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Representatives of twenty-six Nations sign the Declaration of United Nations
Representatives of twenty-six nations, including the United States, sign the Declaration of United Nations, affirming their cooperation against the Axis powers. -
Manila falls to the Japanese
Manila falls to the Japanese, forcing Philippine and U.S. forces under the command of General Douglas MacArthur to retreat to the Bataan Peninsula. -
War Labor Board (WLB)
By executive order, FDR creates the War Labor Board (WLB), charged with maintaining the flow of war materials through the arbitration of labor disputes. Four days later, the Office of Production Management (OPM) will be replaced by the War Production Board (WPB). -
FDR orders all aliens in the U.S. to register with the federal government
By proclamation, FDR orders all aliens in the United States to register with the federal government. The order is significant for Italian, German, and Japanese immigrants--American citizens who are now viewed with suspicion, although most fears will focus on Japanese-Americans residing on the West Coast. They will soon be moved to internment camps under the pretense that they might provide aid to the enemy. -
Emergency Price Control Act
The Emergency Price Control Act goes into effect, authorizing the Office of Price Administration to place ceilings on all prices except those for agricultural products. -
U.S. and Britain form a combined Chiefs of Staff
The U.S. War Department announces that the United States and Britain have formed a combined Chiefs of Staff to coordinate their war efforts. -
Japanese-American Internment camps
FDR formally authorizes a program to remove Japanese-Americans living in the Pacific Coast states to internment camps in Colorado, Utah, and Arkansas. Most Americans are undisturbed by the policy as some 100,000 people are “relocated” over the next month. -
Battle of Java Sea
At the Battle of Java Sea, the Japanese Navy inflicts heavy losses on Allied forces. -
Bataan Death March
General MacArthur is forced to move his command base from the Philippines as Japanese forces approach. Before he leaves for Australia, he famously declares, “I shall return!” One month later, the 75,000 Philippine and American troops that remained to defend the island surrender to the Japanese on Bataan Peninsula. These men are taken prisoner and forced to march one hundred miles to a prison camp; with poor rations and ill-treatment, thousands die on the so-called Bataan Death March. -
Surprise raid on Tokyo
Major General James Doolittle leads sixteen U.S. bombers in a surprise raid on Tokyo. Not only does the attack provide a morale boost for the Allies, but it also serves to divert Japanese defenses. -
"Black-out"
A nightly “dim-out” or “black-out” goes into effect along a fifteen-mile strip of the Atlantic coast to counter German submarine activity in the area. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
The U.S. Navy inflicts heavy losses on the Japanese fleet in the Battle of the Coral Sea. It is the first naval battle in history in which surface ships did not engage one another directly, with planes attacking each other and the ships. -
General Jonathan Wainwright is captured
General Jonathan Wainwright is captured by the Japanese and forced to surrender Fort Corregidor and ask all U.S. forces in the Philippines to surrender as well. -
Women's Army Corps (WAC)
FDR signs the congressional act establishing the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, later to be renamed the Women's Army Corps (WAC). A similar group, known as the WAVES, will be assembled for the Navy. Gasoline rationing also goes into effect in seventeen states in the eastern United States; by the end of the year, it will be extended to the entire country. -
Office of War Information (OWI)
The Office of War Information (OWI) is established by executive order to control the disclosure of official news and propaganda. -
Rare rubber scraps drive
Americans join in a great nationwide drive to collect the increasingly rare rubber scraps essential to the war effort. In September, the United States will be forced to purchase Mexico's entire rubber supply for the next four years. Ultimately, it is the rise of the synthetic rubber industry that will meet the country's fighting needs. -
Invasion of North Africa
FDR meets with Winston Churchill in Washington, D.C., to plan the invasion of North Africa. On November 8, 400,000 Allied troops will land in Morocco and Algeria, under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the newly appointed commander of U.S. forces in the European theater. -
Battle of Midway
