1938
| April 10 | The Second British Convention in London. |
| May 29 | Newark Convention aka Fourth Eastern aka First National held. |
| May–June | Divisive FAPA Campaign. |
| June 15 | Ballpoint pen patented. |
| September 18 | Futurians hold first meeting. |
| October 17 | Philadelphia Conference. End of Second Fandom and start of Second Transition (Numerical Fandoms). |
| October 30 | Orson Welles’ radio drama of H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds terrifies America. |
| November | First issue of Harry Warner's Spaceways. |
| November 9–10 | Kristallnacht. |
Births and Deaths:
Bill Harry - Bill Peterson - Bob Null - Chuck Crayne - Djinn Faine - Don Simpson - Doris Pitkin Buck - Ed Cagle - Ernest N. Posey - Gary Gygax - Georges Méliès - Grant Carrington - J. T. Greenwood - Jane Ellern - Jean Lorrah - Jim Groves - Jim Steranko - Joanne Burger - Joel Nydahl - John Ashcroft - Justin Leiber - Karel Čapek - Keith H. Freeman - Larry Niven - Mark Irwin - Marty Helgesen - Michael Kurland - Michael Sheard - Mike Sinclair - Miriam Carr - Ned Brooks - Owen M. Hannifen - Patricia Fanthorpe - Ralph Bakshi - Reg Stevens - Richard Schultz - Ron Ellik - Russell Miller - Ted Reynolds - Ted White - Trina Robbins
Convention series started or ended:
Onetime conventions:
Bids:
Publications started or ended:
Action Comics - Amateur Science Stories - Amazing Wonder Tales - Cosmos - Cosmos - Different - Fantasy (UK) - Fantasy Fiction Telegram - Fantasy Herald - Fantasy-News - Full Length Articles - Futurian News - Helios - Imagination! - Just Things - Le Vombiteur - Le Vombiteur Literaire - Le Zombie - Leaves - Marvel Science Stories - Mikros - New Fandom - Novacious - Perils from Ploop! - Queer Tales - Ramblings - Report of the Second Convention and Annual General Meeting - Rubaiyat of a Science Fiction Fan - S-F Dividend - Science Fiction Advance - Science Fiction Advertiser - Science Fiction Critic - Scienti-Snaps - Scientific Thinker - Scientifiction: The British Fantasy Review - Space-Lines Inc. - Spaceways - Stf and Nonsense - SupraMundane Stories - Sustaining Program - Technocrat - The Convention Crier - The Futurian - The Meteor - The Nucleus - The Reader and Collector - The Satellite - The Science Fiction Circular - The Scientifictionaleodensian - Tomorrow - Unique Tales - Van Houten Says - Way Out West - Yearbook of Science Fiction
Publishers founded or closed:
Awards made, started or ended:
Stores opened or closed:
Clubs founded or disbanded:
AFA - GNYSFL - ISA - New Fandom - Outsider's Club - SF Poets' Guild - Second Fandom
Fanhistory:
New fanspeak coined:
Miscellaneous:
Asia:
Australia:
Britain:
Amateur Science Stories - Bill Harry - Cosmos - Fantasy (UK) - J. T. Greenwood - Jim Groves - John Ashcroft - Keith H. Freeman - Michael Sheard - Patricia Fanthorpe - Perils from Ploop! - Reg Stevens - Report of the Second Convention and Annual General Meeting - Rubaiyat of a Science Fiction Fan - Russell Miller - Scientifiction: The British Fantasy Review - Second British Convention - Second Fandom - The Flat - The Futurian - The Satellite - The Scientifictionaleodensian - Tomorrow
Canada:
Europe:
Ireland:
New Zealand:
US:
1938 Philadelphia Conference - AFA - Action Comics - Amazing Wonder Tales - Bill Peterson - Bob Null - Chuck Crayne - Cosmic Publications - Cosmos - Different - Djinn Faine - Don Simpson - Doris Pitkin Buck - Ed Cagle - Ernest N. Posey - Fantasy Fiction Telegram - Fantasy Herald - Fantasy-News - Flatbush Artery - Full Length Articles - Futurian News - GNYSFL - Gary Gygax - Grant Carrington - Helios - ISA - Imagination! - Jane Ellern - Jean Lorrah - Jim Steranko - Joanne Burger - Joel Nydahl - Just Things - Justin Leiber - Larry Niven - Le Vombiteur - Le Vombiteur Literaire - Le Zombie - Leaves - Mark Irwin - Marty Helgesen - Marvel Science Stories - Michael Kurland - Mike Sinclair - Mikros - Miriam Carr - Ned Brooks - New Fandom - Newark Convention - Novacious - Outsider's Club - Owen M. Hannifen - Queer Tales - Ralph Bakshi - Ramblings - Richard Schultz - Ron Ellik - S-F Dividend - SF Poets' Guild - Science Fiction Advance - Science Fiction Advertiser - Science Fiction Critic - Science Fiction Internationale - Scienti-Snaps - Scientific Thinker - Second Fandom - Space-Lines Inc. - Spaceways - Stf and Nonsense - Sustaining Program - Technocrat - Ted Reynolds - Ted White - The Convention Crier - The Meteor - The Nucleus - The Reader and Collector - The Science Fiction Circular - Trina Robbins - Unique Tales - Van Houten Says - Way Out West - Yearbook of Science Fiction
Rest of the World:
| 1937 | 1938 | 1939 |
