Commander of Western Tank Force
Appointed Commander of the Western Task Force during the North African Landings
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1942 in United States of America — Page 4
Explore 163 historical events and records for United States of America in 1942.
Historical records for United States of America in 1942
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 163 unique records.
163Unique records
4 of 5Page
17Named events on this page
23Named people on this page
6Places on this page
Other events (month unknown)
Director
Appointed Director of War Mobilization
Director
Appointed Director of War Mobilization
Foundation Serial Begins
Asimov began publishing Foundation stories in Astounding Science Fiction, establishing a future history of galactic decline.
Governor
Appointed Governor of New York State, 1st term
Graphite Reactor Design Work
Contributes reactor theory and neutron-economy calculations to early plutonium-production reactor designs.
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointed Member of Joint Chiefs of Staff
Manhattan Project
Theorists Hans Bethe, John Van Vleck, Edward Teller, Felix Bloch, Emil Konopinski, Robert Serber, Stanley S. Frankel, and Eldred C. Nelson (the latter three all former students of Oppenheimer) quickly confirm that a fission bomb is feasible
Manhattan Project
Theorists Hans Bethe, John Van Vleck, Edward Teller, Felix Bloch, Emil Konopinski, Robert Serber, Stanley S. Frankel, and Eldred C. Nelson (the latter three all former students of Oppenheimer) quickly confirm that a fission bomb is feasible
Manhattan Project
Arthur Compton organizes the University of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory in early 1942 to study plutonium and fission piles (primitive nuclear reactors)
Manhattan Project
Groves appoints Oppenheimer to head the project's secret weapons laboratory. From 1942-1946 under the control of the US Army Corps of Engineers, under the administration of General Leslie R. Groves
Manhattan Project
From 1942-1946 under the control of the US Army Corps of Engineers, under the administration of General Leslie R. Groves
Manhattan Project
Groves appoints Oppenheimer to head the project's secret weapons laboratory. Theorists Hans Bethe, John Van Vleck, Edward Teller, Felix Bloch, Emil Konopinski, Robert Serber, Stanley S. Frankel, and Eldred C.
Manhattan Project
Nelson (the latter three all former students of Oppenheimer) quickly confirm that a fission bomb is feasible.
Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer and Robert Serber of the University of Illinois work on the problems of neutron diffusion (how neutrons moved in the chain reaction) and hydrodynamics (how the explosion produced by the chain reaction might behave). Arthur Compton asks theoretical physicist J.
Manhattan Project
Robert Oppenheimer convenes a summer conference at the University of California, Berkeley to discuss the design of a fission bomb, Edward Teller brings up the possibility of a hydrogen bomb as a major point of discussion.
Manhattan Project
Robert Oppenheimer of the University of California, Berkeley to take over research on fast neutron calculations-key to calculations about critical mass and weapon detonation
Manhattan Project
The scientific research is directed by American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
Manhattan Project
The scientific research is directed by American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer
Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer and Robert Serber of the University of Illinois work on the problems of neutron diffusion (how neutrons moved in the chain reaction) and hydrodynamics (how the explosion produced by the chain reaction might behave).
Manhattan Project
Theorists Hans Bethe, John Van Vleck, Edward Teller, Felix Bloch, Emil Konopinski, Robert Serber, Stanley S. Frankel, and Eldred C. Nelson (the latter three all former students of Oppenheimer) quickly confirm that a fission bomb is feasible.
Metallurgical Laboratory Reactor Program
Directs the Metallurgical Laboratory program seeking a controlled uranium-graphite neutron chain reaction.
Mobilization
Appointed Director of War Mobilization
Mrs. Miniver
Directs, Mrs. Miniver
Operation Roundup
Opposes Churhills invasion of north Africa claiming it will jeopardise Roundup
Operation Sledgehammer
The US wish to relieve pressure on Russia by attacking the Pas de Calais in the summer
SCR-584 Radar
Helps develop precise microwave tracking radar for anti-aircraft use.
The Magnificent Ambersons
Directs, "The Magnificent Ambersons"
The Problem of the Expanding Universe
Hubble publishes The Problem of the Expanding Universe, assessing the observational evidence for cosmic expansion and the uncertainties that remained in interpreting galaxy redshifts.
United States Army Enlistment
Shaw enlisted in the United States Army in 1942 during the Second World War.
Uranium Enrichment Methods
The Manhattan Project commits to parallel development of electromagnetic and gaseous-diffusion methods for large-scale uranium isotope separation.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.