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World War II
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Germany Invades Poland
Hitler was warned that any further expansion would risk war. He invaded Poland anyway. Poland fell quickly due to the German use of Blitzkrieg. -
War Has Begun
Bethleham Steel Corp. Chairman Eugene Grace was playing golf when his caddie informed him that the war in Europe had begun. Bethleham Steel provided steel to make weapons and vehicles for the war. -
France Surrenders to Germany
Vichy France, the southernmost part of France, was left to French rule. Italy declared war on France and Britian on the same day. -
PA Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike opens. It had only been open around a year before the US went to war. The traffic decreased and state troopers were stationed to stop suspicious vehicles from entering tunnels. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese fighter pilots bombed the naval base in Hawaii. The attack lasted less than 2 hours and more than 2,400 Americans were killed. -
Dr. Frank Conrad Dies
Dr, Conrad devised the only airplane radio used during WWII. He was the assistant cheif engineer of the Westinghouse Electric company in Pittsburgh. -
Battle of Midway
The US Navy defeats the Imperial Japanese Navy. American codetalkers were able to find out the date and time of the attack so they were prepared for the attack. -
Air Raid Article
The Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph publishes an article informing about air raid blackout drills. The first half hour drill in PA was scheduled for August 25th. -
Battle of Stalingrad
This battle was the turning point of the war. It was fought in Russia. The Germans retreated because they were running out of troops. -
Ships on Neville Island
Amphibious ships set sail from Neville Island. The same type of ships were also built in Pittsburgh plants. -
D-day
Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy in France. It was the largest amphibious invasion yet. -
Transportation Strike
Philadelphia's transportation system went on strike. This held up two generals and 8,000 troops and prevented them from getting where they needed to go. -
Allies Free Paris
This was the last battle in the Campaign for Normandy. It was started by an uprising of the French Resistance against the Germans. -
Battle of the Bulge
This was the last Nazi offencive against the Allies. It was Hitler's last attempt to split the Allies into two. -
Army Nurse Sick in Hospital
Lieut. Margaret Cake from Pottsville of the Army Nursing Corps was one of the first Army Nurses to land in France. She is now a patient in a hospital in England suffering from an infectious disease. -
Four Germans Surrender
Four German soldiers surrender to Chaplain Dean Stevenson. He was a Pottsville, Pa native. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The United States captured Iwo Jima in Japan. The US casualties exceeded the Japanese, but they still were successful in capturing the two airfields they wanted. -
FDR Dies
The afternoon of April 12, FDR said "I have a terrific pain in the back of my head." He became unconcious, and it was later declared that he had suffered a stroke. -
Truman Becomes President
After FDR's death, Harry S. Truman became president. He was the 33rd president of the United States. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Hitler commited suicide by gunshot and poisoning to avoid capture by the Allies. His wife, Eva Braun, also poisoned herself. -
VE Day
VE day is victory day in Europe. Germany had surrendered to the Allies. -
Igor Sikorsky Wins Award
Igor Sikorsky, inventer of the Sikorsky helicopter, wins the Doctor of Science Award at the University of Pittsburgh, "In recognition of high attainment and motive of service." More than 400 helicopters were produced for use in evacuations in WWII. -
Atomic Bomb Hiroshima
The plane Enola Gay dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Forty three seconds later, the bomb detonated over the city. -
Atomic Bomb Nagasaki
This bombing was only 3 days after the bombing of Hiroshima. The bomb was nicknamed "Fat Man". The effects of the bomb were similar to those of the bombing of Hiroshima. -
VJ Day
Victory over Japan day. Japan surrendered to the US and WWII was over. -
Service of Thanksgiving for Victory
This service was held in Irvine Auditorium. Honor Roll was presented which listed former Penn students who had died in WWII.
