Historical Events in February 1936

Feb 5 "Modern Times", silent film directed by, written by and starring Charlie Chaplin, is released

Feb 6 Pravda criticizes Dmitri Shostakovich's ballet "Clear Brook"

Feb 6 IV Winter Olympic Games open in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Feb 7 A flag is authorized for US Vice President
Feb 7 Felix the Cat, animated film released by Van Beuren Studios licensed from Otto Messmer
Feb 8 1936 NFL Draft (first ever): Jay Berwanger from University of Chicago first pick by Philadelphia Eagles
Feb 8 1st ski jumping tournament, Red Wing, Minnesota
Feb 8 1st successful Toronto Maple Leaf penalty shot, Conacher vs Rangers
Feb 8 Pandit Jawaharlal succeeds Mahatma Gandhi as chairman of India Congress Party
Feb 8 German alpine skier Christi Cranz wins the inaugural Olympic women’s combined gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games ahead of teammate Käthe Grasegger
Feb 9 German skier Franz Pfnür wins the inaugural Olympic men’s combined gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games ahead of teammate Gustav Lantschner
Feb 11 Pumping begins to build Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay
Feb 13 Ivar Ballangrud of Norway narrowly misses winning all 4 speed skating events at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympics; finishes 2nd in 1,500m just 1.0s behind teammate Charles Mathiesen
Feb 14 National Negro Congress organizes in Chicago

Feb 14 US female Figure Skating championship won by Maribel Vinson
Feb 14 US male Figure Skating championship won by Robin Lee
Feb 14 Karl Schäfer of Austria wins his 2nd consecutive men’s figure skating Olympic gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games in Germany
Feb 14 Norwegian speed skater Ivar Ballangrud sets Olympic record 17:24.3 to win the 10,000m at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games; his 3rd gold medal from 4 events and 4th career Olympic gold
Feb 15 -60°F (-51°C), Parshall, North Dakota (state record)

Feb 15 Adolf Hitler announces construction of the Volkswagen Beetle (the People's Car, aka the Käfer/Beetle)

Feb 15 Sonja Henie of Norway becomes the most successful Olympic figure skater ever by winning her 3rd consecutive gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games; beats Cecilia College of Great Britain by 6.4 points
Feb 15 Great Britain’s 0-0 tie with the US is enough to clinch their first ever Olympic ice hockey gold medal at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games; breaks Canada’s 4 straight Games golden streak
Feb 16 Spanish Frente Popular (People's Front) wins elections
Feb 16 IV Winter Olympic Games close in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Feb 17 -58°F (-50°C), McIntosh, South Dakota (state record)
Feb 17 S. N. Behrman's play "End of Summer" premieres in NYC
Feb 17 The world's first superhero, The Phantom, a cartoon strip by Lee Falk, makes his first appearance in comics
Feb 18 NHL record 32 points scored, NY Americans (28) & Mont Maroons (24)

Feb 19 Manuel Azaña becomes Prime Minister of Spain for the second time

Feb 22 Construction on Ypenburg Neth airport begins
Feb 22 Sonja Henie of Norway follows up her Winter Olympics victory with an incredible 10th consecutive women’s World Championship figure skating gold medal in Paris, France
Feb 23 1st rocket air mail flight, Greenwood Lake, NY

Feb 26 Adolf Hitler introduces Ferdinand Porsche's "Volkswagen"

Feb 26 Military coup in Japan
Feb 27 Dutch swimmer Willy den Ouden sets new women's world 100m freestyle record (1:04.6) in Amsterdam; lasts 22 years until broken in 1956 by Dawn Fraser of Australia
Feb 28 Karl Schäfer of Austria follows up his Winter Olympics victory with his 7th consecutive men’s figure skating World Championship title in Paris, France
Feb 28 Olympic champions Ernst Baier and Maxi Herber of Germany win their 4th consecutive pairs figure skating gold medal at the World Championships in Paris, France

Feb 29 US President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs 2nd Neutrality Act