Category Archives: 1940s

Japanese floatplane drops incendiary bombs on Oregon forest in first air attack on U.S. mainland during World War II 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 9 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'Almanac: The day Japan bombed Oregon'

(Wednesday, September 9, 1942, lookout reported a plume of smoke at 12:20 p.m. PWT; during the Lookout Air Raids, part of the American theater and Pacific theater of World War II) — In the first air attack on the U.S. mainland during World War II, a Japanese floatplane dropped incendiary bombs today in the Siskiyou National Forest, some ten miles east of Brookings, on the southern Oregon coast. Continue reading Japanese floatplane drops incendiary bombs on Oregon forest in first air attack on U.S. mainland during World War II 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 9 1942) →

Six Nazi saboteurs who recently landed on U.S. shores are executed in Washington, D.C. 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 8 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'Operation Pastorius - Hitler's Dream to See New York in Flames'

(Saturday, August 8, 1942, executions started at about noon EDT; the result of Operation Pastorius, part of the American Theater of World War II) — Six of the eight Nazi saboteurs who were captured after landing on U.S. soil two months ago were executed in the electric chair today at the District of Columbia Jail, while the two others were sentenced to serve hard labor for life and for thirty years, respectively. Continue reading Six Nazi saboteurs who recently landed on U.S. shores are executed in Washington, D.C. 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 8 1942) →

U.S. Marines land at southern Solomon Islands, launching Guadalcanal Campaign against Japan 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 7 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: '154 - Guadalcanal - Allies Take the Initiative - WW2 - August 7, 1942' (Americans land at Guadalcanal at 6:19)

(Friday, August 7, 1942, 8:00 a.m. Solomon Islands Time, launching the Battle of Tulagi and Gavutu–Tanambogo and the Guadalcanal Campaign, part of the Solomon Islands campaign of the Pacific Theater of World War II) — Allied forces, predominantly United States Marines, landed this morning on Guadalcanal, Tulagi, and Florida in the southern Solomon Islands, with the objective of using Guadalcanal and Tulagi as bases in supporting a campaign to eventually capture or neutralize the major Japanese base at Rabaul on New Britain. Continue reading U.S. Marines land at southern Solomon Islands, launching Guadalcanal Campaign against Japan 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Aug 7 1942) →

First Battle of El Alamein in British-occupied Egypt ends in stalemate 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 27 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: '153 - Not a Step Back! - Wehrmacht Closes in on Stalingrad - WW2 - July 31, 1942' (First Battle of El Alamein at 13:50)

(Monday, July 27, 1942, part of Western Desert Campaign of World War II) — The First Battle of El Alamein, fought in Egypt between Axis and Allied forces, ended in stalemate today, when attacks by the British Army’s XXX Corps failed to gain ground in Operation Manhood. Continue reading First Battle of El Alamein in British-occupied Egypt ends in stalemate 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 27 1942) →

Nazis begin transporting Jews from Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka death camp 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 22 1942)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'The 100 Deadliest Days of the Holocaust Begin... - WAH 039 - July 1942, Pt .2' (July 22, 1942, at 4:18)

(Wednesday, July 22, 1942, “resettlement” ordered to begin at 11:00 a.m. Central European Summer Time; during The Holocaust, part of World War II) — The systematic deportation of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto to the Treblinka death camp began today as the German SS, headed by the “Resettlement Commissioner” Sturmbannführer Hermann Höfle, called a meeting of the Ghetto Jewish Council Judenrat and informed its leader Adam Czerniaków about the “resettlement to the East.” Continue reading Nazis begin transporting Jews from Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka death camp 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 22 1942) →

‘Jingle Jangle Jingle’ by Kay Kyser peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 18 1942)

1940s, Popular Music 1940s

(Saturday, July 18, 1942) — “Jingle Jangle Jingle” by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra (vocal chorus by Harry Babbitt, Julie Conway and The Group) peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for the first of eight consecutive weeks (July 18/25, Aug. 1/8/15/22/29, Sept. 5, 1942). Continue reading ‘Jingle Jangle Jingle’ by Kay Kyser peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 18 1942) →

Top Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler begins two-day visit at Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 17 1942)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'The 100 Deadliest Days of the Holocaust Begin... - WAH 039 - July 1942, Pt .2' (Himmler at Auschwitz, July 17-18, 1942, at 2:28)

(Friday, July 17, 1942, late afternoon Central European Summer Time; part of The Holocaust, during World War II) — Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, Germany’s Minister of the Interior, began a two-day visit to the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp today in Nazi-occupied Poland, his second and final visit to the facility that would witness the murders of 1.3 million people, about 90 percent of them Jewish, through 1945. Continue reading Top Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler begins two-day visit at Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 17 1942) →

Nazis liquidate Rovno Ghetto in Ukraine, 5,000 Jews taken to nearby forest and shot 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 13 1942)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'Return to Rivne'

(Monday, July 13, 1942, 10:00 p.m. Central European Summer Time; part of The Holocaust during World War II) — The Rovno Ghetto, a World War II Nazi ghetto established in December 1941 in the city of Rovno, western Ukraine, in the territory of German-administered Reichskommissariat Ukraine, was liquidated tonight when a “shared” division of the SS and Ukrainian police units surrounded the ghetto, positioned spotlights around it and turned them on. Continue reading Nazis liquidate Rovno Ghetto in Ukraine, 5,000 Jews taken to nearby forest and shot 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 13 1942) →

Nearly decimated Allied Arctic convoy PQ 17 suffers final losses one day ahead of arrival in Russia 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 10 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'The worst naval decision of WW2? - The Destruction of PQ17'

(Friday, July 10, 1942; part of the Second World War, Arctic Campaign) — PQ 17, the code name for an Allied convoy in the Arctic Ocean sailing eastbound from Hvalfjord, Iceland (on June 27, 1942), for the port of Arkhangelsk, Russia, today suffered final losses as German submarine U-251 sank Panamanian freighter El Capitan and German submarine U-376 sank U.S. ship Hoosier in the Barents Sea. Continue reading Nearly decimated Allied Arctic convoy PQ 17 suffers final losses one day ahead of arrival in Russia 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 10 1942) →

Anne Frank’s family takes refuge in ‘Secret Annex’ of Amsterdam warehouse to hide from Nazi occupiers 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 6 1942)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'Anne Frank - Lembrada - Legendado' (July 6, 1942, at 24:18)

(Monday, July 6, 1942, 7:30 a.m. Central European Summer Time; part of The Holocaust during World War II) — One day after Margot Frank, a 16-year-old Jewish girl living in Nazi-occupied Holland, received a call-up notice to report to a work camp in Germany, the Frank family (Anne, 13, and her parents, Otto and Edith), went into hiding today in rooms above and behind the premesis of her father’s business in Amsterdam, where some of his most trusted employees would help them survive. Continue reading Anne Frank’s family takes refuge in ‘Secret Annex’ of Amsterdam warehouse to hide from Nazi occupiers 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jul 6 1942) →