1939

During the first Worldcon, fans took the opportunity to visit Coney Island, where this foto-op took place. Front, from left: Mark Reinsberg, Jack Agnew, Ross Rocklynne. Rear: Vincent Kidwell, Robert A. Madle, Erle Korshak, Ray Bradbury, July 4, 1939. Courtesy of Robert Madle.

May 23	Television introduced at New York World’s Fair.
July 4	Nycon (First Worldcon) and Exclusion Act.
July	FAPA Interregnum starts.
August	First known use of Bug-Eyed Monster in print in Thrilling Wonder Stories.
	First known use of Goshwowboyohboy, also in Thrilling Wonder Stories.
September 1	Germany invades Poland, starting World War II.
Fall	Philcon 1939.
November 5	First official meeting of the Futurian Society of Sydney.
December	Arkham House's first publication published.
	The rise of Claude Degler.
	Planet Stories started.
	Third British Convention in London.

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Births and Deaths:

Ann Dietz - Barry McGhan - Barry N. Malzberg - Bruce Burn - Carol Carr - Dave Gibson - Dave Samuelson - Don Pauley - Ellie Turner - Elliot Shorter - Errol Miller - George C. Willick - George H. Wyman - George Metzger - George Slusser - George W. Fields - Gerald W. Page - Jan Howard Finder - Jan Penney - Jane Yolen - Jo Clayton - John Bangsund - John Baxter - Joseph D. Olander - Joyce Katz - Kenneth J. Zahorski - Larry McCombs - Lars Helander - M. A. Foster - Margaret Atwood - Mark Schulzinger - Marty Gear - Michael Moorcock - Pat Ellington - Peggy Gemignani - Peter Graham - Peter Nicholls - Peter S. Beagle - Peter Singleton - Philip Strick - Steve Francis - Steve Tolliver - Suzy McKee Charnas - Sylvia Dees - Ted Johnstone - Walter Velez - Wendy Freeman - William Rickhardt

Convention series started or ended:

Mecon - WSFC - Worldcon - Worldcons by Area

Onetime conventions:

OSA Pow-Wow - Second Eastern States Science Fiction Convention

Bids:

Worldcons by Area

Publications started or ended:

A - A - A Warning - AAaAaAaAAa... - Aaanthor Argus - Ad Astra - Australian Fan News - Chaos - D'Journal - Dynamic Science Stories - Escape - Extracts from the Futurian - Famous Fantastic Mysteries - Fanfare - Fantaseer - Fantastic Adventures - Fantasy Graphic - Fantasy War Bulletin - Fantasy-Scout - Foundation of the CPASF - Funtasy - Future Science Fiction - Futuria Fantasia - Golden Atom - Gottliffe on the Green - Hollerbochen Comes Back - Horizons - Le Vombiteur Literaire - Macabre - Marvel Science Stories - Metropolis - New Fandom - New Worlds - Nova - Novae Terrae - Planet Stories - Polaris - Postal Preview - Scenes of Fantasy - Sci-Fic Variety - Science Fiction Collector - Science Fiction Gazette - Science Fiction News Letter - Science Fiction Progress - Science Fiction Review - Science Fiction and Fantasy Advertiser - Science-Fantasy Review - Scienti Tales - Startling Stories - Stephan the STFAN - Storm Over Philadelphia - Strange Stories - Sweetness and Light - Swisher Index - Technocrat - Tesseract - The AAAAA Arguy-Y - The FAPA Correspondent - The Fan Who Ruled the World - The Fantast - The Grab Bag - The MSA Bulletin - The Planeteer - The Purpose of Science Fiction - Ultra - Uncanny Tales - Unknown Worlds - Up To Now - Vad-Jong

Publishers founded or closed:

Pocket Books

Awards made, started or ended:

Stores opened or closed:

Werewolf Bookshop

Clubs founded or disbanded:

Decker Dillies - Futurian Society of Sydney - New Fandom - SFA - Science Fiction Association membership 1937-1939 - Stoke-on-Trent Science Fiction Club - WSFS

Fanhistory:

