On this day

May 22, 1939

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from May 22, 1939

POLE KILLS GERMAN IN DANZIG DISORDER; BOTH SIDES PROTEST; Chauffeur of Commissioner Investigating Riot at Customs House Fires Upon Butcher SECOND STATION BESIEGED Free City Demands Indemnity and Apology--Warsaw Calls for Penalty and Guarantees

By Wireless to THE NEW YORK TIMES

G Gruebner, German, fatally shot from official Polish car in which Under-Comr Perkowsky had gone to Kalthof to investigate demonstrations against Polish customs officials; Greiser and Chodacki exch protest notes; Polish and Danzig versions of incident contradictory; mob menaces Polish customs bldg in Pieckel; Danzig Sen orders protection for all Polish offices; map

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Notable Births

Paul Winfield

1939Paul Winfield, American actor (died 2004)[†]

Paul Edward Winfield was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of a Louisiana sharecropper who struggles to support his family during the Great Depression in the landmark film Sounder (1972), which earned him an Academy Award nomination. Winfield portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1978 television miniseries King, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award. Winfield was also known for his roles in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, The Terminator, L.A. Law, and 24 episodes of the sitcom 227. Winfield received four Emmy nominations overall, winning in 1995 for his 1994 guest role in Picket Fences.

Notable Deaths

Ernst Toller

1939Ernst Toller, German playwright and author (born 1893)[†]

Ernst Toller was a German author, playwright, left-wing politician and revolutionary, known for his Expressionist plays. He served in 1919 for six days as President of the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic, after which he became the head of its army. He was imprisoned for five years for his part in the armed resistance by the Bavarian Soviet Republic to the central government in Berlin. While in prison Toller wrote several plays that gained him international renown. They were performed in London and New York City as well as in Berlin.

Jiří Mahen

1939Jiří Mahen, Czech author and playwright (born 1882)[†]

Jiří Mahen was a Czech novelist and playwright. He was a prolific author and his literary work also includes essays, poetry, scientific articles, manuals and fairy tales. He was a significant figure in cultural life in the city of Brno.

Historical Events

World War II

1939World War II: Germany and Italy sign the Pact of Steel.[†]

World War II or the Second World War was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising all resources in pursuit of total war. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the first and only nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II is the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 70 to 85 million people, more than half of whom were civilians. Millions died in genocides, including the Holocaust, and by massacres, starvation, and disease. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.