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Executive Order 9066: Japanese Americans moved to internment camps
Following Pearl Harbor, American sentiment towards Japanese American and Japanese immigrant turns sour. President Roosevelt signs EO9066 on February 19, 1942, to move these ethnic groups to internment camps for their well being and for the nation's safety. The camps last three years. -
Battle of Midway: First significant Japanese defeat
Lasting three days, from June 4 to June 7, 1942, the American Navy defeats Japanese forces near the Midway Islands in the Pacific. Japan responds by invading the American territory of the Aleutian Islands. -
Great Britain and the United States invade North Africa
North Africa is a strategic launch point for attacking Axis powers, especially Italy, but is under the control of Vichy France, a nation that is loyal in word the Nazis but secretly has sympathy for the Allies. Within a week, several major ports are under Allied control -
The US troops lose the Battle for Kasserine Pass, Tunisia
Nazi forces exploit their control of the territory to overrun American troops. Some US soldiers are captured. Military strategy on the American side goes through tactic and equipment changes to better navigate the North African battlefield. -
Tehran Conference
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin plan the final attack on Axis forces. The mission is codenamed Operation Overlord and set for June 1944. -
D-Day
Allied forces invade the beaches of Normandy to regain control of France. Within a couple months, on August 24, the Allies control Paris. -
G.I. Bill is passed
The G.I. Bill gives veterans benefits including healthcare coverage and paid education. -
President Roosevelt is elected to his fourth term
Roosevelt defeats Republican Thomas E. Dewey with 432 electoral votes. Roosevelt dies from a heart attack within six months of this election, leaving his Vice President Harry Truman as a successor. -
Battle of the Bulge: the last Nazi offensive on the Allies fails
The winter battle, starting on December 16, 1944, fails to stop the Allied forces pushing towards Berlin. -
Yalta Conference
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin meet again to discuss how to deal with post-war Germany and Europe. A significant issue is Poland's independence, something Stalin is not willing to give. The meeting lasts from February 4-11, 1945. -
Harry S. Truman is sworn in as the 33rd U.S. President
Roosevelt dies from a heart attack and leaves his Vice President Truman to finish WWII and post-war negotiations. -
World War II ends as Germany surrenders
In Reims, France, the unconditional surrender of Germany to the Allies brings an end to the five-year war that claimed more than 80 million lives. The American General and future President Dwight D. Eisenhower accepts the surrender on behalf of the Allies. -
Battle of Okinawa: American victory in the Pacific
Beginning April 1, 1945, American troops invade Okinawa, a major Japanese stronghold. The victory of the battle on June 21, 1945, opens the way for an attack on Japanse home islands. -
The United Nations (UN) is founded
Fifty-one nations ratify the creation of the UN, a multi-country congress focused on keeping world peace and repairing war-torn Europe. -
Philippines is granted independance from the Unite States
After 425 of Western-dominance, the Philippines begins a new chapter as a sovereign nation. -
Atomic Energy Commission created
The Commission focuses on developing peaceful uses of atomic energy. -
Truman Doctrine is presented to Congress
President Truman asks for $400 million to be poured into Greece and Turkey for support against Communist terrorism and influence. -
Taft-Hartley Labor Act is passed by Congress, overturning Truman's veto
The Act places restrictions on certain union practices, like forcing its members to participate in all activities. -
Soviets blockade supplied and access to West Berlin
Stalin attempts to curtail the Allied development of West Berlin. Allies responded by airlifting food and supplies to Berliners for over a year. -
Executive Order 9981 ends segregation in the U.S. military
Segregation in the United States military becomes illegal. -
Harry S. Truman secures the 1948 Presidential Election
With 303 electoral votes, Truman defeats his three opponents: Thomas Dewey, Strom Thurmond, and Henry Wallace. -
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established
Thirteen countries, including the United States and Canada, form an alliance, hoping to deter attacks on any one of the countries by agreeing to retaliate as a group. -
Communist leaders of the U.S. Community party convicted
The 11 leaders are charged with planning to overthrow the American government. The Supreme Court affirms the guilt of the eleven on June 4, 1951. -
The 1950 census shows a 14% population increase in the past decade
There are now more than 150 million people in the United States. -
Korean War starts: North Korea invades South Korea
The United States sends troops a few days later to push back the Soviet-supported North Korean army. The war lasts three years. -
Convicted: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg found guilty of espionage
The couple is charged with leaking American nuclear research to the Soviet Union. Both are executed on Jun 19, 1951. -
The first Hydrogen bomb is detonated in the Pacific Ocean
The United States successfully develops then detonates the H-bomb at Eniwetok Atoll, releasing more than 1,000 times the energy than an atomic bomb. -
General Dwight D. Eisenhower wins the 1952 election, becoming the 34th U.S. President
Eisenhower, a Republican, defeats Democrat Adlai E. Stevenson with 442 electoral votes. -
Doubles or Nothing: the structure of DNA is found to be a double-helix
The American James Watson and British Francis Crick reveal the structure of the genetic code, a major breakthrough in medical science. -
Color comes to TV
Millions of Americans purchase the late Christmas gift of colored televisions.