| France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Norway, Romania fall to Germans. First Social Security checks issued. Arroyo Seco Parkway, first L. A. freeway, dedicated. Chevy coupe sells for $659. Goodyear Dow Corporation formed. 33 percent of all farms have electricity. Ford introduced Lincoln Continental. |
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| Pres. Roosevelt's budget contains nearly $11 billion for defense. U. S. auto production reaches 3.3. million. Daniel Gerber Fremont Canning Co. sells 1 million cans of baby food a week. Cheerios introduced by General Mills. Pearl Harbor attacked; U. S. enters World War II. Germany declares war on the U.S. |
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| Tire rationing starts; gas rationing begins. Florida passes California as leading producer of oranges. Kellogg introduces Raisin Bran. Maxwell House instant coffee introduced for military's K rations. Dannon yogurt introduced. U. S. auto production halted until 1945. |
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| Roosevelt's budget earmarks $100 billion for war effort. Congress OKs income-tax withholding from paychecks. American Broadcasting Company (ABC) created by Edward Noble. Americans rationed three pairs of shoes per year. Meat rationing set at 28 ounces per week. Sale of sliced bread banned. |
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| 176,000 Allied troops land at Normandy beaches. Pres. Roosevelt re-elected to fourth term. First digital computer completed at Harvard. War costing $250 million per day. G. I. Bill of Rights enacted to finance college for vets. Chiquita brand bananas introduced. Gasoline averages 21 cents per gallon. |
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| Roosevelt dies in office; Harry Truman becomes president. World War II ends. Rationing of all items ends, except sugar. Penicillin introduced commercially. Ballpoint pens, priced at $12.50 each, go on sale. Frozen orange juice pioneered. Tupperware introduced. |
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| Strikes idle 4.6 million workers; worst since 1919. College enrollments reach all-time high of over 2 million. Ektachrome color film introduced by Kodak Co. Tide laundry detergent introduced. Timex watches introduced at $6.95 and up. |
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| Taft-Hartley Act restricts organized labor. B. F. Goodrich introduces first tubeless tire. Ajax cleanser introduced by Colgate Palmolive Co. Reddi-Whip whipped cream in a can introduced. Raytheon Co. introduces the first microwave oven. |
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| Transistor developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories. 1 million homes have TV sets. Nikon camera introduced to compete with Leica. Dial Soap introduced as first deodorant soap. First McDonald's restaurant opened in San Bernardino, Calif. |
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| U. S. auto production reaches 5.1 million. President's salary raised to $100,000 per year. Silly Putty introduced at $1 an ounce. Sara Lee Cheese cake introduced. Minimum wage raised from 40 to 70 cents an hour. CBS introduces black vinyl phonograph records. |
Note: Material adapted from "The Value of a Dollar, 1860-2004." Third Edition, Scott Derks, Grey House Publishing.