A History of Fandom in 100 Documents - A Warning - Baby - Empress Publications - Exclusion Act - Golden Age - Jr - Nycon - Forrest J Ackerman' Nycon 1 Reminiscence - John Baltadonis' Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Lloyd Eshbach's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Harry Harrison's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Charles D. Hornig's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Dave Kyle's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Sam Moskowitz' Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Milt Rothman's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Julius Schwartz' Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Up To Now - Up To Now: IPO - Up To Now: The Nature of Wollheim's Dictatorship - Up To Now: The Order Begins to Crumble - WSFS - Worldcons by Area

New fanspeak coined:

BEM - ET - Exclusion Act - Goshwowboyoboy - Unendurable Pleasure Indefinitely Prolonged - Vad-Jong - WSFC

Miscellaneous:

Hall Costumes and Fannish Fashion

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Asia:

Australia:

Australian Fan News - Futurian Society of Sydney - John Bangsund - John Baxter - Peter Nicholls - Science Fiction Review - Ultra

Britain:

Bruce Burn - Dave Gibson - Extracts from the Futurian - Fantasy War Bulletin - Gottliffe on the Green - Macabre - Michael Moorcock - New Worlds - Novae Terrae - Peter Singleton - Philip Strick - Postal Preview - SFA - Science Fiction Association membership 1937-1939 - Science Fiction Gazette - Science-Fantasy Review - Stoke-on-Trent Science Fiction Club - The Fan Who Ruled the World - The Fantast - The Purpose of Science Fiction - Third British Convention - Wendy Freeman

Canada:

Famous Fantastic Mysteries - George Metzger - Margaret Atwood

Europe:

Lars Helander

Ireland:

New Zealand:

Bruce Burn

US:

A - A - A Warning - AAaAaAaAAa... - Aaanthor Argus - Ad Astra - Ann Dietz - Baby - Barry McGhan - Barry N. Malzberg - Carol Carr - Chaos - D'Journal - Dave Samuelson - Decker Dillies - Don Pauley - Dynamic Science Stories - Ellie Turner - Elliot Shorter - Empress Publications - Errol Miller - Escape - Exclusion Act - Famous Fantastic Mysteries - Fanfare - Fantaseer - Fantastic Adventures - Fantasy Graphic - Fantasy-Scout - Foundation of the CPASF - Funtasy - Future Science Fiction - Futuria Fantasia - Futurian House - Futurian Houses - George C. Willick - George H. Wyman - George Metzger - George Slusser - George W. Fields - Gerald W. Page - Golden Atom - Hollerbochen Comes Back - Horizons - Jan Howard Finder - Jan Penney - Jane Yolen - Jo Clayton - Joseph D. Olander - Joyce Katz - Jr - Kenneth J. Zahorski - Larry McCombs - Le Vombiteur Literaire - M. A. Foster - Mark Schulzinger - Marty Gear - Marvel Science Stories - Mecon - Metropolis - New Fandom - Nova - Nycon - Forrest J Ackerman' Nycon 1 Reminiscence - John Baltadonis' Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Lloyd Eshbach's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Harry Harrison's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Charles D. Hornig's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Dave Kyle's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Sam Moskowitz' Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Milt Rothman's Nycon 1 Reminiscence - Julius Schwartz' Nycon 1 Reminiscence - OSA Pow-Wow - Pat Ellington - Peggy Gemignani - Peter Graham - Peter S. Beagle - Philcon 1939 - Planet Stories - Pocket Books - Polaris - Scenes of Fantasy - Sci-Fic Variety - Science Fiction Collector - Science Fiction News Letter - Science Fiction Progress - Science Fiction and Fantasy Advertiser - Scienti Tales - Second Eastern States Science Fiction Convention - Startling Stories - Stephan the STFAN - Steve Francis - Steve Tolliver - Storm Over Philadelphia - Strange Stories - Suzy McKee Charnas - Sweetness and Light - Swisher Index - Sylvia Dees - Technocrat - Ted Johnstone - Tesseract - The AAAAA Arguy-Y - The FAPA Correspondent - The Grab Bag - The MSA Bulletin - The Planeteer - Uncanny Tales - Unknown Worlds - Up To Now - Vad-Jong - Walter Velez - Werewolf Bookshop - William Rickhardt

Rest of the World: