1934

• June 30th / July 1st: In order to secure his power base in the NSDAP, Adolf Hitler has a three-digit number of high party officials murdered in their beds or executed without trial, including SA leader Ernst Röhm. Officially, the known or alleged homosexuality of Röhm and some of his comrades is one of the reasons. On July 3rd, a law declares the massacre legal.
• The Hammond organ is invented. Yay!

• The Chinese Red Army begins the so-called "Long March."
• The "Dust Bowl" reaches its zenith as a massive dust storm sweeps across the great plans May 11-12, burying the city of Chicago under a foot of dust and ultimately depositing dust as far away as Boston.

These people were born in 1934:

• Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagari, first human to travel to outer space.
• American consumer activist Ralph Nader.
• English zoologist Jane Goodall.
• Italian fashion designer Georgio Armani.
• Italian actress Sophia Loren.
• English actress Dame Judi Dench.
• American astronomer Carl Sagan.
• American baseball legend Hank Aaron.
• Puerto Rican baseball legend Roberto Clemente.
• American baseball great Al Kaline.
• American basketball great Bill Russell.
• American basketball great Elgin Baylor.
• American television journalist Sam Donaldson.
• American writer Harlan Ellison.
• American blues harmonica player Junior Wells.
• The Dionne Quintuplets, the first quintuplets ever to survive through birth.
• Donald Duck, who makes his first appearance in the animated short "The Wise Little Hen."

These people died in 1934:

• German president Paul von Hindenburg, clearing Adolph Hitler's path to absolute power.
• Austrian Chancellor Englebert Dolfuss, assassinated in a failed Nazi coup, paving the way for a German takeover of Austria.
• American bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde, ambushed and shot dead by lawmen.
• American gangster John Dillinger, gunned down by lawmen.
• English composer Gustav Holst.
• American baseball great John McGraw.

1933 - 1934 - 1935

20th century

This is a collaboratively edited writeup. You are encouraged to assimilate and supersede it.