What were Americans doing in the 1940s? Buying war bonds, working in shipyards, and donating blood for soldiers overseas. The 1940s were a serious time in the United States, dominated by World War II. Everyone pitched in to help win the war. Millions of men and women served in the U.S. military. Children collected scrap metal to be made into guns and ammunition. But Americans also took time to have fun. They watched Humphrey Bogart at the movies and listened to big band music on the radio. When the war ended, the United States became a world superpower. The decade"s newsmakers included President Harry Truman, war correspondent Ernie Pyle, jazz singer Billie Holiday, and baseball player Joe DiMaggio. They helped set the tone for a decade of war and worry, and for the economic boom times that followed. From Pearl Harbor to the Pentagon, from film noir to Frank Sinatra, read about this fascinating decade from start to finish.