The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established in March 1933, during the first 100 days of President Franklin Roosevelt's administration. The CCC met two important Roosevelt goals: preserving the environment and providing sorely needed financial relief. The CCC was initially popular; by 1935 employing a half -a-million men in 2,500 work camps, primarily in the West. As World War II approached, enrollment declined and the CCC officially disbanded...

Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945, agreeing to cease combat by 11:01 pm on May 8. The surrender was accepted by representatives from the Allied forces, in a schoolhouse in Rheims, France. World War II did not officially end, however, until the Japanese surrendered in September 1945.

In 1935 Benito Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in an attempt to expand the scope of his dictatorship. Forced into exile, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie turned to League of Nations for assistance. The League imposed minor economic sanctions against Italy, but Selassie was unable to secure military support in defense of his country until the start of World War II. Selassie was reinstated as emperor in 1941.

The tiny island of Iwo Jima, recently renamed Iwo To, served as a strategic air base during World War II. In early 1945, U.S. bombers began making runs over the island in preparation for a landing. The U.S. invasion of Iwo Jima stood as one of the deadliest battles in the Pacific theater of the war, as Japanese soldiers refused to surrender and fought almost literally to the last man. The high casualty rate on Iwo Jima was later seen as an ominous...

In June 1944, under the direction of General Dwight Eisenhower, an Allied armada crossed the English Channel, carrying troops who would carry out the invasion of Nazi-occupied France. The D-Day landing proved to be the start of the downfall of the German army, as it allowed the Allies to gain a foothold in Western Europe.

World War II has sometimes been referred to as the "Good War" because of its widespread public support, the economic boom that it caused, and the sense of fighting for a just cause. The Office of War Information's (OWI) Domestic Branch produced radio, film, and written materials for dissemination to the American public. The goal was to create unity and boost morale and motivation surrounding the war effort. Many celebrities joined the cause, selling...

In June 1945, Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey's fleet was hit by a typhoon in the South China Sea off Okinawa. Aircraft carriers and other ships were damaged by the high winds and waves generated by the typhoon. The USS Pittsburgh lost 104 feet from its bow during a typhoon.

Near the end of World War II, Allied forces conducted near constant bombing runs of the German city of Berlin. After the German surrender on May 7, 1945, Berliners restarted their lives in the shattered city. Surviving on severely limited food rations and British aid, residents adapted as best they could. They moved their businesses onto the streets because of electricity rationing, and cut down trees in city parks to use as fuel. Many parents sent...

In August 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British prime minister Winston Churchill met in Newfoundland to sign the Atlantic Charter, which delineated the aims for war against Germany. Although the United States was not yet officially involved in World War II, President Roosevelt had declared support for Britain through the Lend-Lease Act. In 1942 more than two dozen additional nations signed the Atlantic Charter.

In a refusal to be terrorized by the constant German bombing raids on their city, Londoners continued their daily lives by adapting to the destruction. The German Blitz destroyed homes, offices, and restaurants, but at the government's insistence businesses still ran amid the wreckage.