| Dates of events specific to North Carolina are marked with * and are in bold. |
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| April 9 |
Germany invades Denmark and Norway. |
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May 10 |
Germany invades France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. |
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*June 13 |
The USS North Carolina is launched at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn. The daughter of North Carolina governor Clyde R. Hoey smashes a bottle of champagne against the bow as 55,000 people cheer. During the war, the North Carolina sees service in numerous Pacific campaigns and battles, including Guadalcanal, Gilbert Islands, Marshall Islands, Marianas Islands, Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. |
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June 14 |
The German army enters Paris |
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June 22 |
France surrenders to Germany. |
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July 10 |
The Battle of Britain begins. |
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*September 7 |
Germany begins large-scale air attacks on British cities. North Carolina native Edward R. Murrow of Polecat Creek in Guilford County electrifies the world with his radio broadcasts during German air raids on London. Murrow begins each broadcast with the familiar words “This is London.” |
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*September 16 |
Military conscription begins in the United States. More than 450,000 North Carolina men register by mid-October. |
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November 5 |
President Franklin D. Roosevelt is re-elected for an unprecedented third term. |
