• Tour de France - Fascism was on the rise in Europe. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini used his power to send a political message by issuing an order for Italian racers to boycott the 1936 Tour. General Francisco Franco headed a fascist backed revolt against the Spanish republican government, plunging Spain into a bloody civil war. The infamous Adolph Hitler's fascist government had full control of Germany. Surrounded by turmoil the 1936 TdF came as a welcome distraction for France from political tensions of Europe.
Given the help of his powerful Belgian team Sylvere Maes rode victoriously into Parc des Princes Velodrome on the final stage to give Belgium its second Tour de France victory in a row.
• Tour de France - After stage 2 in Charleville Tour founder and race director Henri Desgrange fell ill and passed the day-to-day operations of the Tour to Jacques Goddet. Goddet remained in the position until 1985.
• Spain - Generalisimo Francisco Franco with his other generals attempt a coup d'etat against the Spanish Republic. Leading the Spanish rebels into the Spanish civil war.
• England - An abdication crisis: January 20, 1936, the death of King George V gave the throne the eldest son Edward. King Edward VIII created a crisis when his desire to marry the twice divorced Wallis Simpson. December 11, 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry his American mistress.
• Summer Olympic Games - Berlin, Germany, Jesse Owens, an African-American track and field athlete, beat Hitler's superior Aryan race athlete by winning 4 gold medals and becoming the star of the 1936 Games. Hitler snubbed him at the awards ceremony.
• Germany - Ferdinand Porsche created the Volkswagen (the peoples car).
Notable Deaths -
King George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert Windsor), 1865-1936, he was the last British monarch of the House of Windsor. In 1917 King George changed the Royal Family from The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to The House of Windsor. He was the grandson of Queen Victoria.
