Born in 1938
People born in 1938 turn 88 in 2026. A dollar in 1938 buys what $23.91 buys in September 2026, and about 2.25 billion people were alive. Every figure below links to the source it came from.
Your birthday in 1938
1938
What things cost in 1938
| U.S. average | 1938 | in today’s dollars | latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| One dollar | $1.00 | $23.91 | CPI-U |
1938 figures are annual averages of the published monthly (or quarterly) values. “Today’s dollars” uses the Consumer Price Index for September 2026; “latest” is the most recent published price. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, via FRED. Average retail prices are only published from 1976 on; 1938 has the CPI alone.
Who was in charge in 1938
- United States
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (President)
- United Kingdom
- George VI (King); Neville Chamberlain (Prime minister)
- Soviet Union
- Joseph Stalin (General Secretary); Mikhail Kalinin (Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Congress of Soviets; Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet); Vyacheslav Molotov (Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars)
- Republic of China (1916–1949)
- Chiang Kai-shek, then H. H. Kung (Premier)
- French Third Republic
- Albert François Lebrun (President); Camille Chautemps, then Léon Blum, then Édouard Daladier (President of the Council of ministers)
- Nazi Germany
- Adolf Hitler (Führer); Adolf Hitler (Chancellor)
- Empire of Japan
- Hirohito (Emperor); Fumimaro Konoe (Prime minister)
From Wikipedia’s List of state leaders in the 20th century (1901–1950) (revision 1377869146), each name checked against Wikidata. Every country in 1938 →
Famous people born in 1938
- July 28 – Alberto Fujimori, Peruvian politician and dictator, President of Peru (died 2024) source
- December 29 – Jon Voight, American actor source
- September 29 – Wim Kok, Dutch politician, 48th Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1994 until 2002 (died 2018) source
- March 24 – David Irving, English author and Holocaust denier source
- 6 January – Adriano Celentano, singer-songwriter, actor and filmmaker source
- January 6 – Adriano Celentano, Italian singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and filmmaker source
- April 29 – Bernie Madoff, financier and convicted fraudster (died 2021) source
- January 4 – Mohamed Rahmat ("Tok Mat"), Malaysian politician (died 2010) source
- 22 October – Alan Gilzean, footballer (died 2018) source
- 2 January – Ian Brady, serial killer (died 2017) source
- March 14 – Árpád Orbán, Hungarian footballer (died 2008) source
- 8 March – Bruno Pizzul, sports journalist (died 2025) source
- February 25 – Herb Elliott, Australian runner source
- January 5 – King Juan Carlos I of Spain source
- February 11 – Mohammed Gammoudi, Tunisian Olympic athlete source
What happened in 1938
- February 4 – Adolf Hitler abolishes the War Ministry and creates the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (High Command of the Armed Forces), giving him direct control of the German military. In addition, he dismisses political and military leaders considered unsympathetic to his philosophy or policies. General Werner von Fritsch is forced to resign as Commander of Chief of the German Army following accusations of homosexuality, and replaced by General Walther von Brauchitsch. Foreign Minister Baron Konstantin von Neurath is dismissed, and replaced by Joachim von Ribbentrop. source
- 10 February – Carol II stages a self-coup, deposes Octavian Goga as Prime Minister and cancels the elections planned for March in an attempt to create a royal authoritarian dictatorship. source
- January 11 – Leading Korean dancer Choi Seung-hee arrives in San Francisco to begin her international tour in the United States. She is the first Korean Wave entertainer. source
- January 1 – State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). source
- 23 February – The Port of Tel Aviv officially opens, as a competing (Jewish) port to the port in Jaffa, the latter having been crippled by the Arab revolt and general strike since 1936. source
- 13 February – Nineteen people die when Sydney ferry the Rodney, carrying 150 passengers, capsizes in Sydney Harbour while farewelling US Navy cruiser USS Louisville. source
- January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Safinaz Zulficar, who becomes Queen Farida, in Cairo. source
- January 1 – The Merrie Melodies cartoon short Daffy Duck & Egghead is released, being the first cartoon to give Daffy Duck his continuing name, as well as his second appearance. source