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Discover Latest #World War II News, Articles and Videos with Contenting
from 1942 1. “Operation Torch: U.S. Launches North African Invasion” (November 8, 1942): On November 8, 1942, the United States launched Operation Torch, a massive invasion of North Africa. The invasion was led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower and included forces from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Free French forces under General Henri Giraud. The operation was a success and resulted in the capture of the key ports of Casablanca and Oran. 2. “Battle of Stalingrad Begins” (November 19, 1942): On November 19, 1942, the Battle of Stalingrad began as German forces attempted to capture the city from the Soviet Union. The battle was one of the bloodiest in history, with both sides suffering massive casualties. In the end, the Soviets were able to repel the Germans and the battle was a major turning point in World War II, leading to the eventual Allied victory. 3. “U.S. and Japanese Naval Battle at Guadalcanal” (November 13, 1942): On November 13, 1942, the United States and Japanese navies clashed off the coast of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The
May 18, 1965 Boldly Going where No Man has Gone Before – Historical Easter Eggs – Today in History
Many years from now a boy will be born on March 22, 2233, in Riverside, Iowa. Destined to become the youngest captain in Star Fleet history, he would boldly go where no man has gone before. But first, he needed a name. On May 18, 1965, a World War II fighter pilot, veteran of 89…
Like Embers in the Night (Book Review #2061) – Review Tales
Like Embers in the Night is a haunting, deeply affecting historical novel rooted in the harrowing true story of two survivors of Soviet labor camps and gulags. With unflinching detail and emotional power, the book chronicles the endurance of Janek, a Polish soldier, and his wife Wanda, who are separated during World War II and…
Edition for Educators: Norman Mineta of California | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
Since the First Congress opened in 1789, more than 11,000 people have served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Most served capably for a few terms and returned to their communities. But some lawmakers have left towering legacies and are remembered for their legislative prowess, path-breaking careers, and bold personalities. These Members of Congress, including powerful Speakers of the House, strong-willed legislators, trailblazing Representatives, and policy specialists, qualify as “Giants of the House.”Around the time of his 11th birthday in 1942, future U.S. Representative Norman Mineta of California and his family were imprisoned by the federal government in an internment camp at Heart Mountain, Wyoming, created to house Japanese Americans during World War II. Released in 1945, the family returned to San Jose, California, to rebuild their lives. Mineta would later graduate from college, serve in the U.S. Army and lead the city of San Jose as mayor, before embarking on a 22-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served one term as chairman of the Public Works and Transportation Committee.In the House, Mineta sought to work with other Members on issues that impacted Asian Pacific Islander Americans, helping to create the Asian Pacific American Caucus.Well, as a member of Congress I would look at the success of the Congressional Black Caucus or the Hispanic Caucus and think, ‘Gee, we don’t have . . . a caucus that looks out after the interest of Asian Pacific Islanders.’ And so I started enquiring about [how] the Congressional Black Caucus and the Hispanic Caucus operated. And then called on not only Asian Pacific American Members of Congress, but more importantly those Congressional districts across the country where you would have a relatively large Asian Pacific American population, and enlist those members to join the caucus. And so we had a bipartisan caucus that dealt with . . . Asian Pacific American issues.Throughout his career, Mineta worked to address challenging issues including reparations for victims of internment. Mineta’s generation of lawmakers valued accountability and accessibility, but perhaps none more so than him. “It goes back to my own experience in terms of the evacuation and the internment of those of Japanese ancestry,” he said years later. “We didn’t have access to our political leaders at the time.”This month’s Edition for Educators highlights the historic career of Representative Norman Y. Mineta of California, a victim of internment who became a Congressman and later a Cabinet member under two different presidential administrations.From the California to the House ChamberPEOPLE PROFILE—Norman Y. Mineta of California Thirty years after being imprisoned by the United States government because of the happenstance of his ancestry, Norman Y. Mineta helped change forever the inner workings of the United States House of Representatives. Over a 20-year career in the House, the San Jose Congressman worked to make the federal lawmaking process more accountable. From the federal budget to the nation’s highway system, Mineta and his generation of reform-minded legislators redefined expectations on Capitol Hill. With the moral authority derived from having been unjustly incarcerated as a child, Mineta convinced Congress to address wartime internment and helped the country understand the sins of its past.BLOG—Edition for Educators—Asian Pacific Heritage Month California Representative Norman Mineta spent nearly four years of his childhood in an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. First elected in 1974, Mineta served 11 terms in the House of Representatives and worked to hold the legislative process accountable and address the mistakes of the past. Learn more about the efforts and accomplishments of Mineta and other Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Congress for Asian Pacific Heritage Month. BLOG—Edition for Educators— Transportation and Infrastructure Since the First Continental Congress, America’s national legislature has taken responsibility in different ways for America’s transportation, communication, and trade. To bolster the nation’s defenses and develop the country’s commerce, early federal lawmakers used public resources to fund the construction of military installations, postal routes, lighthouses, and ports and harbors. This Edition for Educators highlights the role the House has in setting transportation and infrastructure policy, including the work of notable committee chairman Norman Mineta of California.RECORD—Internment records The United States entered World War II in December 1941 after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, authorizing the government to evacuate persons of Japanese descent. On March 17, 1942, the Committee on Military Affairs issued House Report No. 1906, recommending the passage of H.R. 6758, which gave teeth to the executive order by creating a “penalty for violation of restrictions or orders.” Learn more about House Committee interment records.Leadership and OrganizationESSAY—From Exclusion to Inclusion, 1941–1992 In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the federal government, afraid that immigrants or their family members with Japanese ancestry