Download Discovering History in - The National WWII Museum

Important dates in WWII*
Discovering History in
The Campaigns of Courage Pavilion
at The National WWII Museum
Sept. 1, 1939
Germany invades Poland; WWII begins
May 10, 1940
Hitler begins invasion of Western Europe
June 22, 1940
France falls to German forces
Oct. 31, 1940
British RAF defeat German Luftwaffe, ending 4-month aerial Battle of Britain
Dec. 7, 1941
Japan attacks US fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; US enters WWII the next day
Jan. 20, 1942
Wannsee Conference held; Nazi Final Solution (extermination) for European Jews adopted
Apr. 9, 1942
Bataan “Death March” begins in the Philippines
June 7, 1942
Battle of Midway ends with decisive US victory over Japan
Nov. 5, 1942
2nd Battle of El Alamein ends in British victory over Germany and Italy in Egypt
Feb. 2, 1943
Battle of Stalingrad ends with Soviet victory over Germany; more than 1,000,000 deaths
June 4, 1944
Rome liberated by Allied troops; first Axis capital to fall
June 6, 1944
D-Day: The Allied invasion of Western Europe begins in Normandy, France
June 22, 1944
G.I. Bill passes in the US; important social and economic legislation supporting veterans
Jan. 27, 1945
Soviets liberate Auschwitz death camp; more than 1,000,000 Jews have been murdered
Feb. 19, 1945
US Marines invade Iwo Jima; famous flag-raising Feb. 23; US victory there Mar. 26, 1945
Apr. 12, 1945
US President Franklin Roosevelt dies; VP Harry Truman becomes president
Apr. 30, 1945
Adolf Hitler commits suicide in his Berlin bunker as Soviet troops invade city
May 8, 1945
Germany surrenders; V-E Day
Aug. 6, 1945
US drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan; second bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Aug. 9, ‘45
Aug. 15, 1945
Japan surrenders; V-J Day; WWII ends; est. deaths = 70,000,000+
Nov. 21, 1945
Allies begin Nuremberg War Crimes Trials of Nazi leaders; Japanese War Crimes Trials in ‘46
*Selected dates only
There are many ways to explore this history at The National WWII Museum.
Let’s review some of those before you begin your journey on the ROAD TO BERLIN and
the ROAD TO TOKYO in the Campaigns of Courage Pavilion.
Artifacts
are objects made by human
beings, typically items of
cultural or historical interest.
The objects in glass cases
and behind barbed wire are
all artifacts from WWII and
are 70 years old or older.
Films
are documentary footage
taken during the war that
shows true live action of
events; often edited by the
Museum for length and
content.
Environments
are recreations of the varied
battlefields across Europe
and the Pacific. The Museum
has recreated these
environments to help visitors
imagine themselves in
different parts of the world.
Maps
Explore more WWII history at www.nationalww2museum.org/learn
are graphic descriptions of
the geography of the war
and the chronologies of
battles; may represent a
small or large area; may be
static or animated.
Oral Histories
are sound and or video
recordings of interviews with
people having personal
knowledge of past events. You
can find oral histories on
several electronic touch
screens.
Photographs
are images taken by camera
during the war. Original
photographs on display are
considered artifacts;
reproduced photographs—
some wall-sized—can still be
considered primary sources.
Personal Story
Panels
are short bios of people in the
war. Their stories cover topics
like fighting conditions, heroic
actions, and unique
experiences, and remind us
that each individual has a
story.
Touch Screens
are consoles on which you can
listen to oral histories, explore
artifacts, and follow animated
maps related to the history in
that specific gallery.
ll
T
Downfa
n
aig
amp
nC
Italia
land
n Heart
Germa
e
Into th
DIRECTIONS:
A. Find one example of each
item numbered 1-4 below.
B. Write its number by its
location on the map.
C. Write a brief description and
what you learned from it.
Sicily
Invasion of
D-Day
Briefing
Room
The
De
Nor sert W
th A
frica ar/
European
Campaign
Intro
ST
AR
T

* You must find your four items
in four different galleries.
STAR
r
Wa
’s
t Japan
Death a tep
Doors
ttle
Bu of the
lge
Ai r
r
Theate
Pacific nges
Challe
The
he
ot
n t es
tur in
Re hilipp
P
Asia/
Pacific
Campaign
Intro
Ba
ance
ing
pp
Ho
nd
Isla
ck
Briefing De
The
Road to
Tokyo
Race Across Fr
The CBI
Guadalcanal
The New
Naval
Warfare
1) Personal Story panel:
1) Personal Story panel:
2) Artifact
2) Artifact
3) Oral History
3) Oral History
4) Environment:
4) Environment:
The
Road to
Berlin
DIRECTIONS:
A. Find one example of each
item numbered 1-4 below.
B. Write its number by its
location on the map.
C. Write a brief description and
what you learned from it.
* You must find your four items
in four different galleries.