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Period: to
Events of World War II
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Germany Invades Poland
The attack on Poland came without any previous knowledge. German invaders and infantry came into Polish territory on five fronts with a total of 1.5 million troops. The invasion ended on October 6, 1939. -
Peace Demonstartion at County Fair
Thousands of people of all religions attended a county fair and joined in a peace demonstration as Great Britain declared war on Germany. -
France Surrenders to Germany
The Fall of France began with the invasion of German troops on May 10, 1940 when they pushed through terrain to cut off the Allies which were located in Belgium. On june 5, German troops invaded the Maginot Line for a greater attack on France. Paris was conquered on June 14, and on June 22, France signed and armistice with Germany, declaring German victory. -
Highland Park Zoo Reopens
The construction on Highland Park Zoo was completed and the zoo was modernized. On he morning of June 28, the zoo was reopened to the public. -
Japanese Attack Pearl Harbor.
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese planes were mistaken as those belonged to the United States. Shortly after, a massive air attack deliberated on the Hawaiian islands of Pearl Harbor, resulting in great losses of naval and military forces. -
Frank Conrad Dies
Frank Conrad, a radio broadcaster who worked as the Assistant Chief Engineer for the Westinghouse Electric Company, was founder KDKA. On December 12, he died. -
John O'Leary Takes Control of Miners
The U.S. miners' vice president, Philip Murray, was fired as result of his break with John L. Lewis. John O'Leary was then chosen to take over. -
Battle of Midway
Isoroku Yamamoto planned to attack Midway and quickly conquer the area to set up an air base by using naval and air force techniques. His plans, however, were interrupted by the U.S and their high intelligence of foreign communications. In the end, U.S. forces destroed 3 out of 4 Japanese naval fleets and Midway was only partially damaged. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The battle was fought between Germany and the Soviet Union for the territory of Stalingrad, which was located in southwestern Russia. It marked the tide of the war and resulted in the bloodies tbattle ever recorded with approximately two million casualties. -
Wage Increase for Steel Workers
A policy committe meeting took place on July 17 at William Penn Hotel to raise wages for United Steel Workers. The wages were raised to 44-cents-a-day granted by War Labor Board to employees of "Little Steel" firms. -
Mayor Scully Gets Gas-Ration Priveles Suspended
Mayor Scully of Pennsyvania had his gas-ration privileges suspended for three months. Mayor Scully violated the OPA driving ban by making a 350-mile trip to West Virginia. -
D-Day
Normandy, France was populated with approximately 160,000 troops of the Allies along a 50-mille long coastline in preperation to fight Nazi Germany. More than 18,000 air and naval crafts were involved and by the end of the day, the Allies gained hold in Normandy. -
Pittsburgh District Plans
A survey showed that war contracts completed to date or underway in Pittsburgh district plants. Overall, the totaled contracts were $903,398,644. -
Allies Liberate Paris
After four years of being under control, Paris finally liberated form the Allies when the French Resistance uprose. The Unites States' and the Free French Army were reinforced by the French Forces of the Interior, which resulted in the end of Operation Overload. France was once again restored and the Vichy government was exiled to Germany. -
Christams Shoppers Stranded
On the Monday before Christmas in 1944, thousands shoppers were stranded Downtown because of a 15-inch snowfall. All of the hotels were filled and mills, schools, and many other activities were closed for two days. -
Battle of Bulge
The Battle of Bulge, fought in the Ardennes Mountains in Belgium, was Germany's attempt to divide the American and British troops along with the entire Allies by attacking on surprise. The overcast weather prevented Allied air forces to operate, giving the Allies a disadvantage along with being caught off gaurd. In the end, however, the Allies were able to attack with their air forces as the weather improved resulting in victory. -
Dr. John Bowman Resigns
Dr. John G. Bowman, the nation's highest-paid educator, resigned after 15 years as chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Rufus H. Fitzgerald took over in his place. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a U.S. invasion on Iwo Jima and the capture of two airfields there. The island of Iwo jima was heavily fortified with heavy artillery and underground tunnels, but the U.S. troops were able to conquer the area with its extended naval and air forces. The battle ended on March 26, 1945 with victory for the U.S. -
100th Aniversery
In the year 1845, Pittsburgh encountered a great fire. The city marked the 100th anniversary of the fire of 1845 with a parade and pageantry. -
President Franklin D, Roosevelt Dies and Truman becomes President
At around 1 p.m., President Roosevelt dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at Warm Springs in Georgia. Vice President Harry S.Truman is put in charge of the country who is still fighting a second World War. -
Mourning of FDR
On the day of the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mayor Scully asked all the city and county governments, business, schools, amusement parks, and all other activities to be suspended. Church masses and prayer sessions were also reschedualed. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
In his headquarters in Berlin, Germany, Adolf Hitler commits suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule and shooting himself in the head. Shortly after, Germany surrenders to the Allies. -
VE Day
After crossing the Rhine and passing through the Siegfried Line to overrun West Germany, the Allies defeat Germany and gain victory. Hitler's death left Berlin in ruins, therefore resulting in a surrender from Germany which was signed on May 7, and was ratified on May 8 in Berlin. -
Dr. Paul R. Anderson is Elected
Dr. Herbert L. Spencer resigns his position as president of Pennsylvania College for Women. Dr. Paul R. Anderson, dean of Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin, was elected to replace him. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
On the morning of August 6, Enola Gay took off from the island of Tinian and headed toward Japan. The bomber's target was the city of Hiroshima. Hiroshima had a population of approximately 300,000 and was an important military center, containing about 43,000 soldiers. The Little Boy was dropped on the city causing many causualties. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Nagasaki
Three days after the Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima, Truman orded the Fat Man to be dropped on Nagasaki. At 3:47 a.m. on August 9, 1945, a bomber, Bock's Car, lifted off from Tinian and headed toward Kokura Arsenal. The Fat Man resulted in approximately 73,000 casualties. -
Russian Labor Leaders Tour Steel Mills
The curiosity of Russian labor leaders was satisfied on August 9. The Russian leaders arrived to tour the district's steel mills and find out what is used to produce some of the products. -
Joy Over Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japn caused joy for many nations. The city of Pittsburgh was overjoyed over the surrender of Japan. -
VJ Day
On September 2, 1945, a surrender ceremony was performed in Tokyo Bay and Japan was aboard the battleship USS Missouri.VJ Day was the name given to the surrender of Japan in correlation with the surrender of Germany, known as VE Day. -
Industries Lay Off Workers
The cancellation of a war contract was the cause of Pittsburgh district industries laying off 7,000 workers. With unemployment, many families had difficulty supporting themsleves.
