The world in
What happened in 1928?
17 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Rise of Fascism as a Political Ideology
Fascism emerged as a far-right political ideology and movement in Europe during the 1920s and early 1930s, notably in Italy and Germany. Its core features included veneration of a dictatorial leader, ultranationalism, violent suppression of opposition, and strict regimentation of society and economy. Opposed to communism, democracy, and liberalism, its rise was closely tied to post-World War I economic and social crises.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
On December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Kellogg–Briand Pact
On 27 August 1928 in Paris, fifteen states signed the Kellogg–Briand Pact, pledging not to use war to settle disputes; its core was the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy. The original signatories were Germany, the United States, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, and Czechoslovakia; most other states joined soon after.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Completion of the German Pavilion, Barcelona
The German Pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition (the Barcelona Pavilion) was completed, designed by architects Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich. Serving as the venue for the German section's opening ceremony, it became a modernist milestone with its simple form and lavish materials. The original structure was demolished in 1930 and later reconstructed on site.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Establishment of Þingvellir National Park
Iceland established Þingvellir National Park in the 20th century. It is one of Iceland's three national parks, located on the northern shore of Lake Þingvallavatn, about 40 km northeast of Reykjavík. The site hosted the Alþing, Iceland's annual parliament, from 930 until its last session there in 1798.
- Inauguration of the Nieuport Memorial
After the First World War, a memorial to British officers and men who fell in the Yser front was built and unveiled in Nieuwpoort, Belgium. It bears the names of 547 individuals with no known grave who died during the Siege of Antwerp in 1914 and the defence of the Western Front in 1917.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Plaza de España built in Seville
In 1928, a grand plaza named Plaza de España was completed in Maria Luisa Park in Seville, Spain. It was built for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition to host Spain's industrial and technology exhibitions. Its architecture blends Baroque Revival, Renaissance Revival, and Moorish Revival styles, making it a landmark of Regionalism Architecture and one of Seville's most emblematic structures.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- Launch of the Northern Expedition
In 1926, the National Revolutionary Army under the Kuomintang launched the Northern Expedition, a military campaign aimed at overthrowing the Beiyang government and ending warlordism. Led by Chiang Kai-shek, the campaign sought to reunify China, advancing from south to north.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Jingshan Park opened to the public
In 1928, Jingshan Park, formerly an imperial garden of the Ming and Qing dynasties, was opened to the public. Located north of the Forbidden City in Beijing and covering 23 hectares, the park centers on the artificial Jingshan hill, once the highest point along the central axis of Beijing. Its opening marked the transformation of a restricted imperial site into a public urban space.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Establishment of Purple Mountain Observatory
In 1928, the Institute of Astronomy of National Central Research Academy was founded in Nanjing, marking the origin of the Purple Mountain Observatory. It was China's first modern astronomical research institution and is regarded as the birthplace of modern Chinese astronomy.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central & South America
- Banana Wars
Between 1898 and 1934, the United States carried out a series of military occupations, police actions, and interventions in Central America and the Caribbean. These operations were primarily conducted by the United States Marine Corps, which compiled the Small Wars Manual (1921) based on its experiences.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Banana Massacre
Between December 5 and 6, 1928, the Colombian army fired on striking United Fruit Company workers in Ciénaga, killing an estimated 47 to 2,000 people. The strike began on November 12, 1928, with workers demanding better conditions, but the company refused to negotiate. The government sent 700 troops to quell the protest, resulting in a massacre that marked Colombian labor history.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
West Asia
- K. N. Toosi University of Technology
K. N. Toosi University of Technology is a public research university in Tehran, Iran, named after the medieval Persian scholar Nasir al-Din al-Tusi. Admission is highly competitive, requiring students to rank in the top 1% of the Iranian University Entrance Exam for undergraduate and graduate programs.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Opening of Baku Zoo
In 1928, Baku Zoo opened in the capital city of Azerbaijan, Baku. Located in the Narimanov district, the zoo covers 4.25 hectares and initially displayed fauna from the Caucasus region as well as species from around the world. It is one of the most popular zoos in the country.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Central Asian steppe
- Outbreak of the Basmachi Movement
In 1916, an uprising by Muslim peoples of Central Asia against tsarist conscription and colonial rule broke out in Turkestan, marking the beginning of the Basmachi movement. This decentralized resistance later turned against Soviet rule and became the most protracted anti-colonial armed struggle in the region, gradually subsiding only by 1934.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- Cristero War begins
In 1926, the Mexican government's strict enforcement of secularist and anticlerical articles of the 1917 Constitution sparked an armed rebellion mainly in central and western Mexico, known as the Cristero War. The uprising targeted the Calles Law, issued by President Calles, which aimed to limit the Catholic Church's power and popular religiosity. The conflict lasted until 1929.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North Africa
- Outbreak of the French conquest of Morocco
In 1907, France began its conquest of the Sultanate of Morocco by occupying Oujda on 29 March. Subsequent military campaigns led to the Treaty of Fes in 1912, establishing the French protectorate, while pacification operations continued until 1934.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Around 1928
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'
- Establishment of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains
- Designation of the Maotianshan Shales member and type section