Look Back To 1932: What Happened That Year

Broadcasting House opened, the Empire Service began and hunger marches reached London.

Here's 1932 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

Popular music in 1932

• Henry Hall took over the BBC Dance Orchestra in March.
• 'Night and Day' by Cole Porter was written this year.
• Gracie Fields was the biggest-selling British recording artist.

In the news in 1932

• The BBC Empire Service, later the World Service, began on 19 December.
• Broadcasting House opened in London in May.
• The Kinder Scout mass trespass in April led eventually to the national parks.
• National hunger marches converged on London in the autumn.

On screen in 1932

• The BBC made experimental television broadcasts using the Baird system.
• Cinema audiences were enormous and new Art Deco picture palaces were being built.
• Newsreels covered the hunger marches sympathetically or not, depending on the company.

In sport in 1932

• Newcastle United won the FA Cup after the disputed 'over the line' goal.
• The Bodyline Ashes tour set off for Australia at the end of the year.
• Everton won the league.

Everyday life in 1932

• The Ramblers' movement grew rapidly after Kinder Scout.
• Suburban estates and the Tube extensions were reshaping London.
• Wireless sets were being bought on hire purchase.

If you were born in 1932

• Anyone born in 1932 was seven when the war started.
• They are the same age as Broadcasting House and the World Service.
• Anyone born in 1932 turns 30 in 1962, 40 in 1972, 50 in 1982, 60 in 1992 and 70 in 2002.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

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How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1935
• Look back to 1934
• Look back to 1933
• Look back to 1931
• Look back to 1930
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• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
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• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was the Kinder Scout trespass?

A mass trespass on 24 April 1932 in the Peak District, protesting at the lack of public access to open country. It contributed to the later national parks legislation.

When did the BBC World Service begin?

19 December 1932, as the BBC Empire Service.

How old is someone born in 1932?

Subtract 1932 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1972, 50 in 1982, 60 in 1992 and 70 in 2002.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

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