1940 – 1949 World History Winston Churchill (1874–1965) National Archives and Records Admin. Yalta Conference U.S. Army Photos Anne Frank (1929–1945) Archive Photos Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) The Library of Congress Picture Collection Woody Guthrie (1912–1967) Archive Photos 1940 Hitlerinvades Norway, Denmark(April 9),the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg(May 10),and France(May 12). Churchillbecomes Britain's prime minister. Trotsky assassinated in Mexico(Aug. 20).Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania annexed by USSR. U.S. trades 50 destroyers for leases on British bases in Western Hemisphere. Selective ServiceAct signed. The first official network television broadcast is put out by NBC. 1941 Germany attacks the Balkans and Russia. Japanese surprise attack on U.S. fleet at Pearl Harborbrings U.S. into World War II; U.S. and Britain declare war on Japan. Manhattan Project(atomic bomb research) begins. Roosevelt enunciates “four freedoms,”signs Lend-LeaseAct, declares national emergency, promises aid to USSR. Orson Welles'sCitizen Kane. 1942 Declaration of United Nationssigned in Washington(Jan. 1). Nazileaders attend Wannsee Conference to coordinate the “final solution to the Jewish question,” the systematic genocide of Jews known as the Holocaust. (For detailed chronology of the Holocaust,see The Holocaust.) Women's military services established. Enrico Fermiachieves nuclear chain reaction. More than 120,000 Japanese and persons of Japanese ancestry living in western U.S. moved to “relocation centers,” some for the duration of the war (Executive Order 9066). Coconut Grove nightclub fire in Boston kills 492(Nov. 28). 1943 Churchill and Roosevelt hold Casablanca Conference(Jan. 14–23). Mussolinideposed. President freezes prices, salaries, and wages to prevent inflation. Income tax withholding introduced. 1944 Allies invade Normandy on D-Day(June 6).G.I. Bill of Rights enacted. Bretton Woods Conferencecreates International Monetary Fundand World Bank(July 1–22).Dumbarton Oaks Conference—U.S., British Commonwealth, and USSR propose establishment of United Nations(Aug. 21–Oct. 7). Battle of the Bulge(Dec. 16). Woody Guthrierecords “This Land is Your Land.” Gunnar Myrdal'sAn American Dilemma. 1945 Yalta Conference(Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin) plans final defeat of Germany(Feb. 4–11). FDRdies(April 12). Hitlercommits suicide(April 30);Germany surrenders(May 7);May 8is declared V-E Day. Potsdam Conference (Truman, Churchill, Stalin) establishes basis of German reconstruction(July–Aug.).U.S. drops atomic bombson Japanese cities of Hiroshima(Aug. 6)and Nagasaki(Aug. 9).Japan signs official surrender on V-J Day(Sept. 2).United Nations established(Oct. 24).First electronic computer, ENIAC, built. 1946 First meeting of UNGeneral Assembly opens in London(Jan. 10).Winston Churchill's “Iron Curtain” speech warns of Soviet expansion(March 5).League of Nations dissolved(April).Italy abolishes monarchy(June).Verdict in Nuremberg war trial: 12 Nazileaders (including 1 tried in absentia) sentenced to hang; 7 imprisoned; 3 acquitted(Oct. 1). Goeringcommits suicide a few hours before 10 other Nazis are executed(Oct. 15). Juan Perónbecomes president of Argentina. Benjamin Spock's childcare classic published. 1947 Britain nationalizescoal mines(Jan. 1).Peace treaties for Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland signed in Paris(Feb. 10).Soviet Union rejects U.S. plan for UN atomic-energy control(March 4). Trumanproposes Truman Doctrine, which was to aid Greece and Turkey in resisting communist expansion(March 12). Marshall Planfor European recovery proposed—a coordinated program to help European nations recover from ravages of war(June).(By the time it ended in 1951, this “European Recovery Program” had cost $13 billion.) Indiaand Pakistangain independence from Britain(Aug. 15).U.S. Air Force pilot Chuck Yeagerbecomes first person to break the sound barrier(Oct. 14). Jackie Robinsonjoins the Brooklyn Dodgers. Anne Frank'sThe Diary of a Young Girlpublished. 1948 Gandhiassassinated in New Delhi by Hindu fanatic(Jan. 30). Burma(Jan. 4)and Ceylon(Feb. 4)granted independence by Britain. Communists seize power in Czechoslovakia(Feb. 23–25). Organization of American States(OAS) Charter signed at Bogotá, Colombia(April 30).Nation of Israelproclaimed; British end mandate at midnight; Arab armies attack(May 14). Berlin blockadebegins(June 24),prompting Allied airlift(June 26).(Blockade endsMay 12, 1949;airlift continues untilSept. 30, 1949.) Stalinand Titobreak(June 28).Independent Republic of Koreais proclaimed, following election supervised by UN(Aug. 15).Verdict in Japanese war trial: 18 imprisoned(Nov. 12); Tojoand six others hanged(Dec. 23).United States of Indonesiaestablished as Dutch and Indonesians settle conflict(Dec. 27). Alger Hiss, former U.S. State Department official, indicted on perjury charges after denying passing secret documents to communist spy ring;