At the Battle of Midway, the U.S. Navy loses the carrier Yorktown, but not before sinking four Japanese aircraft carriers. While the war is far from over, the victory at Midway establishes U.S. naval superiority as the Japanese also lose a significant number of their best pilots. -
U.S. Marines land on Guadalcanal
U.S. Marines land on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. It is the first offensive in the long road to Tokyo. -
Germans launch massive assault on Stalingrad
The Germans, having won major gains in their offensive against Russia over the summer, launch a massive assault on Stalingrad in an effort to complete the conquest. Before the year is out, the Germans will find themselves overextended and mired in the mud and harsh cold of winter; it marks the turning point on the Eastern Front. -
The Revenue Act of 1942
The Revenue Act of 1942 is passed, calling for taxes to be increased by $9 billion; included is the so-called Victory Tax, a five-percent tax on all income over $624, in effect until the war's end. -
Demonstration of first sustained nuclear chain reaction
Scientists at the University of Chicago demonstrate the first sustained nuclear chain reaction. -
Casablanca Conference in Morocco
At the Casablanca Conference in Morocco, FDR, Churchill, and other Allied representatives agree to the following: they will demand that the Axis powers surrender unconditionally; they will invade Europe initially through Sicily and Italy; they will launch a combined bomber offensive on Germany; they will step up aid to Russia, and they will prosecute the Battle of the Atlantic with greater vigor. -
American bombing raid on Germany
The first all-American bombing raid on Germany takes place during the day over Wilhelmshaven. -
Shoe Rationing
Shoe rationing begins in the United States; each civilian is limited to three pairs of leather shoes per year. -
Rationing of canned goods
The rationing of canned goods begins; customers are required to use coupon books of varying points to purchase these items. One month later, meats, fats, and cheese will also be rationed in this way. -
Battle of the Bismarck Sea
At the Battle of the Bismarck Sea off New Guinea, U.S. and Australian planes score a major victory in the Pacific, sinking eight Japanese transports and four destroyers, and shooting down at least twenty-five enemy planes, costing the lives of nearly 3,500 men. -
FDR freezes prices, wages, and salaries
FDR freezes prices, wages, and salaries in an effort to stem inflation. -
Allied forces remove the Axis from North Africa
During the course of this week, Allied forces remove the Axis from North Africa through the forced surrender of German and Italian commanders. The two-year effort by the Axis to control North Africa, and specifically the Suez Canal, comes to an end. -
Trident Conference
At the Trident Conference in Washington, D.C., Churchill, Roosevelt, and their top military planners meet and formulate a general strategy for the planned invasions of Europe, and for the commitment of forces to the European and the Pacific theaters. -
Uprising by Jews is subdued in Poland
In Poland, German troops finally subdue an uprising by Jews in the Warsaw ghetto that had begun the previous month. The Jews had been forcibly relocated to the ghetto when the Germans began their occupation of the country nearly four years earlier. The Germans move the Warsaw Jews to concentration camps and level the ghetto. -
Office of War Mobilization
By executive order, FDR establishes the Office of War Mobilization to coordinate the nation's efforts at home, and he orders that all government contracts with private industries forbid racial discrimination. -
Current Tax Payment Act
The Current Tax Payment Act goes into effect, introducing the withholding of federal income taxes on wages and salaries. Also known as the “Pay-As-You-Go-Act,” it will become a cornerstone of U.S. tax policy and government finance. -
Protest in Detroit, Michigan
In Detroit, Michigan, whites protesting the employment of blacks in formerly “white-only” jobs start a clash that leads to two days of rioting and rampage, leaving thirty-four dead before federal troops intervene. -
Germans launch attack on Russia
Germans launch a massive attack on the Russian city of Kursk in what will become the largest tank battle in history and the German's last significant effort at conquering the U.S.S.R. -
Allied forces invade Sicily
Allied forces invade Sicily, which falls five weeks later. The island off the “toe” of Italy will provide safer passage to Allied shipping in the Mediterranean and aid the invasion of the Italian mainland. -
Air Raid on Rome
Three days after dropping leaflets urging the Italian people to surrender, 500 U.S. bombers carry out an air raid on Rome. The city had previously been spared because of its unique historical, religious, and artistic significance. -
