Video: 'Combat Roll from the Battle of Attu'
(Sunday, May 30, 1943, Memorial Day; during Battle of Attu, part of the Aleutian Islands Campaign, in the Pacific Theater of World War II) — American troops secured the Aleutian island of Attu today from Japanese forces led by Colonel Yasuyo Yamasaki. It was the only land battle of World War II fought on territory that was part of the incorporated territory of the U.S.
Video: 'Rosie the Riveter: Real Women Workers in World War II'
(Saturday, May 29, 1943; during World War II) — Norman Rockwell’s portrait of “Rosie the Riveter” appeared today on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.
(Wednesday, May 12, 1943, during World War II)— The two-week Trident Conference, headed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, opened today in Washington. The plans for the Italian Campaign, air attacks on Nazi Germany and the Pacific War would be agreed upon during the next two weeks.
Video: 'PT 109'
(Friday, April 23, 1943, part of the Pacific Theater of World War II) — U.S. Navy Lt. (jg) John F. Kennedy assumed command today of PT-109, a motor torpedo boat, in the Solomon Islands during World War II. On Aug. 2, 1943, PT-109 was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, the Amagiri, killing two crew members; the future U.S. president and 10 others managed to survive.
Video: 'Katyn Massacre - Russia and Poland Investigate' (Apr. 13, 1943 at 6:46)
(Tuesday, April 13, 1943; during World War II) — Radio Berlin announced today the discovery of thousands of graves of massacred Polish officers in Russia’s Katyn Forest. The Nazis blamed the estimated 22,000 killings on the Soviets, who in turn blamed the Nazis. Post-Soviet Russia has acknowledged the massacre was carried out by Josef Stalin’s much feared secret police.
Video: 'Celeste Holm - I Cain't Say No'
(Wednesday, March 31, 1943) — Oklahoma!, the first musical play by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, opened today on Broadway at the St. James Theatre in New York City. Ten years later, Oklahoma! would be described as “a new musical that broke all the rules: it had no big-name stars, no bare-legged chorus and, worst of all, it contained a ‘high-brow’ ballet.” Continue reading Musical play ‘Oklahoma!’ opens on Broadway 70 years ago today (1943)
Video: 'Auschwitz II Birkenau Crematorium II'
(Wednesday, March 31, 1943, part of The Holocaust during World War II) — Crematorium II, with the capacity to burn 1440 corpses a day, became operational today at the Auschwitz II–Birkenau extermination camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.
Originally designed as a mortuary, with morgues in the basement and ground-level furnaces, Crematorium II was converted to increase greatly the gassing capacity of Birkenau by placing a gas-tight door on the morgues and adding vents for Zyklon-B and ventilation equipment to remove the gas.
(Monday, March 29, 1943; during World War II) — Rationing of meat, fats and cheese began today in the United States. Rationed meats included beef, pork, veal, lamb, and tinned meats and fish. Poultry, eggs, fresh milk—and Spam—were not rationed. Cheese rationing started with hard cheeses since they were more easily shipped overseas.
Video: '1942 Oscar Winners'
(Thursday, March 4, 1943) — Mrs. Miniver won six Oscars tonight at the 15th Academy Awards, including Outstanding Motion Picture, Best Director for William Wyler and Best Actress for Greer Garson, whose 5 1/2-minute acceptance speech became the butt of industry jokes.
James Cagney won Best Actor for Yankee Doodle Dandy. The ceremonies were held in the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles (click here to watch a newsreel from tonight’s ceremony).
Video: 'Battle of the Bismarck Sea'
(Tuesday, March 2, 1943, at about 10 a.m. local time; part of the Pacific War of World War II) — The three-day Battle of the Bismarck Sea began this morning in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA); U.S. and Australian warplanes were able to inflict heavy damage on an Imperial Japanese convoy.
