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Although the 1940s will always be associated for the most part with World War II, this decade was not without other important and interesting events.
1940s - Culture
1940s Fashion
Early 1940s fashion advertising presenting rayon clothing for sport, evening wear and more.
News - Max Fleischer Illustrated News Stories
Max Fleischer, the power behind the Superman cartoons and comic superstar Betty Boop illustrates 1940 human interest stories.
Magic In the Air: Television is on its Way
The early 1940s saw the promise of a new technology ready to take off - Television! But, all plans were put on hold the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. After the war, plans resumed and by 1947, regularly scheduled...
1945: Snow Day
If you wanted to know what kids looked like while playing in the snow during the 1940s - this is your chance.
If you live in a warm climate, you can learn how to build a snowman.
1940s - Government
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
President Roosevelt helped lead the U.S. out of the great depression and through most of World War II until his death in 1945, not long after his re-election to his 4th term.
Harry S. Truman - Biography 
The life and presidency of Harry S. Truman produced by the Smithsonian. The Buck Stops Here. Perhaps this phrase, greeting visitors as they entered the oval office during his administration, best sums up the character....
...more about these presidents ![]()
1940s - News & Events
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941 - The day that will live in infamy. Newsreel footage shows the devastation wrought upon Pearl Harbor, bringing the U.S. into WWII.
Railroad Strike & Government Takeover
Newsreel coverage of the crippling railroad strike of 1946 prompting President Truman to takeover the railroads.


