World War II
MacArthur’s Triumphant Return to Philippines
On October 20, 1944, General Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines.
President Truman Announces Japan’s Surrender
After nearly six years of a world at war, the Japanese surrendered on August 14, 1945, effectively ending World War II.
Work Begins on the Berlin Wall
When the Nazis were defeated in World War II, Germany was divided into two countries. Shortly after midnight on August 13, 1961, East German soldiers laid barbed wire and bricks, creating the Berlin Wall.
Smokey Bear Created to Join the War Effort
On August 9, 1944, the U.S. Forest Service created Smokey Bear to encourage people to prevent forest fires.
First Flight of the B-17 Flying Fortress
On July 28, 1935, Boeing’s Model 299, as it was called at the time, embarked on its first flight from a Seattle airfield. The plane would go on to be one of the most famous used during World War II.
First Women Inducted into the U.S. Air Force
Staff Sergeant Esther McGowin Blake raised her right hand and enlisted in the first minute women were allowed to join the U.S. Air Force on July 8, 1948. In doing so, she paved the way for a new generation of women’s military service.
