In 1939 the US declared neutrality, however by the 1940 there was fear the Germany might invade the US and the first peacetime draft occured. It mandated that every male ages twenty-one to thirty-five be registered. The predictions about the war were right. December 7, 1941, became the day that would live
in infamy. Pearl Harbor was bombed by Japan. The next day, December 8, president Roosevelt declared war on Japan. Congress immediately approved the war. When the US declared war on Japan, their allies Germany and Italy declared war on the US. Great Britain and the other country's that declared war on Germany also declared war
on Japan at that point. In 1943 the allies (our side) attacked Italy. This was a key victory because it allowed us to launch bombing raids on Germany from the Italian airfields. In 1945 the Manhattan Project came to fruitation. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the development of the atomic bomb, nicknamed this because much of it was developed at Columbia University in Manhattan. The bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and had devastating
effects on the Japanese cities. Shortly after the bombing Japan surrendered in September of 1945. In May 1945 the German forces surrendered, one week after the suicide of Adolph Hitler. Germany however would be divided into the East and the West until the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. After the war there was great prosperity and the country was finally able to get back
on it's feet. People clustered around cities making houses. These became known as the suburbs. Men back from war were ready to have children and from 1945 to 1961 so many children were born it became known as the Baby Boom. In 1940 and 1944 Roosevelt was reelected president. Sadly in 1945 Roosevelt died of a stroke. He never saw the end of the war. His
vice-president, Harry Truman came to office that year and remained in office until 1953. | 
