Today in World War II History—April 12, 1940 & 1945
80 Years Ago—April 12, 1940: Movie premiere of Rebecca, starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine (Alfred Hitchcock’s first film made in America).
75 Years Ago—Apr. 12, 1945: President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in Warm Springs, GA of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Harry Truman is sworn in as president.
Over Okinawa, US Marine land- and carrier-based aircraft shoot down 77 Japanese aircraft, the Marines’ highest number of victories in a single day during the war.
Japan forms Volunteer Army of men ages 15-55 and women ages 17-45 to combat invasion.