Events of the year 1939 in Belgium.
Incumbents Monarch: Leopold III Prime Minister: Paul-Henri Spaak (to 22 February); Hubert Pierlot (from 22 February)
Events
9 February – Paul-Henri Spaak's coalition government falls apart 22 February – Hubert Pierlot forms Catholic–Socialist coalition 2 April – 1939 Belgian general election 18 April – Hubert Pierlot forms Catholic–Liberal coalition 25 June – Hermann Lang wins the 1939 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps 30 July – Exposition internationale de l'eau opens in Liège 25 August – Belgian Armed Forces begin mobilisation 3 September – Hubert Pierlot forms government of national unity
Publications Hergé, Le Sceptre d'Ottokar (serialised in Le Petit Vingtième from 4 August 1938 to 10 August 1939) published as an album Georges Simenon, Le Bourgmestre de Furnes Gerard Walschap, Houtekiet
Art and architecture
Buildings Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel on the Argenteuil Estate in Waterloo
Paintings René Magritte, The Palace of Memories
Births 21 February – May Claerhout, artist (died 2016) 9 March – Jos Van Gorp, actor (died 2021) 12 April – Philippe Moureaux, politician (died 2018) 9 June – Johan Weyts, politician (died 2021) 3 July – Willy Vanden Berghen, road bicycle racer
Deaths 6 January – Georges Ista (born 1874), writer 15 February – Henri Jaspar (born 1870), politician 6 March – Michel Levie (born 1851), politician 14 March – Marie Haps (born 1879), philanthropist 25 June – Richard Seaman (born 1913), racing driver, dies after crashing in the 1939 Belgian Grand Prix 6 November – Adolphe Max (born 1869), politician 23 November – Gaston-Antoine Rasneur (born 1874), bishop
References