Year 1943 Fun Facts, Trivia, and History Events

This quick read presents a collection of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1943. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, historic firsts, entertainment news, and much more.

Here is a sneak preview of what this article is all about:

1. History Facts and Events From the USA and the World
2. World War II Timeline

1. History Facts and Events From the USA and the World:

1. In 1943, President Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, and the opposing Allied and Axis Powers were all on center stage. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes were crowd-pleasers, and Judy and Jerry were popular baby names. In 1943 as well, the words "airhead," "bachelorette party," "back burner," "crowd-pleaser," "dead duck," "eager beaver," "hoagie," "hot rod," "kiss of death," "laundromat," "Section Eight," "severance pay," "snow tire," and "steam iron" all appeared in print for the first time.
2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D-New York) was the president of the United States, and Henry A. Wallace (D-Iowa) was the nation’s vice president.
3. Average annual household income: About $2,000
4. Average cost of a new house: About $3,600
5. Average price of gold: $36.50 per troy ounce
6. Average retail price for a gallon of gas: 21 cents
7. Consumer Price Index: $17.3
8. Cost of a first-class stamp: Three cents
9. Federal debt: $142.7 billion
10. Federal spending: $78.56 billion
11. Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 136.44
12. Inflation rate: 6.13%
13. Unemployment rate: 1.9%
14. American companies and brands launched in 1943 included the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Interstate Van Lines, Jo-Ann Stores, Lippincott, and the Topflight Corporation.
15. More than 11 million Americans served in the U.S. Army during World War II. During 1943, 6,994,472 Americans were serving in the U.S. Army, and "the majority of these soldiers were young men in their late teens and early twenties." There were also 1,741,750 Americans serving in the U.S. Navy, another 660,000 in the United States Marine Corps, and 151,167 more serving in the U.S. Coast Guard.
16. During World War II, an estimated 3.5 million Americans worked as federal civilian employees.
17. January 15: The Pentagon administrative offices were dedicated in Arlington, Virginia. The Pentagon became the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as the largest office building in the world.
18. January 23: Jazz musician and composer Duke Ellington played for the first time at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
19. February 9: Shoe rationing began in the United States. This is how it worked: "Each person was issued three coupons per year to purchase leather shoes. The coupons were used in War Ration Books One, Three, and Four."
20. March 4: At the 15th Academy Awards, Mrs. Miniver received an Oscar for Best Picture, and William Wyler (Mrs. Miniver) received an Oscar for Best Director. James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy) received an Oscar for Best Actor, and Greer Garson (Mrs. Miniver) received an Oscar for Best Actress.
21. On March 31, Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, Oklahoma, opened on Broadway and became the longest-running musical up to that time.
22. On April 8, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9328—also known as the "hold the line" policy—that froze prices and wages in the United States. "The order was intended to combat inflation and prevent further increases in the cost of living. The order also prohibited increases in wages and salaries, except where living conditions were substandard."
23. October 12: The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) began broadcasting.
24. December 4: The Great Depression "officially" ended in the United States. World War II mobilized the American economy and “cured” the economic downturn that began in 1929. To support the war effort, millions of men and women joined the armed forces, and even larger numbers went to work in factories across the U.S.
25. December 4: MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis announced that all MLB teams could sign African American players. TheForestScout.com tells us that "This wasn't big just for baseball but big for the African American civil rights movement as they took one more giant leap towards achieving equality."
26. During World War II, cigarettes and whiskey were not rationed items, but they were often in short supply. The shortage in cigarettes was due, in part, to the fact that "During World War II and until 1976, a mini-pack of three or four Old Gold, Chesterfield, Lucky Strike, or Camel cigarettes, along with a fold of waterproof paper matches, was included in the rations issued to our fighting troops."
27. In 1943, Richard James invented the Slinky, James Wright invented Silly Putty, and the Swiss chemist Albert Hofman discovered "the hallucinogenic properties of LSD."
28. Air Wick air freshener and converted rice appeared in the marketplace for the first time.
29. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was a best-selling book, Fibber McGee & Molly was a beloved radio program, and Paper Doll was a popular song.
30. Famous people born during 1943 included Barry Manilow, Billie Jean King, Carly Simon, George Harrison, Gloria Gaynor, Janis Joplin, Joe Namath, John Denver, Joni Mitchell, and Robert DeNiro.
31. Here are some sports facts from 1943: The Chicago Bears were the NFL champs, the Detroit Red Wings clinched the Stanley Cup, the New York Yankees won the World Series, and Count Fleet was the winning horse in the 69th Kentucky Derby.

2. World War II Timeline:

1. At the beginning of 1943, over 25 nations were at war with the Axis Powers, including the United States, the UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cuba, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, and the Soviet Union.
2. The opposing Axis Powers were Nazi Germany, Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Romania, and Thailand.
3. January 14: The aircraft carrier, USS Independence, was commissioned.
4. January 22: The Allies successfully liberated Sanananda, New Guinea.
5. January 27: An estimated 50 bombers carried out the first all-American air raid against Germany. The primary target was Wilhelmshaven, a large naval base.
6. February 9: Guadalcanal—one of the Solomon Islands—was finally secured and was the "first major achievement of the American offensive in the Pacific War."
7. February 11: President Roosevelt appointed future U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to become the Supreme Allied Commander of the European Theater of Operations.
8. February 17: The aircraft carrier, USS Lexington, was commissioned.
9. February 25: The aircraft carrier—USS Princeton—was commissioned.
10. March 12: Karditsa, a city in western Greece, became the first city in Europe to be liberated from Nazi occupation.
11. May 22: Allied forces bombed Sicily and Sardinia.
12. May 23: The aircraft carrier, USS Bunker Hill, was commissioned.
13. June 22: U.S. forces under the command of General George S. Patton captured Palermo, Sicily. (For the record, this was one of the biggest battles of World War II.)
14. July 19: Allied forces bombed Rome for the first time.
15. July 24: Hamburg, Germany, was heavily bombed by the Allied forces. At the time, it was one of the heaviest assaults in the history of aviation.
16. July 24: The aircraft carrier—USS Cabot—was commissioned.
17. August 16: The aircraft carrier, USS Intrepid, was commissioned.
18. August 17: All of Sicily was now controlled by the Allies.
19. September 28: The residents of Naples, who "sensed" the approach of Allied forces, rose against the Germans who occupied the city.
20. October 1: Naples was now free of German military occupation.
21. November 5: The Italians bombed Vatican City in an attempt to "knock out" Vatican radio.
22. November 17: The aircraft carrier—USS Bataan—was commissioned.
23. November 22 to 27: Heavy Allied bombing of Berlin took place, and the Germans suffered major civilian losses.
24. November 29: The aircraft carrier, USS Hornet, was commissioned.
25. December 15: The aircraft carrier—USS Jacinto—was commissioned.
26. December 27: General Eisenhower was appointed to command Operation Overlord, which was the codename for the Battle of Normandy.

References:

1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1943
2. https://www.musicvf.com/songs.php?page=year&year=1943&tab=artistchartstab&sort=pointsup&filter=all#google_vignette&gsc.tab=0
3. https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/vintage-recipes-from-the-1940s/
4. https://www.ultimatemovierankings.com/1943-top-grossing-movies/
5. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/food-history-1941.html
6. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1943
7. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/born-1943.php
8. https://www.mclib.info/Research/Local-History-Genealogy/Historic-Prices/Historic-Prices-1940s/Historic-Prices-1943
9. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1943
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1943_in_the_United_States

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor