1932 (TUESDAY)
UNITED STATES: The heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35) is commissioned at the U.S. Naval Shipyard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The USN now has nine heavy cruisers in commission.
1934 (THURSDAY)
UNITED STATES: Plans to install hydraulic flush deck catapults aboard aircraft carriers were formalized in a USN Bureau of Aeronautics request that space be reserved on the aircraft carriers Yorktown (CV-5) and Enterprise (CV-6) for two bow catapults on the flight deck and one athwartships on the hangar deck.
1935 (FRIDAY)
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS: The new Philippine constitution goes into effect. President Manuel Quezon enjoys most of the powers of the governor-general and held office for six years. The National Assembly becomes the new unicameral legislature for the islands. The U.S. government retains control of defense and foreign relations, exercises control of critical financial issues, and reserves the right to intervene in the affairs of the islands to preserve the commonwealth government. Philippine court decisions can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. There are still demands, on the part of Philippine nationalists, for immediate and total independence from the United States, which marks the beginning of opposition to the Quezon administration.
UNITED STATES: The Chief, USN Bureau of Aeronautics, approved recommendations from a fighter design competition and thereby initiates development of the Grumman XF4F-1 Wildcat biplane and the Brewster XF2A-1 Buffalo monoplane. The developmental sequence thus set in motion, although it includes many subsequent changes and modifications, provides prototypes of the Navy s first-line fighters in use when the U.S. enters World War II.
The motion picture "A Night At The Opera" is released in the U.S. This romantic comedy directed by Sam Wood stars the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico and Harpo) and Kitty Carlisle. The members of the American Film Institute ranked this film No. 12 on the list of the 100 Funniest American Movies.
1936 (SUNDAY)
SPAIN: The German Legion Condor, formed to counter the increasing numbers of Soviet aircraft on the Republican side, begins operations in Spain.
1937 (MONDAY)
BELGIUM: In Brussels, the Nine-Power Conference adopts the Anglo-Franco-American declaration chiding Japan as an aggressor in China. The conferees determine that Japan violated the Nine-Power Treaty of 1922 which Japan was a signatory.
November 15th, 1939 (WEDNESDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Corvette HMS Azalea laid down.
Minesweeping trawler HMS Ullswater commissioned.
FRANCE: Three hours are added to the working week making it 43 hours long.CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Prague: The Gestapo arrests and summarily executes nationalist protestors at the funeral of Jan Opletal, a student leader fatally wounded in protests on 28 October.
INDIAN OCEAN: The British motor tanker AFRICA SHELL (706 BRT) is stopped and sunk by the GRAF SPEE. (Navynews)
AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister Robert Menzies announces that Australia will participate in the Empire Air Training Scheme and provide help and train 10,000 aircrew per year for the RAF.
U.S.A.: President Franklin D. Roosevelt lays the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Destroyers USS Swanson and Ingraham laid down.
Destroyer USS Benson launched.