1942-1953 By RussellGray05 1942 Battle of Midway 1943 Detroit, Michigan race riots 1943 Allied invasion of Italy 1944 D-Day (also known as Operation Overlord) 1944 U.S. presidential election, 1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt reelection for a fourth term 1945 Battle of Okinawa 1945 President Roosevelt dies, Vice President Truman becomes the 33rd President 1945 Germany surrenders, end of World War II in Europe 1945 Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 1945 United Nations Charter signed in San Francisco, establishing the United Nations 1946 United States Atomic Energy Act of 1946 1947 The Marshall Plan 1947 Jackie Robinson breaks color barrier in baseball 1947 World Series is broadcast live on television for the first time 1948 U.S. presidential election, 1948: Harry S. Truman is elected president for a full term 1948 Berlin Blockade 1949 Germany divided into East and West 1950 Korean War begins 1951 General Douglas MacArthur fired by President Truman for comments about using nuclear weapons on China 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act 1952 In the United States presidential election, Dwight D. Eisenhower elected as president, Richard Nixon elected as vice president 1953 Shah of Iran returns to power in CIA-orchestrated coup known as Operation Ajax