had helped orchestrate the attacks from U.S. soil, uprooted more than 120,000 Japanese Americans living along the West Coast and placed them in internment camps out of “military necessity.” For these people, the war was a period of remarkable emotional and psychological trauma. Beginning in the nineteenth century, Congress and the courts prevented Japanese immigrants from becoming citizens and from participating in the political process. After 1924, Congress made them ineligible for admission into the United States entirely, and the federal government considered them a direct threat to the nation. The native-born children of Japanese immigrants were U.S. citizens, yet they were imprisoned by their own government, including four who years later would serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Because their community lacked a voice at almost every level of government, mainland Japanese Americans’ political exclusion was quickly compounded by their physical exclusion with internment.HISTORICAL DATA—Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairman and Chairwomen In 1994, Members of Asian and Pacific Islander descent created the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Inspired by the Congressional Black and Hispanic Caucuses, CAPAC was created for Members to formally coordinate efforts to advance legislation pertaining to the interests of Asian Pacific American communities. Since its formation, the bipartisan and bicameral caucus has educated congressional colleagues on the history of the growing Asian Pacific American community in the United States and continues to build recognition in Congress. Representative Norman Mineta became the first caucus chair. This chart provides a list of individuals in caucus and conference positions. HOUSE COLLECTION—Featured Objects and ImagesNorman Y. Mineta Lapel PinCalifornian Norman Mineta represented a Silicon Valley district for 20 years. This relatively simple campaign button contained key pieces of information for his constituents, namely, the fact that he was an incumbent running for re-election and the district he represented. Mineta cofounded and chaired the Asian Pacific American Caucus, and chaired the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in the 103rd Congress.Norman Yoshio Mineta PortraitThe portrait of Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Norm Mineta tracks his life and career from an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II to the halls of Congress. Artists George and Jim Pollard used their signature blue-and-white background and layered it with a dream-like image of Mineta and his parents in Heart Mountain internment camp, and the Capitol appears at lower right.Additional ResourcesLearn more about Representative Norman Mineta, his life, and his achievements in these oral histories available through these institutions:Densho Digital Archive:Japanese American National Museum CollectionLibrary of Congress Veterans History ProjectLibrary of Congress, John W. Kluge Center:Protecting National Security & Civil LibertiesUnited States Capitol Historical SocietyThis is part of a series of blog posts for educators highlighting the resources available on History, Art & Archives of the U.S. House of Representatives. For lesson plans, fact sheets, glossaries, and other materials for the classroom, see the website's Education section.
Diamonds in Auschwitz | LITERARY TITAN
Diamonds in Auschwitz by Meg Hamand is a gut-wrenching novel set during World War II, centered on Rachael, a Jewish woman struggling to survive the brutal realities of Auschwitz, and Samual, a man trying to build a future in a Prague crumbling under Nazi occupation. Their stories orbit a ring, an engagement ring found buried…
Recent Artifacts Online, Summer 2025 | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
From Abe Lincoln to “artistic French human hair goods,” there’s something for everyone in this season’s batch of recently digitized House Collection treasures.A. Simonson, Importer AdvertisementThe image of the Capitol added visual appeal to a bafflingly wide range of products in late 19th-century advertisements. Here, “A. Simonson, Importer of Cosmetiques & Fine Toilet Articles,” located near Union Square in New York City, surrounds the Capitol’s dome with cherubs and colorful flora on the front of its lithograph advertisement card. The reverse lists the products available from the retailer, many of which have names as flowery as the front design: Rouge de Venus (a liquid cosmetic cheek color), Fountain of Beauty (“best staying and transparent Face Liquid ever sold”), and the mysterious “Somyka,” which this ad instructs the shopper to “please call for a circular, as it is too valuable to mention in short its wonderful quality.”Abraham Lincoln Free FrankAbraham Lincoln mailed this envelope as a freshman in Congress, only a few weeks into his single term in the House. He addressed it to James Berdan, a fellow Whig politician in Illinois, and marked it as official mail by writing “Free” and signing his name. After that, it was just a short walk across the House Chamber to drop it in the mail at the House Post Office. Lincoln left Congress and the Capitol in 1849, not to return to national service until he was sworn in as President in 1861.Adam Clayton Powell Jr., Ebony Magazine“I met Hazel a long time ago,” begins Adam Clayton Powell’s paean to domesticity. Ebony, iconic magazine of the post–World War II Black community, invited Representative Adam Clayton Powell Jr. to write an essay that focused less on politics than on life as half of the most glamorous power couple in Black America. Powell described his wife, celebrated musician Hazel Scott, and their home life, with just enough political insight to support Powell’s bona fides as a savvy civil rights activist and Scott’s as an ardent campaigner against Jim Crow laws.Lucky Strike Cigarettes AdvertisementLike other professional orators, Members of Congress rely on their voices. The cigarette company Lucky Strike plays on Indiana Representative Albert Vestal’s vocal attributes in a 1927 advertisement. “In smoking I am careful, that’s why I prefer Lucky Strikes,” he explains. “They give me throat protection and greater enjoyment.” In 1932, Vestal collapsed on the House Floor and died shortly afterward of heart disease.EaselOhio legislator and long-term chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Michael Kirwan monitored votes during the mid-20th century with this chart—a long list with multiple variables handwritten on a roll of coated canvas closely resembling a period roller shade for windows. It is essentially Kirwan’s spreadsheet, mounted on a wooden easel with horizontal guides to keep the roll stable and a bottom roller to take up slack. Water damage obscures the topic of this list dating from 1953 to 1954, but it likely tracks information related to either Kirwan’s role as DCCC chair or his position on the House Committee on Public Works. Exactly when or for how long Kirwan used the stand is also not known, but the apparatus never left the House. It was discovered in a storage closet in the Longworth House Office Building decades after Kirwan’s death.But wait! There’s even more to see on Collections Search:For additional new paintings, photographs, and objects on Collections Search, check out other Recent Artifacts Online blogs.