Events from the year 1941 in the United States. At the end of this year, the United States enters World War II by declaring war on the Empire of Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Incumbents
Federal government President: Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-New York) Vice President: John Nance Garner (D-Texas) (until January 20) Henry A. Wallace (D-Iowa) (starting January 20) Chief Justice: Charles Evans Hughes (New York) (until June 30) Harlan F. Stone (New York) (starting July 3) Speaker of the House of Representatives: Sam Rayburn (D-Texas) Senate Majority Leader: Alben W. Barkley (D-Kentucky) Congress: 76th (until January 3), 77th (starting January 3)
State governments Governors and lieutenant governors Governors
Lieutenant governors
Events
January
January 4 – The short subject Elmer's Pet Rabbit is released, marking the second appearance of Bugs Bunny, and also the first to have his name on a title card. January 6 Four Freedoms speech: During his State of the Union address, President Roosevelt presents his Four Freedoms as fundamental global human rights. The keel of the is laid at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn. January 10 – The Lend-Lease law is introduced into the U.S. Congress. January 13 – All persons born in Puerto Rico since this day are declared U.S. citizens by birth, through U.S. federal law . January 20 – Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes swears in President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his third term. Henry A. Wallace is sworn in as the 33rd vice president. January 23 – Aviator Charles Lindbergh testifies before the U.S. Congress and recommends that the United States negotiate a neutrality pact with Adolf Hitler. January 27 – World War II – Attack on Pearl Harbor: U.S. Ambassador to Japan Joseph Grew passes on to Washington, D.C. a rumor overheard at a diplomatic reception about a planned surprise attack upon Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. January – The Parker 51 fountain pen is first sold.
February February 4 – World War II: The United Service Organization (USO) is created to entertain American troops. February 8 – World War II: The U.S. House of Representatives passes the Lend-Lease law. February 9 – Winston Churchill, in a worldwide broadcast, asks the United States to show its support by sending arms to the British: "Give us the tools, and we will finish the job." February 14 – World War II – Attack on Pearl Harbor: Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura begins his duties as Japanese ambassador to the United States. February 27 – The 13th Academy Awards, hosted by Bob Hope, are presented at Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, with Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca winning Outstanding Production. The film also received the most nominations with 11, while The Thief of Baghdad wins the most awards with three. John Ford wins his second Best Director award for The Grapes of Wrath.
March
March – Captain America Comics #1 issues the first Captain America & Bucky comic. (cover date of Mar 1941, it was actually released the previous December) March 1 W47NV begins operations in Nashville, Tennessee, becoming the first fully licensed commercial FM radio station. Arthur L. Bristol becomes Rear Admiral for the United States Navy's Support Force, Atlantic Fleet. March 4 – World War II: All US assets of Bulgarian nationals are frozen. March 8 – World War II: The U.S. Senate passes the Lend-Lease law. March 11 – World War II: President Roosevelt signs Lend-Lease into law, providing for the U.S. to give military equipment to the Allies. March 13 – World War II: All US assets of Hungarian nationals are frozen. March 17 – National Gallery of Art is officially opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. March 22 – Washington state's Grand Coulee Dam begins to generate electricity. March 24 – World War II: All US assets of Yugoslavian nationals are frozen. March 27 – World War II – Attack on Pearl Harbor: Japanese spy Takeo Yoshikawa arrives in Honolulu, Hawaii and begins to study the United States fleet at Pearl Harbor. March 30 – All German, Italian and Danish ships anchored in United States waters are taken into "protective custody".
April April 9 – The U.S. acquires full military defense rights in Greenland. April 10 – World War II: The U.S. destroyer Niblack, while picking up survivors from a sunken Dutch freighter, drops depth charges on a German U-boat (the first "shot in anger" fired by America against Germany). April 15 – World War II: The U.S. begins shipping Lend-Lease military equipment to China. April 23 – The America First Committee holds its first mass rally in New York City, with Charles Lindbergh as keynote speaker. April 25 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, at his regular press conference, criticizes Charles Lindbergh by comparing him to the Copperheads of the Civil War period. In response, Lindbergh resigns his commission in the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve on April 28. April 28 – World War II: All US assets of Greek nationals are frozen.
May
May – Woody Guthrie records the Columbia River Ballads. May 1 Orson Welles' film Citizen Kane premieres in New York City. The first Series E "War Bonds" and Defense Savings Stamps go on sale in the United States, to help fund the greatly increased production of military equipment. May 6 – At California's March Field, entertainer Bob Hope performs his first USO Show. May 15 – Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak begins as the New York Yankee center fielder goes one for 4 against Chicago White Sox pitcher Eddie Smith. May 21 – World War II: 950 miles off the coast of Brazil, the freighter becomes the first United States (neutral) ship sunk by a German U-boat, after its crew have been allowed to disembark. May 27 – World War II: President Roosevelt proclaims an "unlimited national emergency."
