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Pearl Harbor/United States Joins WWII
Instigated by a surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on the entire axis powers within hours after the Presidents call for war. While American involvement did not turn the tide as significantly in WWI, it did play an important role over the next four years. -
Executive order 9066
This order authorized the removal of any person from certain "exclusion zones." These zones covered almost a third of the country. The act was designed to remove or relocate Japanese citizens. -
The GI Bill
The GI Bill was designed to offer benefits to returning veterans. It provided for many a chance at a secondary education and encouraged home ownership. -
D-Day
D-Day was the largest amphibious invasion in history. It took place on the beaches of Normandy in France and ultimately resulted in victory in Europe several months later. -
The First Atomic Bomb
The first atomic bomb to be dropped on a civilian city was Fat Man. It was dropped on Hiroshima. Three days later, Little Boy was dropped on Nagasaki. The Japanese surrendered after the second atomic bomb. -
The Marshall Plan
This plan was designed to jump start the economy in Europe by pumping in millions of dollars. Over the course of four years the U.S. invested $13 billion in Europe. -
NATO is formed
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was formed as a mutual defense pact between the U.S., Canada, England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. -
Germany Splits in Half
After Berlin was divided into communist and capitalist zones, the entire western and eastern parts of the country split. The west was called the Federal Republic of Germany, and the east was renamed the German Democratic Republic. -
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Korean War
An often forgotten war, the Korean War began when North Korea invaded South Korea. United Nations troops were unable to make any progress, and a cease fire was agreed to. Peace talks would take two years however. -
Conviction of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Members of the Communist party in the U.S. in the 1930's, the two were accused of giving bomb-related documents to the Soviet Union. They stood trial and were eventually executed.
