New law makes Hitler dictator of Germany

On August 3, 1934, the German Parliament passed a law that combined the offices of President and Chancellor, making Adolf Hitler the supreme leader (Fuehrer und Reichskanzler) of Germany. Prior to the law’s passage, Hitler had been the German Chancellor with Paul von Hindenberg serving as President. However, Hindenberg died on August 2, and Parliament was pressured to combine the two offices instead of holding an election to replace the deceased President of Germany.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Standard Oil incorporated

On January 10, 1870, John Davison Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil. Rockefeller's corporation would grow to achieve a virtual monopoly over oil production in the United States. Standard Oil's dominance lasted until the corporation was split into 34 separate companies in 1911 after the Supreme Court found the company in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The rise of Standard Oil made Rockefeller America's first billionaire and eventually the richest man in the world. Read the text of Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey vs. United States, 221 U.S. 1 (1910).