June June 14 – Executive Order 8785 is signed freezing all German and Italian assets in the United States. A census of all foreign assets are ordered under Executive Order 8389. Assets are also frozen from occupied countries/territories along with some neutral countries in Europe including Finland, Sweden, Spain, Andorra, Portugal, Switzerland, San Marino, and Liechtenstein. June 16 All German and Italian consulates in the United States are ordered closed and their staffs to leave the country by July 10. Official start of production at Ford's Willow Run facility (Air Force Plant 31) in Michigan. At its wartime peak, it will produce one B-24 bomber every hour. June 20 The United States Army Air Forces comes into being, taking over the former United States Army Air Corps. Walt Disney's live-action animated feature The Reluctant Dragon is released.
July July 1 Mammoth Cave National Park is authorized by Congress. Commercial television is authorized by the Federal Communications Commission. NBC Television begins commercial operation on WNBT, on Channel 1. The world's first legal TV commercial, for Bulova watches, occurs at 2:29 PM over WNBT, before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. The 10-second spot displays a picture of a clock superimposed on a map of the United States, accompanied by the voice-over "America runs on Bulova time." As a one-off special, the first quiz show called "Uncle Bee" is telecast on WNBT's inaugural broadcast day, followed later the same day by Ralph Edwards hosting the second game show broadcast on U.S. television, Truth or Consequences, as simulcast on radio and TV and sponsored by Ivory Soap. Weekly broadcasts of the show commence in 1956, with Bob Barker. CBS Television begins commercial operation on New York station WCBW (modern-day WCBS-TV), on Channel 2. July 7 – World War II: American forces take over the defense of Iceland from the British. July 23 – Hero thrill show is held in Philadelphia.Hero thrill show July 26 World War II: In response to the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders the freezing of all Japanese assets in the United States. World War II: General Douglas MacArthur is named commander of all U.S. forces in the Philippines; the Philippines Army is ordered nationalized by President Roosevelt. July 28 – World War II: Japan freezes all American assets. After the United States froze Japanese assets the Japanese responded by freezing the assets of the United States, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. July 30 – World War II: The U.S. gunboat is attacked by Japanese aircraft while anchored in the Yangtze River at Chungking. Japan apologizes for the incident the following day. July – The Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft is introduced.
August
August 1 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt bans the export of U.S. aviation fuel from the western hemisphere except to Britain and allies. August 6 – Six-year-old Elaine Esposito undergoes an appendectomy and lapses into a coma that lasts for a record-breaking 37 years until her death in 1978. August 9 – Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet at Argentia, Newfoundland and Labrador. The Atlantic Charter is created as a result. August 12 – By one vote (203–202), the U.S. House of Representatives passes legislation extending the draft period for selectees and the National Guard from 1 year to 30 months. August 31 – The Great Gildersleeve debuts on NBC Radio.
September
September 4 – World War II: The becomes the first United States Navy ship fired upon by a German submarine in the war, even though the United States is a neutral power. Tension heightens between the nations as a result. September 11 – World War II: Charles Lindbergh, at an America First Committee rally in Des Moines, Iowa, accuses "the British, the Jewish, and the Roosevelt administration" of leading the United States toward war. Widespread condemnation of Lindbergh follows. September 27 – The first liberty ship, the , is launched at Baltimore. September 29 – World War II: The first Moscow Conference begins; U.S. representative Averell Harriman and British representative Lord Beaverbrook meet with Soviet foreign minister Molotov to arrange urgent assistance for Russia.
October October 6 – The New York Yankees defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 4 games to 1, to win their 9th World Series Title. October 17 – World War II: The destroyer is torpedoed and damaged by German submarine U-568 off Iceland, killing 11 sailors (the first American military casualties of the war). October 23 – Walt Disney's fourth animated film, Dumbo, is released to recoup the initial financial losses of both Pinocchio and Fantasia the year prior. October 30 – World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt approves US$1 billion in Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union. October 31 After 14 years, work ceases on sculpting Mount Rushmore National Memorial. World War II: The destroyer is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-552 off Iceland, killing more than 100 U.S. Navy sailors.
November November 10 – In a speech at the Mansion House, London, Winston Churchill promises, "should the United States become involved in war with Japan, the British declaration will follow within the hour." November 14 World War II – Attack on Pearl Harbor: Japanese diplomat Saburō Kurusu arrives in the United States to assist Ambassador Kichisaburō Nomura in peace negotiations. The 5.4 Los Angeles earthquake severely affected the Gardena–Torrance area of California with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), causing $1.1 million in financial losses, but no injuries or deaths. November 17 – World War II – Attack on Pearl Harbor: Joseph Grew, the United States ambassador to Japan, cables to Washington, D.C., a warning that Japan may strike suddenly and unexpectedly at any time. November 24 – World War II: The United States grants Lend-Lease to the Free French. November 26