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US population at 132,164,569
The 1940 census gives a US population of 132,164,569 people. -
Great Smokey Mountains National Park Dedicated
President Franklin D Roosevelt officially dedicates the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, the most visited national park today. -
Lend-Lease Act
The Lend-Lease Act is approved, providing $7 billion in credit for US military supplies to Great Britain and other allies. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor occurs, resulting in the deaths of 1,177 sailors and marines, and the destruction of 21 naval ships. -
First Nuclear Fission
The first nuclear chain reaction is created at the University of Chicago under the Manhattan Project utilizing Uranium-235 under the direction of physicists Arthur Compton and Enrico Fermi. -
Jefferson Memorial Dedicated
The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on Jefferson's 200th birthday. -
Race Riots in Detroit and Harlem
Race riots in Detroit and Harlem result in 40 deaths and 700 injuries. -
President Roosevelt Dies
President Roosevelt dies and is succeeded by President Harry Truman as President of the United States and Commander in Chief over World War Two. -
Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
President Truman approves thee dropping of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, three days later, a second bomb is dropped on Nagasaki. These attacks result in a conservative estimate of over 225,000 people killed. -
CDC Organized
The Communicable Disease Center (CDC) is created from the remains of its predecessor, the Malaria Control in War Areas program. -
Smallpox eradicated in United States
The last case of smallpox is recorded in the US. -
Death of a Salesman Written
Arthur Miler writes the play Death of a Salesman -
Rosenburg Trial
Julius and Ethel Rosenburg are found guilty of wartime espionage and sentenced to death. -
1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics are held in Helsinki, Finland with 30 nations participating. -
DNA molecules described
The description of a double helix DNA molecule is published by British physicist Francis Crick and American scientist James D. Watson. They, along with New Zealand born scientist Maurice Wilkins, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery. -
Color TV
The first color televisions begin circulation. -
Brown vs. the Board of Education
Racial segregation in public schools in declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court. -
Joseph McCarthy Condemned
The United States Senate votes to condemn Joseph McCarthy for his conduct during the Army Investigation Hearings. -
Jimmy Hoffa Arrested
The FBI arrests labor leader Jimmy Hoffa under a bribery charge. -
Failed US Satellite Launch
The first attempted US satellite launch fails when its explodes before launch. -
Alaska Becomes a State
Alaska becomes the 49th state of the USA. -
