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Chronology of 1945 San Francisco War Events

January 9, 1945
California State Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Maloney of San Francisco introduced a bill to set aside $40,000,000 for unemployment relief when the end of the war comes. The bill was recommended by Gov. Warren.

February 12, 1945
San Francisco selected as site of the United Nations Conference.

February 25, 1945
The Navy issued an urgent plea for Type "O" blood. Persons with that blood type were urged to call GRaystone 9373. The blood was needed to build up the reserve of whole blood and to care for Iwo Jima casualties. The blood was flown daily by Naval Air Transport planes to Guam and other Pacific battle fronts.

February 26, 1945
Midnight curfew for San Francisco restaurants ordered to save fuel, keep wartime production high and factory absenteeism low.

March 6, 1945
Generalissimo Chaing Kai-shek will come to the U.N. Conference in San Francisco to meet with President Roosevelt, the White House announced.

March 8, 1945
First American prisoners of war held in Japanese camps were welcomed in San Francisco. Many of the men were survivors of the Bataan Death March.

April 13, 1945
Thousands of San Franciscan's broke into tears upon hearing the news of the death of President Roosevelt in Warm Springs, Georgia. Local churches were filled with mourners. Harry S Truman becomes President.

April 14, 1945
Gov. Warren proclaimed today and tomorrow as days of public sorrow and prayer. Mayor Lapham proclaimed today as an official day of mourning in San Francisco. Retail food stores closed from 1 to 3 p.m.; butcher shops closed at 1 p.m., and remain closed until Monday morning. All movie theaters closed until 6 o'clock tonight. Bars and taverns closed from 10 a.m today until 10 a.m. tomorrow. All department stores were closed today.

April 22, 1945
Sen. Arthur S. Vandenburg and John Foster Dulles arrived at the Fairmont Hotel in preparation for the forthcoming U.N. Conference.

April 25, 1945
President Truman opened the United Nations Conference on International Organization. It will meet until June 26.

May 6, 1945
Germany surrendered to the Western Allies today. The surrender occurred at 5:41 p.m., Pacific War Time, on Sunday, or 2:41 a.m. French time, Monday, May 7.

May 12, 1945
Mayor Roger Lapham proclaimed today "Hospital Day" to honor volunteer and professional workers for what the mayor called, "the splendid record for health in San Francisco during our fourth year of war." It was also Florence Nightingale's birthday.

May 12, 1945
Persons skilled in French, Russian and Spanish were urgently needed for work at the United Nations Conference. Those not engaged in war work were urged to apply at Barracks "J" on the second floor, Civic Center housing area.

May 12, 1945
Seventh War Loan Rally at Bay Meadows Race Track. Mrs. Chester W. Nimitz and movie star Carole Landis auctioned souvenirs collected by Adm. Nimitz specially for the event. Reproductions of Joe Rosenthal's famed Iwo Jima picture were also sold. Rosenthal, of the AP, was a San Francisco Chronicle photographer before the war.

May 19, 1945
UN United Women's Conference on the women's share in implementing the peace.

May 20, 1945
"I Am an American Day" celebrated at Civic Auditorium. Orchestra was led by Walt Roesner. Gov. Warren spoke, and Jack Benny appeared with Larry Adler, the harmonicist, as guest star.

June 25, 1945
President Harry S Truman arrived for the signing of the U.N. Charter at the ninth and closing plenary sessions of the United Nations.

June 26, 1945
Charter of the United Nations signed at the War Memorial Opera House.

July 16, 1945
With total secrecy, the U.S.S. Indianapolis left San Francisco with two atomic bombs. Its destination was the island of Tinian. On its secret trip it set a new speed record between the Farallones and Hawaii of 74 1/2 hours.

July 30, 1945
The U.S.S. Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine after delivering the atomic bombs at Guam. The ship went down 450 miles off th Leyte coast. 883 crew members lost their lives in the war's worst naval disaster.

August 1, 1945
Civil Air Patrol hosted dinner celebrating Army Air Force Day at the Palace Hotel. Gen. Hap Arnold's movie "Victory in the Air" premiered. Mayor Lapham also spoke.

August 6, 1945
Col. V.R. Miller, head of the crack Nisei regiment protested discrimination against veteran members of his outfit whose applications for membership in the VFW were rejected. His protest letter was printed in the Stars and Stripes.

August 14, 1945
At 4 p.m. Pacific War Time, President Truman announced the surrender of Japan. Spontaneous demonstrations broke out in San Francisco. All 30 air raid sirens were sounded, and thousands of people ran into the streets all over the city. Ticker tape and shredded telephone books were thrown from windows in the Financial District. Chief of Police Dullea reported that rioting broke out during the evening hours of the celebration.

Japanese prisoners of war housed at Angel Island had no apparent reaction to the end of the war. A military spokesman said, "It is typical of the attitude they have had all along. They have been very careful not to show any reaction of emotion regarding the war, or the series of Allied victories."

August 15, 1945
The RCA shortwave radio station in San Francisco transmitted to station JUM, Tokio, this message for Emperor Hirohito from Gen. MacArthur: "I have been designated as the supreme commander for the Allied powers, the United States, China, the United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and empowered to arrange for the cessation of hostilities to the earliest possible date. It is desired that a radio station in Tokio be designated for continuous use in handling communications between this headquarters and your headquarters."

August 18, 1945
"Peace riots" ended in San Francisco. Eleven people died and 1000 were injured. More than 100 windows were broken on Market St. District Attorney Edmund G. "Pat" Brown promised a full report on the disturbance to the grand jury.

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