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Lend-Lease Act
The act empowered President Franklin Roosevelt to "sell, transfer title to, exchange, lease, lend, or otherwise dispose of, to any such government [whose defense the President deems vital to the defense of the United States] any defense article." Roosevelt could allow the transfer of military materials to Britain with the given that they would eventually be paid for or returned if they were not destroyed.
Through October 1941 the British received over $1 billion in aid. -
Philip Randolph’s Proposed March
Philip Randolph led the March on Washington Movement (MOWM) in 1941 to secure jobs for African Americans in the industries contracting with the federal government to build up the national defense. The march was also designed to pressure the U.S. government into desegregating the armed forces and providing fair working opportunities for African Americans.
Randolph called off the march when President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 in 1941. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked by Japanese fighter pilots. The attack was a surprise which Japan undertook without a declaration of war. This provoked the United States to join the Allies (Great Britain and the Soviet Union) and end its neutral stance on World War II.
"Pearl Harbor was the worst naval disaster in U.S. history, with more than 2,000 casualties, dozens of aircraft destroyed, and 16 ships damaged or destroyed." -
Battle of Midway
Lasted from June 4-7, 1942, six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The Battle of Midway was a naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II in which the United States had a decisive victory over Japan (marking the first distinct Japanese defeat since the outbreak of World War II). -
D-Day
Also called the Battle of Normandy.
More than 5,000 warships and landing craft gathered off England's shores in preparation for the invasion. This was the largest seaborne invasion in history and started the liberation of German-occupied northwestern Europe from Nazi control, eventually resulting in a definite Allied victory. -
Fall of Berlin
From April 16- May 2, 1945.
The Battle of Berlin was the final major offensive of the European theatre of World War II. The Soviets attacked Berlin and captured it by the end of April. "Hitler committed suicide in his bunker beneath Berlin on April 30 as the Soviets closed in." The remaining German forces finally surrendered unconditionally to the Allies on May 8. -
Dropping the Atomic Bombs
August 6th on Hiroshima & August 9th on Nagasaki.
There has been a lot of controversy over why Truman decided to use the atomic bomb. Possibly because he regarded the weapon as a way to end the war fast with minimal loss of American life. He eventually gave the order to drop the bomb on Hiroshima when the Japanese refused to surrender unconditionally. It killed 80,000 people. Three days later, after the Japanese still did not surrender, the second bomb fell on Nagasaki killing 100,000.