King Victor Emmanuel of Italy forces Benito Mussolini
King Victor Emmanuel of Italy forces Benito Mussolini to resign after more than two decades as Il Duce, effectively ending Italy's role as an Axis power. Allied forces will invade the country five weeks later; Italy will surrender unconditionally on September 8, although German troops will pour into the country, continuing the fight. -
Invasion of France is planned
At the Quadrant Conference in Quebec, Roosevelt, Churchill, and others agree on, among other items, a plan for the invasion of France, set for the spring of 1944. -
International organization for peace to end war
In Moscow, the foreign ministers of the U.S.S.R., Britain, and the United States, along with the Chinese ambassador to Russia, meet to discuss matters relating to the end of the war. They will issue a statement declaring their intentions to treat the Axis powers fairly once the war is over, and to create an international organization for peace. -
Unconditional surrender of Japan is demanded
FDR, Churchill, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek meet at the Sextant Conference in Cairo, Egypt, and demand the unconditional surrender of Japan according to the following terms: it must restore Chinese territory; give Korea its independence, and give up all Pacific islands seized after 1914. -
Tehran Conference
Flying from Cairo, FDR and Churchill meet Joseph Stalin at the Tehran Conference in Iran. At this, the first ever meeting of the “Big Three” leaders, the timing of the invasion of Europe is finally settled. -
Tehran Declaration
The Tehran Declaration is issued on December 1, 1943. In it, they pledged their support to one another and noted that they had reached an agreement for the military operations against Germany. They concluded the declaration by stating: “We came here with hope and determination. We leave here, friends in fact, in spirit, and in purpose.” -
Chinese Exclusion Act is repealed
Congress repeals the Chinese Exclusion Acts passed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which banned Chinese immigration to the United States. -
U.S. forces invade the Marshall Islands
U.S. forces invade the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. On February 2, Roi Island becomes the first to fall, marking the first territory captured from the Japanese that Japan had occupied before the war began. All of the islands fall within three weeks. -
"Big Week"
In what is termed “Big Week,” the United States suffers heavy losses during a series of massive air raids on German aircraft production that significantly weakens Germany's air capacity. -
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency
Congress approves a joint resolution appropriating up to $1.35 billion for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agency, looking toward postwar efforts to aid the millions of people devastated by the war. -
Office of Price Administration (OPA)
The Office of Price Administration (OPA) ends the rationing of meat, except on steak and other choice cuts of beef. -
"D-Day"
On “D-Day,” Operation Overlord begins just after midnight, with some 4,000 invasion ships, 600 warships, 10,000 planes, and about 176,000 Allied troops. The invasion of the continent takes place at a series of beaches in Normandy. By the end of the day, and despite heavy casualties, around 150,000 Allied troops have safely reached the beach and are dug in. -
Germans make use of the first V-1 flying bombs
The Germans make use of the first V-1 flying bombs, jet-propelled pilotless bombs launched from France and Belgium toward Britain; only one of these “buzz bombs” reaches London. -
B-29 Superfortresses
The B-29 Superfortresses, based in China, begin the first air raids on the Japanese main island. On the same day, U.S. forces land on Saipan; when the island falls on July 9, the United States will have lost 3,400 lives; the Japanese, 27,000. -
Battle of the Philippine Sea
In the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the United States wins one of the more decisive air-naval battles of the war as the Japanese lose at least 400 planes and three carriers. -
Servicemen's Readjustment Act
FDR signs the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, which provides financial aid to veterans for education, housing, and other needs; it will be widely known as the G. I. Bill of Rights. -
World Bank
Representatives from forty-four nations meet at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, for a monetary and financial conference. They agree to establish an International Money Fund (IMF) and an International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also known as the World Bank. Both institutions will be central to international economic policy following the war. -
