1940s facts for kids

The 1940s was a ten-year period that started on January 1, 1940, and ended on December 31, 1949. This decade was a time of huge changes around the world, especially because of World War II. Many important events happened, and new leaders came to power.

Major Events of the 1940s

• 1940 – A large group of Allied soldiers had to retreat from Dunkirk in France. They were rescued by many boats.
• 1941 – Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in the United States. This attack caused the U.S. to join World War II.
• 1944 – The Normandy invasion happened. This was a huge landing of Allied troops in France, which helped turn the tide of the war.
• 1945 (August 6 and 9) – The atomic bomb was used for the first time in war. This happened in Japan.
• 1945 – World War II finally ended. This brought peace to many parts of the world after years of fighting.
• 1945 – The Cold War began. This was a period of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union, but without direct fighting.
• 1945-1946 – The Nuremberg Trials took place. These trials held important leaders from Nazi Germany responsible for their actions during the war.
• 1946 – A "baby boom" started in the United States. Many babies were born as soldiers returned home after the war.
• 1947 – India and other colonies gained their Independence from British rule.
• 1947-1949 – The Indo-Pakistani War happened between India and Pakistan.
• 1948-1949 – The Arab-Israeli War took place in the Middle East.
• 1949 – Communists took power in China.

Important People of the 1940s

World Leaders

Many powerful and influential people led their countries during the 1940s.

• Adolf Hitler: He was a German politician who led Nazi Germany during World War II.
• Pope Pius XII: He was the leader of the Catholic Church during this time.
• George VI: He was the King of the United Kingdom during World War II.
• Winston Churchill: He was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for most of the war.
• Joseph Stalin: He was the leader of the USSR.
• Mahatma Gandhi: He was a famous leader who helped India gain its independence through peaceful protests.
• Hirohito: He was the Emperor of Japan during World War II.
• Mao Zedong: He was the Chairman of the Communist Party of China and became the leader of China.
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt: He was the President of the United States until 1945. He led the country through much of World War II.
• Harry S Truman: He became the President of the United States after Roosevelt's death in 1945. He made the decision to use the atomic bomb.

Images for kids

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  Mahatma Gandhi

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  Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane (1941)

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  Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund in the trailer for Casablanca (1942)

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  Frank Sinatra gained massive popularity during the decade, becoming one of the first teen idols, and one of the pop artists who sold the most records in the 1940s

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  Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg

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  Jackie Robinson with the Montreal Royals in July 1946

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  ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, operated by Betty Jennings and Frances Bilas

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  Atanasoff–Berry Computer replica at 1st floor of Durham Center, Iowa State University

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  October 24, 1946: V-2 rocket takes first picture of Earth from outer space

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  Thor Heyerdahl's raft Kon-Tiki crossed the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Tahiti proving the practical possibility that people from South America could have settled Polynesia in pre-Columbian times

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  General Eisenhower who led the Normandy invasion.

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  Georgy Zhukov who led the Soviet army during the Battle of Berlin.

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  Erwin Rommel, German Field Marshal who led the North African Campaign.

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  Mohandas Gandhi during the 1940s

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  Raoul Wallenberg, c. 1944

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  Muhammed Ali Jinnah with Gandhi, 1944.

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  Chiune Sugihara c.1940s

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  Rita Hayworth as Doña Sol des Muire in Blood and Sand (1941).

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  Cary Grant

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  Clark Gable

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  Carmen Miranda in The Gang's All Here, (1943).

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  Glenn Miller, 1942

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  Benny Goodman performing in 1943 Stage Door Canteen

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  Bing Crosby, 1945

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  Frank Sinatra, 1947

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  Édith Piaf