1940s

Tom and Jerry

Feb 10, 1940

Tom & Jerry created by Hanna & Barbera debut by MGM

WWII

Jan 2, 1941

World War II: The U.S. government announces its Liberty ship program to build freighters in support of the war effort.

Pinball

Jan 21, 1942

Bronx magistrate rules all pinball machines illegal (due to gambling, and "free games")

Pentagon

Jan 15, 1943

World's largest office building, Pentagon, completed

Joe Nuxhall

Feb 15, 1944

Youngest baseball player, Cin Reds sign 15 year old Joe Nuxhall

Irwin C Mollison

Feb 7, 1945

Harry Truman appoints Irwin C Mollison judge of US Customs Court

Adolf Hitler

Apr 30, 1945

Adolf Hitler committed suicide by gunshot on 30 April 1945 in his Führerbunker in Berlin

Weight Watchers

Apr 1, 1946

Weight Watchers forms

Popcorn Sutton

Oct 5, 1946

Marvin "Popcorn" Sutton was born (greatest moonshiner to ever live)

Gandhi

Jan 2, 1947

Mahatma Gandhi begins march for peace in East-Bengali

NASCAR

Feb 21, 1948

NASCAR is incorporated!!!!!!

Bombs

Aug 29, 1949

USSR performs first nuclear test, and explodes its first atomic bomb