Failed assassination attempt
In a failed assassination attempt, a bomb explodes near Hitler in his headquarters in East Prussia, leaving him relatively unscathed but psychologically shaken and increasingly paranoid. Before the day is over, several high-level officers and politicians will be executed for their role--active or merely alleged--in the conspiracy. -
Operation Cobra
U.S. forces under General Omar Bradley begin Operation Cobra, a coordinated offensive to cut off German forces in Brittany and collapse the German defensive line in northwestern Germany. Brittany will fall to the Allies two weeks later. -
Guam is retaken by U.S. forces
The island of Guam is retaken by U.S. forces after twenty days of fighting, leaving 17,000 Japanese casualties and more than 7,000 American casualties. It is of special significance for the United States as Guam fell to the Japanese just a week after the attack on Pearl Harbor. -
War Production Board
The War Production Board allows the resumption of various consumer goods, such as vacuums, electric ranges, and cooking utensils. -
Dumbarton Oaks Conference
The Dumbarton Oaks Conference begins in Washington, D.C., attended by representatives of the United States, Britain, China, and the U.S.S.R. It lays the groundwork for the United Nations, an international organization for promoting peaceful and legal solutions to international problems. -
France is liberated
Allied forces liberate Paris, France. -
German V-2 rockets land in England
The first of the German V-2 rockets land in England; they are much faster and more powerful than the V-1 rockets, and will take a toll on the British people in the waning months on the war. -
Octagon Conference in Quebec
At the Octagon Conference in Quebec, FDR and Churchill discuss strategies for pursuing the Germans and Japanese and their treatment following the war. -
U.S. forces invade Leyte Island in the Philippines
They are led by General MacArthur, who broadcasts to the Philippines that he has fulfilled his promise of returning to the country. Three days later, the Japanese send a major naval force to disrupt the invasion. These forces meet in the Battle of the Leyte Gulf where the Japanese suffer a major defeat, losing 24 large ships; it is the largest naval engagement of the war. Thereafter, the Japanese Navy is limited largely to suicide engagements in the form of Kamikaze fighter pilots. -
FDR wins fourth term as President
FDR wins an unprecedented fourth term as President over the Republican challenger Dewey; while the electoral vote is a landslide--432 to 99--the popular vote is much closer, 25.6 million to 22 million. -
Battle of the Bulge
Germany launches its final offensive of the war, counterattacking Allied defenses in the Ardennes Forest in an engagement known as the Battle of the Bulge. It will take two weeks for the Allies to regroup from the surprise attack and launch their own counterattack. -
Cost of Living increase
Despite efforts by the federal government to control wages and prices, the cost of living registers a 30-percent increase since the United States formally entered the war. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated
FDR is inaugurated for his fourth term as President. -
Yalta Conference
At the Yalta Conference in the Crimea, FDR, Churchill, and Stalin meet to discuss the final assault on Germany and the treatment of that country following the war. They sign a “Declaration on Liberated Europe,” discuss the providing for democratic governance of European nations, and agree to meet in San Francisco that April to establish an international peace organization. -
Capture of Manila
U.S. troops complete the capture of Manila, the capital of the Philippine islands. -
Capture of Iwo Jima
In one of the hardest-fought battles of the war, U.S. Marines capture the island of Iwo Jima. The engagement leaves 4,000 Americans and 20,000 Japanese dead. -
Capture of Okinawa
Nearing the mainland islands of Japan, the U.S. Army wins a fierce battle to capture the island of Okinawa; in the process, the United States will lose 80,000 in casualties and Japan 120,000. -
Franklin Roosevelt dies
While vacationing in Warm Springs, Georgia, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies following a massive cerebral hemorrhage. Vice President Harry S. Truman is immediately sworn in, becoming the thirty-third President of the United States. -
Harry S. Truman becomes 33rd President
President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in Warm Spring, Georgia; Harry S. Truman becomes the thirty-third President of the United States. -
Germany surrenders
Germany surrenders, ending World War II in Europe. -
Potsdam Conference
Germany surrenders, ending World War II in Europe. -
Hiroshima is bombed
