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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1925 | - 21 Jan 1925: Scopes "Monkey" Trial
A high school teacher, John Scopes, was tried for teaching evolution in a highly publicized trial.
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| 2 | 1927 | - 1 Jan 1927: Charles Lindbergh's solo flight
Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.
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| 3 | 1929 | - 29 Oct 1929: Stock Market Crash
Known as "Black Tuesday," the stock market crashed, beginning the Great Depression.
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| 4 | 1931 | - 1 Jan 1931: Empire State Building opens
The Empire State Building officially opened in New York City.
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| 5 | 1932 | - 1 Jan 1932: Bonus Army march
Thousands of World War I veterans marched on Washington, D.C., to demand early payment of a bonus owed to them.
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| 6 | 1933 | - 1 Jan 1933: 20th Amendment ratified
The 20th Amendment was ratified, moving the presidential inauguration date from March to January.
- 4 Mar 1933: FDR's first inauguration
Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd President, promising a "New Deal" for the American people.
- 5 Apr 1933: FDR's Fireside Chats
President Roosevelt began his series of radio broadcasts to address the American public directly.
- 5 Dec 1933: 21st Amendment ratified
The 21st Amendment was ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and ending Prohibition.
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| 7 | 1935 | - 1 Jan 1935: Social Security Act
A law was passed creating a system of old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and aid for disabled and dependent Americans.
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| 8 | 1936 | - 1 Jan 1936: Jesse Owens at the Olympics
African American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, defying Adolf Hitler's belief in Aryan supremacy.
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| 9 | 1937 | - 1 Jan 1937: Hindenburg disaster
The German airship Hindenburg caught fire while docking in New Jersey, ending the era of commercial airship travel.
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| 10 | 1938 | - 1 Jan 1938: Fair Labor Standards Act
A law was passed establishing a national minimum wage, a 40-hour work week, and prohibiting child labor.
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| 11 | 1939 | - 1 Jan 1939: World War II begins in Europe
Germany invaded Poland, marking the start of World War II in Europe.
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| 12 | 1940 | - 1 Jan 1940: FDR reelected for third term
Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first and only president to be elected to a third term.
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| 13 | 1941 | - 11 Mar 1941: Lend-Lease Act
Congress passed a law allowing the U.S. to lend or lease war supplies to Allied nations.
- 7 Dec 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
- 8 Dec 1941: U.S. declares war on Japan
The United States officially entered World War II.
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| 14 | 1942 | - 1 Jan 1942: Declaration by United Nations
Representatives of 26 Allied nations signed a declaration to fight against the Axis powers.
- 19 Feb 1942: Japanese-American internment
President Roosevelt signed an executive order authorizing the internment of Japanese Americans.
- 25 Feb 1942: Battle of Los Angeles
A rumored air raid on Los Angeles led to a panicked anti-aircraft barrage, though no enemy planes were ever found.
- 4 Jun 1942: Battle of Midway
The U.S. Navy defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of Midway, a turning point in the Pacific War.
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| 15 | 1943 | - 1 Jan 1943: War Production Board
The U.S. government took control of industries to produce war materials.
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| 16 | 1944 | - 1 Jan 1944: Servicemen's Readjustment Act (G.I. Bill)
A law that provided benefits to World War II veterans, including low-cost mortgages and tuition assistance.
- 6 Jun 1944: D-Day Invasion
Allied forces launched a massive amphibious invasion of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe.
- 17 Dec 1944: Battle of the Bulge begins
The German army launched a surprise counteroffensive in the Ardennes region of Belgium.
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| 17 | 1945 | - 20 Jan 1945: FDR's fourth inauguration
Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for an unprecedented fourth term.
- 4 Feb 1945—11 Feb 1945: The leaders of the U.S.
and Soviet Union met to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe.
- 12 Apr 1945: FDR dies
President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office; Harry S. Truman became president.
- 28 Apr 1945: Mussolini executed
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was captured and executed.
- 30 Apr 1945: Hitler commits suicide
Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his Berlin bunker.
- 8 May 1945: V-E Day (Victory in Europe)
The Allied forces celebrated the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.
- 26 Jun 1945: United Nations Charter signed
The United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco, officially creating the organization.
- 16 Jul 1945: First atomic bomb test (Trinity)
The first detonation of a nuclear weapon occurred in the New Mexico desert.
- 17 Jul 1945—2 Aug 1945: The leaders of the U.S.
and Soviet Union met to decide the future of Germany.
- 6 Aug 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
The U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
- 8 Aug 1945: Soviets declare war on Japan
The Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria.
- 9 Aug 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
A second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki, Japan.
- 14 Aug 1945: V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day)
Japan announced its unconditional surrender, effectively ending World War II.
- 2 Sep 1945: Formal Japanese surrender
Japanese officials formally signed the instrument of surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
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