1942 Newspaper Headlines
Discover which 1942 newspaper articles made the headlines with one of our authentic newspapers. . The war saw the transportation of thousands of Jews to Nazi concentration camps, the introduction of gas chambers, and the deportation and displacement of millions of people as Hitler’s regime swept Europe. On the home front, the war seemed endless. Read about the terrible events of World War II as they were reported on at the time. Old 1942 newspapers offer fascinating insights into the reality that people lived during this dark period in history.
January 10, 1942
The last German air-raid on Liverpool destroys the home of William Patrick Hitler, Adolf Hitler’s nephew. After his house is destroyed, William Hitler travels to the United States, joining the navy to fight against his uncle.
January 26, 1942
The first American forces arrive in Europe, landing in Northern Ireland.
February 2, 1942
President Roosevelt signs an executive order directing the internment of Japanese Americans and the seizure of their property.
February 25, 1942
Princess Elizabeth of England, heir to the throne, registers for war service.
April 3, 1942
Japanese forces being an all-out assault on the United States and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula.
April 15, 1942
King George VI of England awards the George Cross to Malta in honor of the bravery and resilience shown by their people during the attempted siege by Germany and Fascist Italy in the early stages of the Second World War. The King says in a letter, “To honor her brave people, I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta, to bear witness to a heroism and a devotion that will long be famous in history.”
May 5, 1942
United Kingdom forces invade the French colony of Madagascar in ‘Operation Ironclad‘.
May 8, 1942
The Battle of the Coral Sea draws to a close in the Pacific Ocean, having been fought by the Imperial Japanese Navy and the successful Allied forces of the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. It is the first battle in Naval history where two enemy fleets had fought without seeing each other.
May 15, 1942
In the United States, a bill creating the Women’s Auxillary Army Corps (WAAC) is signed into law.
May 20, 1942
The first African-American seamen are taken into the United States Navy.
May 31, 1942
Japanese submarines infiltrate Sydney Harbor in an attempt to attack Allied warships.
June 12, 1942
Annelies Marie “Anne” Frank writes the first entry in her new diary, on her 13th birthday.
July 1, 1942
The First Battle of El Alamein begins between Axis and Allied forces in Egypt. The fighting lasts until 27th July 1942.
July 6, 1942
Anne Frank’s family goes into hiding during the German occupation, in an attic above her father’s office in an Amsterdam warehouse. Her experiences and thoughts whilst hiding are recounted in her diary.
July 22, 1942
The systematic deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto begins.
July 31, 1942
The Oxford Committee of Famine Relief (OXFAM) is founded.
October 23, 1942
British troops go on the offensive against the Axis forces in the Second Battle of El Alamein.
October 29, 1942
Leading clergymen and political figures hold a public meeting in the United Kingdom to register outrage over Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews.
November 28, 1942
In Boston, Massachusetts, a fire in the Cocoanut Grove night club kills 491 people. It was the deadliest night club fire in history.
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