On the morning of August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. A second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki three days later. It is estimated that more than 200,000 Japanese, primarily civilians, were killed in the two bombings. Following the second bombing, the Japanese requested an armistice agreeing to the Allied terms of surrender on August 15; the Empire of Japan formally surrendered in a ceremony on September 2. -
Nagasaki is bombed
The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. -
Japan surrenders
Japan surrenders, ending World War II in Asia. -
Truman’s 21-point plan
Truman presents Congress with his 21-point plan for Reconversion. -
Employment Act of 1946
Truman signs the Employment Act of 1946, placing increased responsibility for economic stability on the federal government. -
“Long Telegram”
State Department official George Kennan, serving in the Soviet Union, sends his “Long Telegram,” in which he analyzes the sources of Soviet conduct and Moscow's geopolitical intentions, and suggests American responses. -
"Iron Curtain" Speech
Winston Churchill delivers his “Iron Curtain” speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, condemning the Soviet Union’s policies of expansion and calling for strengthening the U.S-Britain alliance. -
Secretary of Commerce Henry Wallace resigns
Secretary of Commerce Henry Wallace criticizes U.S. foreign policy in a speech in New York City on September 12, 1945. Truman then asks for and receives Wallace's resignation. -
“Truman Doctrine”
Truman delivers his “Truman Doctrine” speech to Congress, asking for a $400 million appropriation to fight the spread of Communism in Greece and Turkey. -
Federal Employee Loyalty Program
Truman creates the Federal Employee Loyalty Program, known as the “Loyalty Order,” via Executive Order 9835. This order’s purpose was to ensure loyalty against communism in the federal government. -
Jackie Robinson integrates baseball
Jackie Robinson plays his first game with the Brooklyn Dodgers and integrates major league baseball. -
Truman signs “Truman Doctrine”
Truman signs the “Truman Doctrine” appropriation approved by Congress for Greece and Turkey. -
European Recovery Program
Secretary of State George Marshall proposes economic aid to Europe in an address at Harvard University. Officially titled the European Recovery Program, the package aids Western Europe in rebuilding their economies, and becomes known as the “Marshall Plan.” -
Taft-Hartley Act vetoed
Truman vetoes the Taft-Hartley Act. Congress overrides Truman's veto of the Taft-Hartley Act three days later on June 26, 1947. -
Truman addresses the NAACP
Truman is the first President to address the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). -
National Security Act
The National Security Act passes Congress, creating the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Resources Board. -
Civil rights legislation
Truman sends a message to Congress asking for legislation to secure the civil rights of the nation's minorities. -
“Marshall Plan”
Congress passes the European Recovery Program (the “Marshall Plan”). -
U.S. recognizes Israel
The United States recognizes the state of Israel. -
Soviet Union begins West Berlin Blockade
The Soviet Union blockades the overland access routes to West Berlin. -
British, U.S. airlift to Berlin
In conjunction with the British, Truman orders the airlifting of supplies into West Berlin. -
Executive Order 9981
At the opening of a special session of the 80th Congress, Truman asks for legislation on housing, civil rights, and price controls. The same day, the President signs Executive Order 9981, which desegregates the Armed Forces. -
Harry S. Truman is elected President
The Democratic Party retakes both the Senate and the House of Representatives. -
"Fair Deal"
Truman proposes the “Fair Deal” in his State of the Union address. The speech contained a series of measures that Truman recommended for congressional action. His list of demands thus became known as the “Fair Deal,” an attempt by Truman to augment Roosevelt's New Deal. -
North Atlantic Treaty
Twelve nations from Europe and North America sign the North Atlantic Treaty. -
Soviet Union ends blockade of Berlin
The Soviet Union lifts the Berlin blockade. -
Housing Act
Truman signs the Housing Act, establishing a national housing agency and providing federal aid to slum clearance programs and low-cost housing projects. -
“White Paper”
The State Department issues its “White Paper” on China, justifying America’s Chinese foreign policy and its failures to stop the spread of communism in China. -
People’s Republic of China established
Mao Zedong announces the establishment of the communist People's Republic of China. -
Congress raises minimum wage
