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Executive Order 9066
On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, authorizing the removal of any persons from designated "exclusion zones" at the discretion of military commanders. These zones covered nearly one third of the U.S.. Anti-Japanese prejudice during the war caused over 110,000 Japanese and Japanese-descended to lose their homes and jobs and be sent to internment camps across America. 70,000 of them were citizens of the United States. -
D-Day
Operation Overlord, nicknamed D-Day, occurred when the Allied Forces of America, Britain, Canada, and France, invaded German forces on the coast of Normandy, France. This landing was successful, and although progress across France was slow, Paris was liberated 2 months later. This Allied victory became a turning point for World War 2 in Europe. -
Atomic Bombs
Through the Manhattan Project, America was able to produce the world's first atomic bomb, which was successfully exploded in Trinity, New Mexico in July 1945. Two more bombs were built, named Fat Man and Little Boy, and were deployed over 2 Japanese cities in August. Hiroshima was struck on August 6, killing over 100,000 civilians. On August 9, Nagasaki was hit and 80,000 civilians were killed. Six days later, Japan announced its surrender, ending World War 2. -
Germany Divided
In June 1948, the Soviet Union created a ground blockade,; cutting off rail and road access to West Berlin in order to gain control of the whole city. Consequently, the U.S. organized a large airlift to fly essential supplies into the besieged city for 11 months. Finally, on May 12, 1949, the Soviets lifted the blockade, officially dividing Germany. The Western half was renamed the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), while the Eastern half became the German Democratic Republic (GDR). -
CCP Defeats the Kuomintang
On October 1, 1949, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), led by Mao Zedong, defeated Kuomintang nationalists, led by Chaing Kai-shek. This victory began a new chapter in the Cold War. The Kuomintang were forced to retreat to Taiwan and the CCP took control of the mainland under the People's Republic of China (PRC). This loss of China caused panic among American foreign policy makers, who shifted their focus from Europe to Asia. -
Eisenhower's Presidential Victory
General Dwight Eisenhower, NATO supreme commander, joined the presidential race mainly to beat back conservatives. He believed the best way to stop communism was to undercut its appeal by supporting New Deal programs. Although Eisenhower was accused of stealing the Republican nomination from Taft during the primary contest, his popularity boosted Republicans across America and gained them majorities in both houses of Congress. Eisenhower easily swept to victory in the 1952 general election. -
First Thermonuclear Weapon
On November 1, 1952, the United States exploded the first thermonuclear weapon (hydrogen bomb) by using fusion explosives of theoretically limitless power. The explosion measured over 10 megatons and produced an inferno with a diameter of 5 miles. It created a mushroom cloud of 25 miles high and 100 miles across. The fallout from the blast circled the earth and caused worldwide alarm concerning the effects of nuclear testing on human health. In 1953, the USSR tested their first hydrogen bomb. -
Execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were both members of the Communist Party of the USA (CPUSA) during the 1930s. During the Cold War, Julius worked for a short period at the U.S. Army Signal Corps Laboratory in New Jersey, where he has access to classified information. Julius and his wife were accused of passing secret bomb-related information to the Soviet Union and were indicated in August 1950. A trial was held in March 1951 and they were found guilty. Two years later, on June 19, they were executed.