1939

1939 was a year. It was particularly notable for the outbreak of World War II.

Dated
On 1 April, the Spanish Civil War, which began in 1936, ended. (PROSE: History 101) Francisco Franco seized power in Spain and ruled the country until his death in 1975. (AUDIO: Fiesta of the Damned)

From August to September, as World War II progressed, Reverend Wainwright, the vicar of St. Judd's church at Maiden's Point, began to lose his faith as the allied bombing campaign inflicted huge civilian casualties on German cities. This doubt began to seep into his sermons and would eventually cost him his life when faced with the Haemovores four years later. (TV: The Curse of Fenric)

In August, Dr Edward Wright and Miss Bettingham-Smith were married. They eventually had five children, including the First and Second Doctor's companion Polly Wright. (AUDIO: Resistance)

On 15 August, The Wizard of Oz premiered in Hollywood at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The Thirteenth Doctor, Graham O'Brien, Ryan Sinclair and Yasmin Khan went there to watch it, only to find that history had been changed so that it had never been made. They left to investigate and were followed back to the TARDIS by Theodore, who stowed away. (PROSE: The Wonderful Doctor of Oz)

In September, the Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown visited St Ursula's College in England. (AUDIO: An Eye For Murder)

On 1 September, World War II began in Europe as Germany invaded Poland. The Seventh Doctor warned Hitler that Britain and France would declare war if he took this action. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus, AUDIO: Neverland) The conflict brought an end to the postwar period following the end of World War I in 1918, as well as the Great Depression of 1929, though the Twelfth Doctor noted that this was "hardly an improvement". (PROSE: A History of Humankind)

In October, Germany offered to reopen negotiations with Britain and France. The Allies refused, leading to a continuation of the war. (PROSE: Just War, AUDIO: Just War)

Undated
Benito Mussolini's Italy invaded and conquered Albania. (PROSE: Deadly Reunion)

A force of time travelling Cybermen from the 30th century arrived on the Channel Island of Jersey in preparation for an invasion of Earth. (PROSE: Illegal Alien)

Jack Harkness was active in this year, as shown by photos of him found in the CIA Archive. (TV: The New World)

A failed attempt to open Devil's Hump became known as "the Cambridge University fiasco". (TV: The Dæmons)

Births and deaths
On 3 September, Cecelia "Sissy" Pollard, a member of the League of English Fascists and the younger sister of the Eighth Doctor's companion Charley Pollard, committed suicide in Munich as she was extremely distraught at the idea of the two countries which she loved, Britain and Germany, being at war. (AUDIO: A Blind Eye)