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World War II
The 28 nations at war with Axis powers pledge to make no separate piece deals. -
World War II
President Franklin Roosevelt orders General Douglas MacArthur out of the Philippines as American defenses collapse. -
Battle of Las Angeles
The "Battle of Los Angeles" takes place, a series of anti-aircraft engagements over the city in response to a rumored but false Japanese attack. It would last until the morning of the following day. -
Stars and Stripes
"Stars & Stripes" paper for US armed forces starts. -
Nazis
Nazis require Dutch Jews to wear a Jewish star -
U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy 1st permitted black recruits to serve. -
Reinhard Heydrich
Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich is shot and mortally wounded by Czech rebels in Prague during Operation Anthropoid. -
Hitler
Hitler orders 10,000 Czechs murdered. -
Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway ends: Admiral Chester Nimitz wins 1st World War II naval defeat of Japan. -
Japanese
Japanese submarine in mouth of Columbia River, Oregon. -
Dwight Eisenhower
Major General Dwight Eisenhower appointed commander of US forces in Europe. -
Manhattan Project
The 'Manhattan Project' commences, under the direction of US General Leslie Groves: its aim - to deliver an atomic bomb. -
1st Bombing
1st bombing on continental US soil at Mount Emily, Oregon during WWII by Japanese planes -
Total War
Hitler declares "Total War" -
Franklin Roosevelt
U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases to common carriers and public utilities. -
Franklin Roosevelt
FDR becomes 1st US President to visit a foreign country during wartime -
World War II
World War II: United States troops land on Majuro, Marshall Islands -
D-day
Operation-Overlord (D-Day) postponed until June -
D-day discussion
Eisenhower, Montgomery, Churchill & George VI discuss D-Day plan -
Operation Overload
Operation Overlord: D-Day begins as the 150,000 strong Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy, France, during World War II -
Servicemen's Readjustment Act
US President Franklin Roosevelt signs "GI Bill of Rights" (Servicemen's Readjustment Act) -
1st Japanese Attack
1st Japanese kamikaze attack, US fleet near Iwo Jima -
Chester Nimitz
Admiral Chester Nimitz begins planning assaults on Okinawa and Iwo Jima in Japan -
G-5 Group
The Manhattan Project's G-5 Group, headed by Physicist's Donald Kerst and Seth Neddermeyer, take their first betatron pictures of a nuclear implosion at the Los Alamos Laboratory -
B-29 Super fortresses
334 US B-29 Super fortresses attack Tokyo with 120,000 fire bombs -
Battle of Okinawa(U.S. Navy ships)
Battle of Okinawa: US Navy ships bomb the Japanese island of Okinawa in preparation for the Allied invasion; it would become the largest battle of the Pacific War in World War II -
Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa: US ground forces invade Okinawa during World War II in the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific theatre -
Roosevelt dies
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office and Vice President Harry Truman is sworn in as 33rd US President -
Hitler commits suicide
Adolf Hitler commits suicide along with his new wife Eva Braun in the Fuhrerbunker in Berlin as the Red Army captures the city -
Atomic Bomb test
1st test detonation of an atomic bomb, Trinity Site, Alamogordo, New Mexico as part of the US Manhattan Project -
Enola Gay
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima by the US B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay" -
V-J day
V-J Day, Japan surrenders unconditionally to end WW II (also August 15 depending on time zone) -
formal surrender
V-J Day, formal surrender of Japan aboard USS Missouri marks the end of WW II (US date, 2nd September in Japan) -
Hideki Tojo
Hideki Tojo, Japanese Prime Minister during most of World War II, attempts suicide rather than face war crimes tribunal but fails - later he is hanged -
Re-elected for 4th term
Franklin D. Roosevelt is re-elected President of the United States for a record fourth term, defeating Republican candidate Thomas E. Dewey -
AEC
US President Harry Truman establishes Atomic Energy Commission (AEC -
Half Dollar
1st US commemorative coin of an African American, Booker T. Washington (half dollar) -
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy (Democrat, Massachusetts) elected to US House of Representatives -
Truman-Doctrine
US President Harry Truman introduces Truman-doctrine to fight communism -
Presidential address
Harry Truman makes the 1st Presidential address televised from the White House -
Hollywood
Groundbreaking ceremony for the Hollywood sign in Hollywood, Los Angeles; old Hollywoodland sign torn down, reconstruction of a replacement begins with just Hollywood -
Japanese Prime Minister
Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo sentenced to death by war crimes tribunal -
Hydrogen Bomb
US President Harry Truman publicly announces support for the development of a hydrogen bomb -
Einstein
Albert Einstein warns against hydrogen bomb -
Korean conflict
North Korean troops reach Seoul, UN asks members to aid South Korea, Harry Truman orders US Air Force & Navy into Korean conflict -
38th parallel
North Korea and the United Nations sign armistice to stop fighting and divide Korea at the 38th parallel -
Ames Dean
Ames Dean begins his career with an appearance in a Pepsi commercial -
U.S. Air Force flag
United States Air Force flag officially adopted by President Harry S. Truman -
Request to end state of war
US President Harry Truman asks Congress to formally end state of war with Germany -
clear and present danger
Supreme Court rule "clear & present danger" of incitement to riot is not protected speech & can be a cause for arrest -
Pacific peace treaty
World War II Pacific peace treaty takes effect -
Atomic Explosion Training
US Marines take part in an atomic explosion training in Nevada -
Checkers speech
Richard Nixon makes his "Checker's" speech -
KFC
American fast food restaurant chain "KFC" [Kentucky Fried Chicken] opens its first franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah -
Development of hydrogen bomb
US President Harry Truman announces American development of the hydrogen bomb -
Field theory
Albert Einstein announces revised unified field theory