and hunger marches reached London. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1932
• 1933 - Bodyline, the first Loch Ness photograph and the opening of the Tube map. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1933
• 1934 - Driving tests announced, Belisha beacons and the Queen Mary being built. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1934
• 1935 - The Silver Jubilee, the first driving tests and the 30mph limit. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1935
• 1936 - Three kings in one year, the Jarrow March, Butlin's and the first television service. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1936
• 1937 - The coronation of George VI, the Hindenburg and the first Billy Butlin summer. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1937
• 1938 - Munich, gas masks and the Holidays with Pay Act. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1938
• 1939 - Evacuation, the blackout, the declaration of war and television going off air. Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1939
• That is every 1930s year we have written up so far: 1930 to 1939.

News facts from the 1930s

• Amy Johnson flew solo from England to Australia in May. (1930)
• A financial crisis led to the formation of a National Government in August. (1931)
• The BBC Empire Service, later the World Service, began on 19 December. (1932)
• Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January. (1933)
• The Road Traffic Act introduced a 30mph limit in built-up areas and compulsory driving tests from 1935. (1934)
• George V's Silver Jubilee was celebrated on 6 May with street parties across the country. (1935)
• George V died in January; Edward VIII abdicated on 11 December and George VI became King. (1936)
• George VI was crowned on 12 May and the coronation was televised in part - the BBC's first outside broadcast of that scale. (1937)
• Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich on 30 September with the agreement he called peace for our time. (1938)
• Britain declared war on Germany on 3 September, after the invasion of Poland on 1 September. (1939)

More from the news

• The R101 airship crashed in France on 5 October, killing 48 people. (1930)
• Britain left the gold standard in September. (1931)
• Broadcasting House opened in London in May. (1932)
• The London Passenger Transport Board was created and Harry Beck's Tube map was published in 1933. (1933)
• Belisha beacons appeared at pedestrian crossings. (1934)
• Driving tests became compulsory for new drivers in June. (1935)
• The Jarrow March set out on 5 October. (1936)
• The Hindenburg airship was destroyed in May. (1937)
• Gas masks were issued to the public and trenches were dug in city parks. (1938)
• Evacuation of children from the cities began on 1 September. (1939)

Television and film in the 1930s

• Talking pictures had taken over the cinemas within two years of arriving. (1930)
• Cinema was the cheapest night out and the most popular. (1931)
• The BBC made experimental television broadcasts using the Baird system. (1932)
• King Kong and The Private Life of Henry VIII were released. (1933)
• The Man Who Knew Too Much and It Happened One Night were released. (1934)
• The 39 Steps was released. (1935)
• The BBC began the world's first regular high-definition television service on 2 November, from Alexandra Palace. (1936)
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in December in America and reached Britain the next year. (1937)
• The Lady Vanishes was released. (1938)
• BBC television closed at noon on 1 September and did not return until 1946. (1939)

Music in the 1930s

• Dance bands led by Jack Hylton and Ambrose dominated the ballrooms and the wireless. (1930)
• Noel Coward's songs and the dance bands were the mainstream. (1931)
• Henry Hall took over the BBC Dance Orchestra in March. (1932)
• 'Stormy Weather' and 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes' were written this year. (1933)
• 'Blue Moon' and 'Anything Goes' were written this year. (1934)
• 'Cheek to Cheek' and 'Begin the Beguine' were written this year. (1935)
• 'The Way You Look Tonight' and 'Pennies from Heaven' were written this year. (1936)
• 'A Foggy Day' and 'Whistle While You Work' were written this year. (1937)
• 'My Heart Belongs to Daddy' and 'Jeepers Creepers' were written this year. (1938)
• Vera Lynn recorded 'We'll Meet Again' in the autumn. (1939)

Sport in the 1930s

• Uruguay won the first World Cup; the home nations did not take part. (1930)
• West Bromwich Albion won the FA Cup and promotion in the same season. (1931)
• Newcastle United won the FA Cup after the disputed 'over the line' goal. (1932)
• The Bodyline Ashes series in Australia caused a diplomatic row. (1933)
• England won the Ashes at home. (1934)
• Arsenal won a third consecutive league title. (1935)
• The Berlin Olympics were held in August, with Jesse Owens winning four golds. (1936)
• Sunderland won the FA Cup. (1937)
• Preston North End won the FA Cup with a last-minute penalty. (1938)
• The football season was abandoned three matches in when war was declared. (1939)

Everyday life in the 1930s

• The wireless licence passed three million. (1930)
• The dole queue became the defining image of the decade's early years. (1931)
• The Ramblers' movement grew rapidly after Kinder Scout. (1932)
• The Tube map's diagram, ignoring geography, was an instant success. (1933)
• Car ownership was growing fast and road deaths were high. (1934)
• Jubilee mugs, bunting and street teas were the model for every celebration since. (1935)
• Butlin's opened its first holiday camp at Skegness at Easter. (1936)
• Air raid precautions began to be organised, two years before war. (1937)
• Air raid shelters and blackout preparations began in earnest. (1938)
• Gas masks, identity cards and ration books were issued or prepared. (1939)

How to use these as a quiz round

• Read the fact without the year and ask for the year - closest answer wins the point.
• Ten facts makes a round. Mix news with television and music so nobody sweeps it.
• For a care home or reminiscence session, use the everyday life facts first - they get the most talk.
• Anyone born in 1930 turns 50 in 1980, 60 in 1990 and 70 in 2000.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• Hide the bracketed year and you have a guess-the-year round ready to go.
• For a card, use the year they were born rather than the decade.
• In a reminiscence session, stop on whatever gets a reaction rather than finishing the list.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1930
• Look back to 1931
• Look back to 1932
• Look back to 1933
• Look back to 1934
• Look back to 1935
• Look back to 1936
• Look back to 1937
• Look back to 1938
• Look back to 1939
• 1930s calendar: year by year
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• Victorian and vintage parlour games
• Village fete and church hall games
• Traditional British party games
• Seaside and beach games
• Decade history: key events, politics and culture by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Milestone birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Congratulations cards
• Birthday cards for kids
• Good luck cards
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are some fun facts about the 1930s?

The R101 disaster, rising unemployment and Amy Johnson flying to Australia. The lists above give the news, television, music, sport and everyday facts for every year from 1930 to 1939, each with its date.

What good 1930s quiz questions are there?

Any fact on this page works as a question if you read it out and ask for the year. Ten of them makes a round, and the answers are already in the brackets.

Where do these facts come from?

They are the same checked facts used on our year pages - real, dateable events only. The official UK singles chart begins in November 1952, so earlier years list popular songs rather than chart positions.

Do you sell anything to do with this decade?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page is free to read and free to copy.