World War II

Jean Valentine, a former Bombe machine operator, shows a drum of the machine in Bletchley Park Museum in Bletchley, England.

Women Were Key to WWII Code-Breaking at Bletchley Park

Female operators and mathematicians play a greater role in the history of computers and code-breaking than most realize

Turing's journal was kept while he helped build the Bombe Machine, a device used to encrypt Nazi codes.

Turing’s Secret Notebook Is Up for Auction

The notebooks offer a glimpse into the mind of a codebreaker

Olympian and airman Louis Zamperini crouches in his starting position on a B-18 bomber.

"Unbroken"'s Louis Zamperini Crashed Into the Pacific on May 27, 1943. Here is the Missing Air Crew Report

The National Archives holds a record with details of the downing of the former Olympian's B-24 bomber that left him lost at sea for 47 days

Bound for Morotai Island, Private Bryan Carroll, Memphis, TN, relaxes on the deck of an LST with a book. He leans on a pile of his belongings, which include his helmet and mess kit.

How Books Became a Critical Part of the Fight to Win World War II

Author Molly Guptill Manning explains the importance of reading to the American victory

January 2015 marks 50 years since the death of Winston Churchill, shown here in 1943, known for his writing and speeches.

The Illustrious History of Misquoting Winston Churchill

Saying exactly what Churchill said isn’t easy—or cheap

The German U-576 off the coast of France, around 1940 or 1941. It sunk near North Carolina in 1942.

Wreckage of a Nazi U-Boat Was Found Off the Coast of North Carolina

A freighter lost in that skirmish was also discovered in the "graveyard of the Atlantic"

Ex-Nazis Received Social Security Payments From America

Dozens of former Nazis are suspected of collecting millions in Social Security in return for exiting the country

Distinctive gold cuff links provided a recognition signal between Soviet mole Pyotr Popov and his CIA contacts.

A Private Tour of the CIA's Incredible Museum

Inside the agency's headquarters is a museum filled with relics from half a century of cloak-and-dagger exploits

"I instinctively distrusted the food," Hess wrote. An American psychiatrist would later marvel at the "colossal naiveté of this Nazi mind."

Rudolf Hess’ Tale of Poison, Paranoia and Tragedy

Why are packets of food that belong to the Nazi war criminal sitting in a Maryland basement?

Los Angeles, California, 1969

Garry Winogrand’s Photographs Capture ‘America’s Busy, Teeming, Intricate Whirl’ After World War II

An exhibition takes a look at the mix of optimism and unease that permeated the post-war nation’s populace

Roman Vishniac, [Dancers Emily Frankel and Mark Ryder, Vishniac Portrait Studio, New York], early 1950s.

See Jewish Life Before the Holocaust Through a Newly Released Digital Archive

Roman Vishniac’s extensive work, now open to the public, is ready for some crowd-sourced historical detective work

David Graham, rear, with John Tee-Van, front, with one of the young pandas.

How an American Missionary Helped Capture the First Panda Given to the U.S.

"Missionaries sometimes have to tackle strange and unusual jobs," David Graham wrote.

The Enola Gay crew (Van Kirk is standing, second from left).

The Last Crew Member Who Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima Died

Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk said he never regretted his involvement in the bombing

After WWII, Japan Made One of the World's Strongest Commitments to Military Pacifism—Which It's Now Going to Soften

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is trying to rejigger Japan's long-standing commitment to pacificism

Navajo Code Talkers during World War II.

The Last Navajo Code Talker Has Died

Chester Nez played an instrumental role in World War II

Les Braves war memorial sculpture on Omaha Beach.

Why a Walk Along the Beaches of Normandy Is the Ideal Way to Remember D-Day

Follow in the footsteps of legendary reporter Ernie Pyle to get a real feel for the events that took place 70 years ago

Rabbits around old military facilities on Okunoshima.

This Once-Secret Island Now Hosts Hordes of Adorable Bunnies

Now home to hundreds of semi-tame bunnies, the island once housed poison gas facilities

Gino Bartali

This Italian Cyclist Defied Fascists and Saved Lives

The world didn’t learn about the heroism of Gino Bartali during WWII until after he died in 2000

On December 10, 1941, Joy Cummings poses with one of the four cherry trees vandalized at Washington, DC's Tidal Basic.

After Pearl Harbor, Vandals Cut Down Four of DC's Japanese Cherry Trees

In response to calls to destroy all the trees, officials rebranded them as "Oriental" rather than "Japanese"

Swallows Nest in Crimea

For Russia, Annexing Crimea Means Reclaiming "Paradise"

Crimea's idyllic scenery has drawn Russian tourists for years

Page 41 of 43