1940 Government, Politics, and War (1) Russo-Finnish war ends; Finland cedes land to the Soviet Union

(2) Battle of Britain begins in earnest as the first large air offensive begins with almost 500 bombing sorties by Germany (3) Italian Tenth Army commanded by Marshal Rodolpho Graziani invades Egypt (4) German forces invade Denmark and Norway (5) Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact (6) Italy declares war on Britain and France (7) France under Petain signs armistice with Germany at Rethondes 1941

Arts and Culture (1) Franklin D. Roosevelt reelected to a historic third term as President of the United States (2) Winston Churchill become Prime Minister of Great Britain

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Religion and Philosophy For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

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Government, Politics, and War (1) Germany invades Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa (2) United States declares war on Japan (3) Germany and Italy declare war on United States (4) The US Congress passes the Lend-Lease Bill which will provide billions of dollars of war materials to the Allied powers (5) Britain and US sign the Atlantic Charter (6) Japanese launch surprise attack on U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor Government, Politics, and War (1) Battle of Stalingrad begins (2) Americans destroy 4 Japanese aircraft carriers at the battle of Midway (3) Allies sign the UN

Arts and Culture Reza Shah abdicates; his son Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi becomes ruler

Science and Religion and Technology Philosophy (1) The Messerschmitt Orson Welle's film ME163A rocket Citizen Kane aircraft sets a new speed record of 623 mph (2) Manhattan Project begins

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Declaration (4) American forces at Corregidor in the Philippines surrender (5) United States Marines land on Guadalcanal (6) The British 8th Army under General Bernard Montgomery defeats Axis army at the Second Battle of El Alamein (7) Allied forces land in North Africa Government, Politics, and War (1) Remnants of the German 6th Army surrender at Stalingrad (2) Allied forces launch amphibious invasion of Sicily (3) Italy surrenders to the Allies (4) Teheran Conference (5) The North African campaign of WWII ends as German forces Arts and Culture Science and Technology Penicillin first used successfully to treat a patient Religion and Philosophy Daily Life and Health

surrender (6) The Combined Bomber Offensive launches Operation Pointblank, a strategic bombing campaign against German industry and civilian morale (7) American forces defeat remaining Japanese forces on Guadalcanal Government, Politics, and War (1) Battle of the Bulge (Ardennes) begins (2) D-Day, the Allied Invasion of Normandy, France (3) Allied armored and airborne forces fail to secure Rhine crossing in Operation Market-Garden (4) Dumbarton Oaks Conference (5) Allied forces launch amphibious invasion of the Philippines Arts and Culture Franklin D. Roosevelt wins presidential election for fourth time Science and Technology Religion and Philosophy Lucien Pissarro dies Daily Life and Health

Government, Politics, and War (1) U. S. Marines land on the island of Iwo Jima (2) Germany surrenders (V-E Day) (3) Potsdam Conference begins (4) Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan (5) Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan (6) Japanese sign surrender terms on board the USS Missouri Government, Politics, and War Viet Minh forces launch rebellion against French authority in Vietnam; Beginning of the First Indochina War Government, Politics, and War

Science and Technology (1) Vice President (1) First successful Harry S. Truman test detonation of a becomes President of nuclear weapon at the United States after Alamogordo, New the death of Franklin Mexico D. Roosevelt (2) Percy Spencer (2) Adolf Hitler patents the commits suicide in microwave oven Berlin; Karl Dnitz appointed leader of Germany

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Arts and Culture Communists under Ho Chi Minh win elections in northern part of Vietnam

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UN takes over Palestinian issue from Britain. UN votes to divide Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state; Jerusalem is to be an international city. Government, Politics, and War First Arab-Israeli Wars begins Arts and Culture The State of Israel is officially created; David Ben Gurion becomes first Prime Minister.

Henry Ford dies

Dead Sea Scrolls found

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Religion and Philosophy (1) AbstractExpressionist Jackson Pollock's Number 5 (2) Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar named Desire debuts on Broadway Religion and Philosophy

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Government, Politics, and War Egypt, Lebanon, Transjordan, and Syria sign armistice agreement with Israel

Arts and Culture Communists under Mao assume power in China

Science and Technology (1) The Soviet Union successfully detonates an atomic weapon (2) Orville Wright dies

Daily Life and Health