Congress raises the minimum wage from forty cents to seventy-five cents an hour. -
Truman announces H-Bomb
Truman announces that the United States will develop a hydrogen bomb. -
McCarthy sparks Second Red Scare
Senator Joseph McCarthy (R-WI) speaks in Wheeling, West Virginia, and charges that the State Department employs 205 known Communists. A term, McCarthyism, later develops to describe the practice of making false accusations of treason or disloyalty without proper evidence. -
Mao, Stalin align
Mao and Stalin sign the Sino-Soviet alliance. -
NSC proposes national security
The National Security Council presents NSC-68: United States Objectives and Programs for National Security to Truman. -
North Korea invades South Korea
North Korea invades South Korea. -
Truman orders troops to Korea
Truman announces that he has ordered American ground forces stationed in Japan to Korea. General Douglas MacArthur commands the U.S. (and United Nations) troops. -
1950 Social Security Amendments
Truman signs the 1950 Social Security Amendments, expanding coverage and increasing benefits. -
U.S. counterattack in South Korea
The United States military forces successfully spearhead a counterattack at Inchon, South Korea. -
Revenue Act of 1950
Truman signs the Revenue Act of 1950, increasing corporation and income taxes. -
China counterattacks Americans in North Korea
China launches a massive counteroffensive against American advances in North Korea. -
Truman declares state of emergency
Truman declares a state of national emergency and imposes wage and price controls. -
Rosenbergs are sentenced to death
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are sentenced to death following their convictions on conspiring to provide secret information to the Soviet Union. -
Truman Dismisses General MacArthur
President Harry Truman dismissed General Douglas MacArthur, one of the most well known and respected officers in the Army, as commander of the U.S. forces in the Korean War. -
First color television broadcast
The first color television program is broadcast, but no color sets are available for sale. -
Mutual Security Act
Truman signs the Mutual Security Act, authorizing more than $7 billion for foreign economic, military, and technical aid. -
Truman Seizes Control of Steel Industry
Truman signs an Executive Order directing the Secretary of Commerce to seize steel mills in order to prevent a strike by steel workers. The seizure resulted after the steel producers and steel workers had been unable to reach agreement on a new contract. Truman justified this action under his authority as President but it resulted in a stunning rebuke for him. -
Truman’s steel seizure deemed unconstitutional
The Supreme Court declares the seizure of steel mills unconstitutional in a six-to-three vote. -
McCarran-Walter Immigration Bill
Truman vetoes the McCarran-Walter Immigration Bill but the House of Representatives and the Senate override Truman's veto of the McCarran-Walter Act two days later. -
U.S. tests first H-bomb
The United States successfully detonates the first hydrogen bomb. -
Dwight D. Eisenhower elected as 34th President
Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected President. -
Eisenhower is inaugurated
Dwight D. Eisenhower is inaugurated as the thirty-fourth President of the United States. -
Stalin dies
The Soviet Union announces the death of Josef Stalin. -
Price controls lifted
All price controls officially ended by the Office of Price Stabilization. -
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare is created by joint congressional action. -
“Chance for Peace” speech
Eisenhower delivers his “Chance for Peace” speech, also knowns as the “Cross of Iron” speech, to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, speaking against increased military spending. -
Submerged Lands Act
Eisenhower signs the Submerged Lands Act, allowing states to submerge navigable lands within their borders to create waterways such as rivers. -
Eisenhower announces Korean armistice
Eisenhower addresses the American public and announces an armistice in Korea. -
Refugee Relief Act of 1953
Eisenhower signs the Refugee Relief Act of 1953, admitting 214,000 more immigrants than permitted under existing immigration quotas. -
Iranians overthrow Mossadegh
Iranians, with the backing of the CIA, overthrow the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, ensuring Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi's hold on power. -
Soviets test H-bomb
Eisenhower announces that the Soviet Union has tested a hydrogen bomb. -
“Atoms for Peace” speech
Eisenhower gives his “Atoms for Peace” speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, addressing growing international awareness of and potential peaceful uses for atomic energy.