Historical fiction has a power all its own to communicate experiences of war and atrocity.

Although the precipitating events could not have been more different, both high school students in World War II and high school students today have seen their school lives disrupted and irrevocably changed seemingly overnight.

On the 75th anniversary of VE-Day, a historian reflects on the destiny averted and greater historical meaning of the Allies’ victory over Nazi Germany.

Entertainer Bob Hope performed his regular radio show in front of a military audience at the US Naval Training Facility in Oceanside, California on May 8, 1945. The next day he played a central role in the Victory broadcast on the Armed Forces Radio Service. These performances both took a more somber tone than usual.

Seventy-five years ago, in final days of World War II in Europe, Czech citizens and members of its resistance launched a final assault against the Nazis. The Prague Uprising lasted for five days, and came to represent a symbol of Czech resistance in World War II.

Before he took office and faced the challenges of the Great Depression and World War II, FDR faced the challenge of Polio. This disease was sometimes deadly and always feared in the US during the first half of the twentieth century. Part of FDR's legacy is the Polio vaccine, released in 1955.

1945 was a turning point for the famous winery of Chateau Mouton Rothschild and the creation of unique tradition: Artists creating wine labels.

Dancer Patty Thomas was often showcased by her boss and troupe leader Bob Hope as a living embodiment of what American troops were fighting for. Thomas brought levity and youthful femininity to the staging areas of the harshest fighting in the Pacific.

In secret, hidden from occupying German forces, Willem Kolff developed the first dialysis machine to save patients from kidney failure. After the war, he brought his device to the United States and made a career in artificial organ development.

Just in time for WrestleMania, the contributions of professional wrestlers during World War II ranged from performing at bond drives to giving the military tips on hand-to-hand combat, while some wrestlers actually served and fought on the front lines.