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Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the originally neutral United States was pulled into WWII when the Japanese attacked its important naval base of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. That morning hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked Pearl Harbor. The attack destroyed twenty navy vessels, eight battle ships, and hundreds of American fighter planes. About 2,400 Americans had lost their lives that morning ("Pearl Harbor" 1). -
US Declares War
A day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addresses the attack and declares war. His statement to his country: ” Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” Congress approves his decision to go to war and three days later, Japan and the other axis powers proclaim war on the United States ("Pearl Harbor" 1). -
Executive Order 9066
President Roosevelt signs Executive order 9066 as another response to the war. This order was put in place due to speculation that some Japanese citizens of America were aiding Japan in the war by giving them inside information (Craughwell 1). Executive order 9066 forced Japanese Americans out of their homes and into Internment Camps. -
Iwo Jima
The U.S. sends 30,000 American marines to the Japanese island of Iwo Jima. There, about 20,000 Japanese troops were stationed. At first the marines were being defeated by the Japanese. The turning point was when the troops captured Suribachi, where most of the arms of the Japanese were stored. The U.S. declared security on the island on March 16th. Over 6,000 Americans died but thousands of more Japanese were killed or committed suicide instead of surrendering (Prados 1). -
The Atomic Bomb is Tested
In response to all the destructive fighting of WWII, the United States developed a nuclear bomb to hopefully put an end to the war. The bomb was tested at Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range in New Mexico. The codenamed Trinity bomb testing went successfully and the bomb was planned to be dropped on Japan within the next month (The First Atomic Bomb Blast, 1945 1). -
U.S. Drops Nuclear Bomb On Hiroshima
At approxiametly 8:15 AM, the nuclear bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima ("Hiroshima" 1). Hiroshima was the perferred city because of its flat terrrain, which would provide an accurate evaluation of the destruction afterwards (1). An estimated 140,000 people died on this day ("On This Day" 1). -
President Harry Truman's Announcement
Just hours after the bomb was released over Hiroshima, President Harry Truman formally addressed the United States to confirm that the first nuclear bomb had just been dropped on Hiroshima, Japan ("Harry Truman" 1). -
U.S. Drops Second Bomb
Three days after the first bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a second one was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan ("Harry Truman" 1). This bomb, which was nicknamed "Fat Man" ("1945: U.S. Drops Atomic Bomb" 1), was said to be twice as powerful as the first. An estimated 74,000 people died (1). -
World War II Ends
The end of the war came when the Japanese surrendured to the U.S. ("Harry Truman" 1). This descision was made after Japan was given an ultimatum; surrender or have your land destroyed completely (1). -
The Aftermath of Hiroshima Bombing
By 1950, about 70,000 people that had been injured during the bombing had died ("Hiroshima" 1). Many of the surviving victims would have to live with severe radiation posioning and disabities caused by their various injuries ("1945: U.S. Drops Atomic Bomb" 1). Also, the land surrounding Hiroshima was flattened and bare due to the strong sound wave and bursts of fire given off when the bomb hit the earth ("Hiroshima" 1). In the end, the major death toll was the war's biggest downfall.
