Look Back To 1938: What Happened That Year

Munich, gas masks and the Holidays with Pay Act.

Here's 1938 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 1938

• 'My Heart Belongs to Daddy' and 'Jeepers Creepers' were written this year.
• Big band swing was arriving from America.
• Radio was in nine million British homes by the end of the decade.

In the news in 1938

• Neville Chamberlain returned from Munich on 30 September with the agreement he called peace for our time.
• Gas masks were issued to the public and trenches were dug in city parks.
• The Holidays with Pay Act encouraged a week's paid holiday for workers.
• Kristallnacht took place in Germany in November, and the Kindertransport brought children to Britain.

On screen in 1938

• The Lady Vanishes was released.
• The FA Cup final was televised live for the first time in April.
• Cinema attendance was near its peak.

In sport in 1938

• Preston North End won the FA Cup with a last-minute penalty.
• Len Hutton scored 364 against Australia at the Oval.
• Arsenal won the league.

Everyday life in 1938

• Air raid shelters and blackout preparations began in earnest.
• Paid holidays made Blackpool, Skegness and the holiday camps busier than ever.
• Evacuation plans were drawn up over the summer.

If you were born in 1938

• Anyone born in 1938 was one when war was declared.
• They were born the year the FA Cup final was first shown live on television.
• Anyone born in 1938 turns 30 in 1968, 40 in 1978, 50 in 1988, 60 in 1998 and 70 in 2008.
• 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 1939
• Look back to 1937
• Look back to 1936
• Look back to 1935
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• Victorian and vintage parlour games
• Village fete and church hall games
• Traditional British party games
• Seaside and beach games
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• 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
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Birthday cards for kids
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was the Munich Agreement?

The agreement signed on 30 September 1938 allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland, after which Chamberlain claimed peace for our time.

What was the Holidays with Pay Act?

A 1938 Act that encouraged employers to give a week's paid holiday, which helped make seaside holidays and holiday camps a mass habit.

How old is someone born in 1938?

Subtract 1938 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1978, 50 in 1988, 60 in 1998 and 70 in 2008.

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.