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Yalta
The "Big Three" allied leaders—American president Franklin Roosevelt, Soviet leader Josef Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill—meet at the Yalta Conference to make arrangements for the postwar world order. Their contradictory agreements include a declaration to respect democracy throughout Europe, but also the recognition of a de facto Soviet sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. At Yalta the Allies also finalize plans to divide Germany into separate zones of occupation. -
Roosevelt Dies
President Franklin D. Roosevelt suddenly suffers a cerebral hemorrhage and dies, leaving his vice president, Harry Truman, to assume the presidency. Truman has only been vice president for 82 days, and has had little communication with Roosevelt about the administration's policies. After taking his oath of office, Truman tells reporters, "Boys, if you ever pray, pray for me now." -
United Nations Founded in San Francisco
The United Nations Charter is adopted in San Francisco, California, by representatives of 51 countries. This marks the founding of the UN. -
First Atomic Bomb
American scientists successfully test the first atomic bomb in New Mexico. -
Potsdam
The "Big Three" leaders of the United States, Soviet Union, and Great Britain meet at the Potsdam Conference. President Harry Truman, Soviet leader Josef Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill continue the work begun at Yalta to determine the future of postwar Europe. Churchill is replaced midway through the negotiations by new Prime Minister Clement Attlee after Churchill's party loses elections in Britain. The conference establishes a military administration for Germany and agree -
Hiroshima
The American bomber Enola Gay drops an atomic bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The instant devastation unleashed on Hiroshima shocks the world and ushers in the nuclear age. -
Nagasaki
The American plane Bockscar drops an atomic bomb nicknamed "Fat Man" on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. -
Korea Divided at 38th Parallel
At the end of World War II, Korea—occupied during the war by Japanese forces—is divided at the 38th Parallel, and two new states are established. North Korea is run by Communist Kim Il-Sung, while South Korea is run by anticommunist autocrat Syngman Rhee. -
Ho Chi Minh Declares Independence
Vietnamese nationalist Ho Chi Minh declares Vietnam's independence from France. Ho's Vietnamese Declaration of Independence quotes the American Declaration of 1776 to assert that "All men are created equal." -
George Kennan and Containment
Diplomat George Kennan writes his "Long Telegram" from the US Embassy in Moscow, advocating a policy of containment: "It is clear that the main element of any United States policy towards the Soviet Union must be that of a long-term, patient but firm and vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies.... It is clear that the United States cannot expect in the foreseeable future to enjoy political intimacy with the Soviet regime. It must continue to regard the Soviet Union as a rival, not a -
Iron Curtain
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gives his famous "Iron Curtain" speech at a college graduation in Fulton, Missouri: "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia; all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and -
Bikini Atoll Tests
Idyllic Bikini Atoll, in the South Pacific, becomes the site of a series of giant nuclear weapons tests. Codenamed Operation Crossroads, these tests are part of a study of radiological effects and are also shown to the Soviets as a demonstration of the weapons' power. -
Mao's Paper Tiger
In an interview with American correspondent Anna Louise Strong, Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong dismisses the atom bomb as nothing more than a "paper tiger." -
German Zones Merge
The United States and Great Britain agree to merge their respective German zones of occupation. -
Truman Doctrine
In a speech later remembered as the "Truman Doctrine," President Harry S. Truman pledges American assistance to any nation in the world threatened by Communism, officially establishing the worldwide containment of Communism as a vital American national security interest. -
GATT Agreed
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is developed as 23 western nations, including the US, agree on freer trade. The GATT creates new markets for American goods and investment abroad. -
Marshall Plan
In a speech made at Harvard University, Secretary of State George Marshall proposes the Marshall Plan, a $13 billion foreign aid package designed to help Europe recover from the devastation of World War II.
