| |
| 1940s |
| |
| Nearly 300,000 women served in the armed forces. They took advantage of the new policies that accepted female volunteers as enlisted personnel and officers. | 1 |
| |
| 1940, June 22 |
| |
| The Congress passed a National Defense Tax Bill to produce $994,300,000 a year, and raised the national debt limit from $45 billion to $49 billion. | 2 |
| |
| June 28 |
| |
| The Republican National Convention at Philadelphia nominated Wendell L. Willkie and Charles L. McNary as candidates for the presidency and vice presidency. | 3 |
| |
| July 18 |
| |
| The Democratic National Convention at Chicago nominated Franklin D. Roosevelt as presidential candidate for a third term, and Henry A. Wallace as candidate for vice president. | 4 |
| |
| July 20 |
| |
| President Roosevelt signed a bill providing for a “two-ocean” navy as part of a vast defense plan. | 5 |
| |
| Sept. 16 |
| |
| The Selective Training and Service Act was adopted. The act provided for the registration of all men between the ages of 21 and 36 years of age, and for the training, for one year, of 1.2 million troops and 800,000 reserves. On Oct. 16, 16.4 million men were registered, and the draft lottery commenced on Oct. 29. | 6 |
| |
| Sept. 26 |
| |
| President Roosevelt placed an embargo on the export of scrap iron and steel. | 7 |
| |
| Nov. 5 |
| |
| FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT WAS REELECTED PRESIDENT for a third term. | 8 |
| |
| |
