Born in 1937
Turns 89 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1937
1937 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $51.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $51.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $51.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $51.50
Front Page: New Zealand edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1937 · New Zealand
A little history to go with their gift.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in Los Angeles, Frank Whittle ground-tested a gas-turbine engine, and Grote Reber built a radio telescope. The year brought a landmark animated film and early steps in jet propulsion and radio astronomy.
What happened in 1937?
New Zealand's first state house opens in Miramar
New Zealand's first state house was formally opened at 12 Fife Lane, Miramar, Wellington, on 18 September 1937.
George VI Coronation Recast Public Ceremony
George VI and Queen Elizabeth were crowned at Westminster Abbey on 12 May, joining royal ritual to a newly expanding mass audience.
Golden Gate Bridge Opened To Pedestrians
The Golden Gate Bridge opened to pedestrians on 27 May 1937, beginning a week of ceremonies before motor traffic followed.
Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District · Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District
Joe Louis Won The Heavyweight Crown
Joe Louis knocked out Jim Braddock in Chicago and became world heavyweight champion on June 22, 1937.
Firsts and new ideas
George VI Led Britain Through Coronation Year
George VI’s first full calendar year on the throne included his May coronation and a carefully observed constitutional role.
Whittle tests an engine built for jet flight
Frank Whittle’s experimental gas-turbine engine made its first test run at Rugby on April 12, 1937.
Number ones and music in 1937
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Mitzi Green introduces My Funny Valentine
Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart introduced My Funny Valentine in the 1937 Broadway musical Babes in Arms.
Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization · Internet Broadway Database, The Broadway League
Goodman’s band records Sing, Sing, Sing
Benny Goodman and his Orchestra recorded Sing, Sing, Sing in Hollywood in July 1937.
University of California, Santa Barbara Library · Old Time Blues
Prices and everyday money in 1937
New Zealand figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Average minimum adult wage rate, Bakers—Journeymen | 107s 6d | NZ pounds/shillings/pence per week New Zealand Department of Statistics |
| Average minimum adult wage rate, Labourers (table occurrence 1) | 87s 8d | NZ pounds/shillings/pence per week New Zealand Department of Statistics |
| Average minimum adult wage rate, Butchers—First shopmen | 116s 11d | NZ pounds/shillings/pence per week New Zealand Department of Statistics |
| Average minimum adult wage rate, Second shopmen | 105s 0d | NZ pounds/shillings/pence per week New Zealand Department of Statistics |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1937 turns 89 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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