Strange-but-true stories from World War II
February 19 is the Day of Remembrance commemorating the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 authorizing the forced evacuation and relocation of all people in “military areas” who might pose a threat to national security. Since the Japanese bombing of Pearl … Continue reading Japanese American Internment: Righting a Wrong
Today’s post comes from Christine Blackerby, an archives specialist with the Center for Legislative Archives at the National Archives in Washington, DC. 2017 marks the centennial of the swearing-in of the first woman to become a member of the U.S. Congress, Jeannette Rankin (R-Montana). A pacifist and suffragist, Rankin was elected to Congress four years … Continue reading Jeannette Rankin: The woman who voted to give women the right to vote
On January 20, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made history by being the first President to be inaugurated for a third term. The previous year, Roosevelt had been elected President for the third time, and the inauguration marked the start of his third term in office. No other President in American history had been elected … Continue reading A Precedent-Breaking Inauguration
Today's post comes from Jim Worsham, editor of Prologue, the quarterly magazine of the National Archives. As news emerged of the Japanese sneak attacks on Pearl Harbor and other U.S. installations in the Pacific 75 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt began writing the speech he would give to Congress the next day. The news was bad, … Continue reading The Day of Infamy Speech: Well-Remembered but Still Missing
Today’s post comes from Sonia Kahn in the National Archives History Office. Learn more about the day of infamy by visiting the National Archives News. From its food to its anime to its cars to its video games, Japanese culture is part of everyday American life today. In 1941, however, the idea of so much Japanese … Continue reading Remembering “a date which will live in infamy”
In honor of Veterans Day, today’s post comes to you from Sanjana Barr of the National Archives History Office. On September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed legislation returning the official date for celebrating Veterans Day to November 11. For the previous four years, Veterans Day had been observed on the fourth Monday in … Continue reading Gerald Ford: President and Veteran
Today’s post comes from Sonia Kahn in the National Archives History Office. It is part six of a series on the history behind some of the seized foreign records housed at the National Archives. During and immediately following World War II, Allied governments aggressively sought Nazi diplomatic papers. The Allies would use these documents not … Continue reading The German Foreign Ministry Archive
Today’s post comes from Sonia Kahn in the National Archives History Office. It is part five of a series on the history of some of the seized foreign records housed at the National Archives. Unlike the very systematic seizure and filming of German records, the acquisition of many of the Italian records that made their … Continue reading The Personal Files of Benito Mussolini
Today’s post comes from Sonia Kahn in the National Archives History Office. It is part four of a series on the history of some of the seized foreign records housed at the National Archives. Imagining Germany in April 1945 conjures up images of destruction and despair as the war in Europe drew to a close … Continue reading The German Naval Archives: Tambach
Today’s post comes from Sonia Kahn in the National Archives History Office. It is part three of a series on the history of some of the seized foreign records housed at the National Archives. Following World War II, German documents captured during the war were kept in the custody of the United States and Great … Continue reading The Return of Captured Records from World War II
