1942-1953

  • Executive order 9066

    President Roosevelt signed this order giving military commanders free reign to declare "military zones," leading to the internment of German Americans, Italian Americans, and most notably, Japanese Americans
  • Roosevelt's reelection

    Franklin Roosevelt defeated Thomas Dewey, becoming the only president to serve four terms
  • Bombing of Hiroshima

    The United States drops the atomic bomb nicknamed "little boy" on Hiroshima, Japan
  • War ends in the Pacific

    Aboard the USS Missouri, the Japanese sign their official surrender, ending the war in the Pacific definitively
  • Jackie Robinson signs with the Brooklyn Dodgers

    Jackie Robinson became the first black player break the MLB color barrier in over sixty years
  • Korean War begins

    President Truman sends military aid to South Korea after it is invaded by North Korea
  • Soviet spies convicted

    Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death after being found guilty of espionage
  • The Korean War ends

    The U.S., South Korea, China, and North Korea sign an armistice ending the Korean War