1940-1949

     I believe the main theme for the 1940's was World War II, and post WWII leading into the Cold War.  It concerned and affected Americans for many reasons.  For one thing, WWII was the biggest war America has ever fought in, and one of the most important.  There were many key events happening during it, like the nationwide conservation and rationing programs.  The Japanese people were also an important part, even though they were treated extremely unfairly and put in internment camps.  But there was a good side to the war.  It got us out of the depression by creating jobs and transforming the industry into a war machine.  This also allowed for new roles and new jobs for women.  Unfortunately though, like all wars, many soldiers died.  After the war with Harry Truman as President and atomic weapons proven successful, we started worrying about the communist threat here and overseas.  All these issues impacted America and led up to the end of the decade when the war was over and the red scare started progressing even more.

     Of the all the things of the 1940's that still affect us today, WWII has probably had the biggest impact.  There have been countless books, movies, and documentaries made about it, like Saving Private Ryan.  People also mourn the horrors of the holocaust that occurred during WWII.  The Cold War also started at the end 1940's and during it we came close to nuclear war, saw the Berlin Wall go up in 1961, fall in 1989, and saw the end (for now) of communism in the USSR.

Events of This Decade
*Starred Events relate to the main theme.

    1940-Roosevelt asks Congress to approve the production of 50,000 airplanes per year.

    1941-"A. Philip Randolph suggests a march on Washington to end discrimination."
  *December 7, 1941-Japan launches a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor destroying five battleships, three cruisers, several smaller vessels, and almost 200 airplanes.
  *December 8, 1941-The United States official declares war on Japan.

    1942-Popular movies such as Casablanca glorify the war effort and inspire troops.
    1942-The Revenue Act of 1942 increases the number of Americans who pay income taxes.
  *May 15, 1942-Women are allowed to serve in all branches of the Armed services,
    except for the Marine Corps.
  *1942-Japanese Americans are relocated to internment camps because of the suspicions of spies.
    1943-Almost 400,000 coal miners go on strike.
    1943-Congress passes the Smith-Connally Act limiting strikes.
    1943-Race riots occur in Los Angeles.
    1943-Race riots also break out in Detroit.
  *June 6, 1944-Allied forces invade Normandy (refereed to as "D-Day").
    1944-FDR wins an unprecedented third term as President.  By this time he was an ailing man during WWII.
  *December 1944-The Germans launch a counterattack in Belgium and Luxembourg named the Battle of the Bulge.  Their unsuccessful attempt left Germany vulnerable against allied attacks.   After this Hitler commited suicide and Germany surrendered to the Allies.

    April 1945-President Roosevelt dies after his trip to Europe to meet with world leaders.
  *June 26, 1945-The United Nations becomes established.
    July 16, 1945-In the desert at Alamogordo, New Mexico, scientists detonated the world's first atomic bomb.
  *August 6, 1945-The United States drops the 1st atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.  "Little Boy"

  *August 9, 1945-The United States drops the 2nd atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.  "Fat Man"

  *September 2, 1945-Japanese leaders accept the American terms of surrender.
  *1945-Japanese Americans are finally released from internment camps.
    1945-Fifty new nations adopt the United Nations charter in San Francisco.
  *1946-Winston Churchill gives his famous "iron curtain" speech in Fulton, Missouri, telling of his plan to keep West Germany out of Russia's hands.
    1947-Congress passes Taft-Hartley Act to curb the power of unions.
    1947-Jackie Robinson becomes the first African American to play baseball for the Major Leagues.

    1948-Scientists invent the transistor, a pivotal part in sizing down computers and other technological devices.
    1948-President Truman bans racial segregation in the armed forces.
  *1948-George Orwell's frightening novel about communism and the future of America, 1984, is published.
  *1949-The North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) is established. 

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