Strange-but-true stories from World War II
Today’s post comes from Tammy Williams, archivist and social media coordinator at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum. In 1945, while Katherine Fite worked as an Assistant to the Legal Advisor in the State Department, her supervisor recommended her for a temporary assignment as an assistant to Justice Robert H. Jackson with the … Continue reading “It is history and it is fascinating”: Katherine Fite and the Nuremberg War Crime Trials, 1945
August 6, 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb. Today’s post comes from Michael J. Hancock, an archives technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Two American atomic bombs ended World War II in August 1945, and the devastation will be forever remembered. In an instant when … Continue reading Little Boy: The First Atomic Bomb
July 30, 2020, marks the 75th Anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Today’s post comes from Michael J. Hancock, archives technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Sometimes a movie can provide a history lesson in its story arc—an event that few in the audience are familiar with. Such is the … Continue reading The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis
Today’s post comes from Joseph P. Keefe, an archives specialist at the National Archives at Boston. In November 1942, following the Allies successful invasion of North Africa, over 51,000 Italian prisoners of war were sent to the United States to POW camps. On September 3, 1943, Allied forces made amphibious landings on the mainland of Italy, … Continue reading The Italian Service Units of World War II in Boston
Today's post comes from Lori Norris, an archives technician a the National Archives at College Park. As we face the uncertainty of the current COVID-19 pandemic, one helpful invention has eased the anxieties of staying at home and assists us daily with our new teleworking lives. Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, allows us to stay plugged … Continue reading The World War II-Era Actress Who Invented Wi-Fi: Hedy Lamarr
Join @USNatArchives today on Twitter for our #ArchivesFacialHair Hashtag Party. Today's post comes from Vincent Bartholomew from the National Archives History Office. Albert Einstein, 1936. (National Archives Identifier 596270) German-born and Swiss-educated theoretical physicist Albert Einstein is possibly best known for his mass—energy equivalence formula, E = MC2 (Energy = Mass x Speed of Light2), … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: M=Mustache
Today's post comes from Jennifer Johnson, a curator at the National Archives at Kansas City. Willa Beatrice Brown is featured in the nationwide traveling exhibit One Half of the People: Advancing Equality for Women. Perhaps one of the less recognizable names, but certainly as noteworthy, she was a woman who achieved great success despite limited … Continue reading The Maker of Pilots: Aviator and Civil Rights Activist Willa Beatrice Brown
Today’s post comes from Mitchell Yockelson, an Investigative Archivist with the Archival Recovery Program at the National Archives. This year marks the 75th anniversary of D-day. Weighed down by hand grenades, a compass, entrenching tool, canteen, knife, rifle, pistol, ammunition belt, first aid kit, and two parachutes (main and reserve), Maj. Philip Gage jumped from … Continue reading An Unforgettable Day
This year marks 75 years since the invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, more commonly known as D-day. Today’s post comes from Megan Huang in the National Archives History Office. On June 6, 1944, in one of the most well-remembered moments of World War II, American, British, and Canadian forces stormed the 50-mile stretch … Continue reading 75th Anniversary of D-Day
For over 30 years Robert “Bob” Wolfe was the senior archivist for the captured German records at the National Archives seized during World War II. Now the Robert Wolfe Collection is available through the National Archives Library Information Center. After Wolfe passed away in 2014, his family donated his collection of works on World War … Continue reading Robert “Bob” Wolfe: Captured German Records Expert
