American Events from 1942-1953

By Paige Bull
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    Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidency

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 to 1945. He was a member of the Democrat Party and served as President for four terms during WWII. He later died in office from a cerebral hemorrhage.

  • D-Day (Normandy Invasion)

    Despite knowing of the oncoming invasion, Nazi-Germany lost the fight of the Allied forces entering France through several Normandy beaches. D-Day was a victory that led to a hopeful spark in WWII.

  • Servicemen's Readjustment Act

    Popularly known as the G.I. Bill, the Servicemen's Readjustment Act offered Americans stipends to attend college, low-interest home loans, business loans, and benefits for the unemployed.

  • Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    On August 6 and August 9 of 1945, President Harry S. Truman authorized the bombings of Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombings were the first use of nuclear warfare in battle.

  • First Successful American Defibrilation

    Claude S. Beck performed the first documented successful defibrillation on an American in 1947. He had performed the feat on a fourteen-year old boy.

  • Taft-Hartley Act

    Also known as the Labor-Management Relations Act, the Taft-Hartley Act reformed the American labor system. It banned places of work from running closed shops, It barred collective bargaining, required workers to take oaths stating that they were not a part of the Communist party, and allowed states to pass "right-to-work" laws. Finally, the act allowed the President to halt any strikes.

  • Establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

    Also known as the Washington Treaty, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed between Belgium, France, Denmark, the United States, Canada, Luxemburg, Italy, Iceland, Portugal, Norway, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It was established as a defensive alliance and as a measure to prevent the Soviet Union from expanding.

  • Introduction of Credit Cards

    The first true American credit card was considered to be the Diners Club Card used in New York City. The balance had to be paid off each month.

  • Election of Dwight D. Eisenhower to the U.S. Presidency

    Dwight D. Eisenhower won the 1952 U.S. election for the presidency against Democrat Adlai Stevenson by a landslide.