World War II – Front Line Actions World War II – On the Home Front
Dec. 7 Japanese attack Pearl Harbor
Dec. 8 U.S. declares war on Japan
Dec. 11 Germany and Italy declare war on U.S.
April 11 Office of Price Administration (OPA) established
1942
World War II – Front Line Actions World War II – On the Home Front
May 7 Battle of Coral Sea
June 3 Battle of Midway
Aug. 7 U.S.offensive at Guadalcanal
Aug. 17 First USAAF raid in Europe
Sept. 15 Papua-New Guinea campaign
Nov. 8 Operation Torch (North African campaign)
Jan. 24 OPA authorized to ration goods
Jan. 30 Emergency Price Control Act
Feb. 10 Last new civilian car made
April Japanese-Americans relocated
July 22 Gasoline rationing begins
Nov. 30 First War Loan
Dec. 27 Food Rationing Program announced
1943
World War II – Front Line Actions World War II – On the Home Front
Jan. 4 Tunisian campaign
Feb. 2 Germans surrender at Stalingrad
Mar. 2 Battle of the Bismarck Sea
May 13 North African war ends
June 30 South Pacific offensive begins
Aug. 15 Aleutians retaken
Aug. 17 Patton conquers Sicily
Sept. 9 U.S. Army lands at Salerno, Italy
Oct. 9 USAAF Schweinfurt Raid
Nov. 20 Central Pacific campaign begins
Feb. first point rationing books distributed
April 8 Roosevelt’s “Hold the Line” Order freezes price increases
April 12 Second War Loan
Sept. 9 Third War Loan
1944
World War II – Front Line Actions World War II – On the Home Front
Jan. 22 Allies land at Anzio, Italy
Feb. 7 Allied victory in the Marshall islands
June 4 Rome liberated
June 6 D-Day (Operation Overlord begins in Europe)
June 19 Battle of the Philippines Sea
Aug. 15 Allied invasion of France (Operation Dragoon)
Sept. 10 France liberated
Sept. 11 Invasion of Germany
Oct. 23 Battle of Leyte Gulf
Nov. 24 Bombing of Japan begins
Dec. 16 Battle of the Bulge
Jan. 18 Fourth War Loan
June 12 Fifth War Loan
Nov. 20 Sixth War Loan
1945
World War II – Front Line Actions World War II – On the Home Front
Jan. 9 Philippines Luzon Campaign
Feb. 8 Rhineland Campaign
Feb. 23 Marines plant flag on Iwo Jima
Mar. 9 USAAF Tokyo raid
April 1 Okinawa Campaign
May 2 Fall of Berlin
May 8 VE Day (Germany surrenders)
Aug. 6 Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
Sep. 2 VJ Day (Japan signs surrender agreement)
April 12 Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt; Harry S Truman becomes President
May 14 Seventh War Loan
October 29 Eighth, or Victory, War Loan
For additional American and World events occurring during World War II, see the
1941 – 1945 Timeline
