February 9, 1942

Troopship USS Lafayette, on fire in New York harbor, 9 February 1942 (US National Archives)
80 Years Ago—Feb. 9, 1942: French ocean liner Normandie, which had been seized by the US and converted to the troopship USS Lafayette, burns at pier in New York, capsizes next day.
US institutes War Savings Time: year-round daylight savings time.
US Department of Justice requires German, Italian, and Japanese nationals to register for Certificates of Identification by Feb. 28.
Britain begins to ration soap (4 oz/month, 8 oz for babies).