After four years of cancelled celebrations, Mardi Gras returned in 1946. For the veteran flambeaux carriers—a dangerous and physically taxing job—the need for better wages resulted in a historic strike that caused “a post-war rude awakening.”

In the four years of war, Americans on the home front were asked to do their part and to go without certain items for the sake of the war effort. For residents of New Orleans, World War II also meant going without Mardi Gras.

This new series features master’s student papers from the University of New Orleans. The first submission delves into American memory of World War II.

Jackie Robinson is best known for breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier. Less well known, but just as pivotal, is his 1944 court-martial after refusing to move to the back of a military bus.

In what was described as a “homey little ceremony on the back porch of the White House,” Franklin Roosevelt entered into his fourth term as President with stoic optimism.

Most scholars date the beginning of the Space Race to the middle of the 1950s. However, in the immediate aftermath of World War II, both the US and USSR were already taking their first steps towards extra-planetary exploration.

By the winter of 1945, millions of American military personnel were on the move, but they were not alone. More than 60,000 women wed by American servicemen during World War II hoped to leave their old homes behind and rejoin their husbands for a new life in the United States. However, for these “War Brides” restrictive American immigrations policies posed a major challenge.

Radio as sonic morale booster was particularly important during the holidays. In this article we revisit Christmas recordings of Command Performance, The Jack Benny Show, and other radio programs.