(Friday, June 12, 1942, 6:45 p.m. EWT) — U.S. President D. Roosevelt called on the American people tonight to dig into their attics, cellars, garages and barns for old rubber articles of every description and sell them to 400,000 neighborhood gasoline filling stations for 1 cent a pound between June 15-30 as a contribution to the nation’s all-out effort to defeat the Axis.

Video: Yorktown torpedoed (at 5:11)

(Saturday, June 6, 1942, 10:20 p.m. ET, part of the Pacific Theater of World War II) — The Japanese withdrew today on the third day of The Battle of Midway, but the damaged US carrier Yorktown was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-168. Still, the Yorktown remains afloat. However, a third torpedo from this salvo struck and sank the destroyer USS Hammann, which had been providing auxiliary power to Yorktown. Hammann broke in two with the loss of 80 lives, most due to her own depth charges exploding.

Video: Battle of Midway, June 5, 1942 (at 3:59)

(Friday, June 5, 1942, part of the Pacific Theater of World War II) — On the second day of The Battle of Midway, Japanese heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma collide and sustain damage while maneuvering to avoid a submarine attack (Miruma was sunk by air attack on June 6). Two more Japanese carriers are lost: Akagi is scuttled and Hiryu sinks from damage sustained yesterday.

Video: Cologne bombed (at 12:06)

(Sunday, May 31, 1942, 12:47 a.m. local time, during World War II) — Three-fourths of Cologne, Germany, was set afire and a great area of the German Rhineland metropolis of 756,000 population was flattened early this morning by tremendous weights of explosives delivered by 1,047 Royal Air Force (RAF) planes tonight in the greatest raid in all aerial warfare to date. Continue reading 1,000 British bombers attack Cologne 70 years ago this hour (1942) →

Video: Second Battle of Kharkov (at 12:46)

(Thursday, May 28, 1942, part of the Eastern Front of World War II) — The Second Battle of Kharkov in the eastern Ukraine ended today as Germany scored a victory by knocking out the Russian force threatening Kharkov. In all, 170,958 Soviets were killed, missing or captured since May 12. Continue reading Soviets defeated in Second Battle of Kharkov 70 years ago today (1942) →

(Wednesday, May 27, 1942, during World War II) — Navy Cook 3rd Class Doris “Dorie” Miller became the first African-American to receive the Navy Cross today for his “extraordinary courage and disregard for his own personal safety” during Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet, presented to Miller on board aircraft carrier Enterprise for his extraordinary courage in battle.

Video: Nazis push toward Tobruk (at 4:49)

(Tuesday, May 26, 1942, part of the Western Desert Campaign during World War II) — The Battle of Gazala began today as German and Italian units pushed toward the port of Tobruk in Libya.

Video: 'The Joseph Warren Stilwell Story - The Big Picture'

(Monday, May 25, 1942, during World War II) — U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Stilwell, frustrated over being driven out of Burma by Japanese troops, bluntly told reporters in Delhi, India today, “I claim we got a hell of a beating.”

Video: May 8, 1942 (at 3:06)

(Friday, May 8, 1942, part of the Pacific War of World War II) — The Battle of Coral Sea, a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval and air forces from the United States and Australia, ended today with the loss of the carrier USS Lexington and the Japanese carrier Shoho. Continue reading Japanese repulsed as Battle of the Coral Sea ends 70 years ago today (1942) →