Title: World War II Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
Open Graph Title: World War II Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
X Title: World War II Facts, History & Quizzes | Mental Floss
Description: Discover World War II facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
Open Graph Description: Discover World War II facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
X Description: Discover World War II facts, trivia, and surprising stories on Mental Floss—content that entertains, educates, and satisfies your curiosity.
Opengraph URL: https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/historical-events-happened-year-paul-mccartney-born","headline":"6 Historical Events That Happened the Year Paul McCartney Was Born","description":"The Beatle arrived on Earth as \"White Christmas\" was topping charts and World War II was in full swing.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Paul Anthony Jones"},"datePublished":"2026-06-18T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-06-18T00:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/historical-events-happened-year-paul-mccartney-born"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii/manhattan-project-bomb-you-havent-heard","headline":"The Manhattan Project Bomb You Haven’t Heard Of","description":"One atomic bomb was used in a test explosion. Two more bombs were deployed over Japan. That left a mysterious fourth bomb—code-named Thin Man—in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Anne Wheeler"},"datePublished":"2013-09-05T13:00:00Z","dateModified":"2025-08-21T21:18:38Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii/manhattan-project-bomb-you-havent-heard"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii/v-j-day-end-of-world-war-ii-facts","headline":"12 Facts About the End of World War II","description":"Savage battles, atomic bombs, and shark attacks were just some of the events leading up to the end of World War II in August 1945. Here's a look back on its 80th anniversary.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Mark Mancini"},"datePublished":"2020-07-31T16:00:00Z","dateModified":"2025-08-08T18:22:18Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii/v-j-day-end-of-world-war-ii-facts"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii/crew-enola-gay-dropping-atomic-bomb","headline":"How 12 ‘Enola Gay’ Crew Members Remember Dropping the Atomic Bomb","description":"After dropping the atomic bomb over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, almost all of the 12 men aboard the ‘Enola Gay’ had something to say about it.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Miss Cellania"},"datePublished":"2015-08-06T12:30:00Z","dateModified":"2025-08-08T20:06:29Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii/crew-enola-gay-dropping-atomic-bomb"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii/70-years-later-uss-indianapolis-vets-recall-surviving-shark-infested-waters","headline":"Watch USS ‘Indianapolis’ Vets Recall Surviving Shark-Infested Waters","description":"The worst shark attack in history followed the bombing and sinking of the USS Indianapolis on July 30, 1945.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jen Pinkowski"},"datePublished":"2015-07-30T18:30:00Z","dateModified":"2025-05-22T19:32:02Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/world-war-ii/70-years-later-uss-indianapolis-vets-recall-surviving-shark-infested-waters"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/war/lesser-known-war-memorials","headline":"11 Lesser-Known War Memorials","description":"These tributes to fallen soldiers may not be as instantly recognizable as the Vietnam Memorial and others, but their stories are no less fascinating—including one that doubles as a mausoleum right in Manhattan.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jake Rossen"},"datePublished":"2021-11-11T12:10:00Z","dateModified":"2025-05-14T17:11:18Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/war/lesser-known-war-memorials"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/mystery/l-8-ghost-blimp-mystery","headline":"L-8: The ‘Ghost Blimp’ Whose Crew Disappeared During World War II","description":"A submarine patrol blimp departed with a two-man crew in the morning. It landed with no one on board.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Jake Rossen"},"datePublished":"2025-04-24T18:04:00Z","dateModified":"2025-04-24T18:04:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/history/mystery/l-8-ghost-blimp-mystery"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/slang/gilded-age-society-slang-decoded","headline":"From 'Dollar Princess' to 'The Four Hundred,' Decoding the Gilded Age's High-Society Slang","description":"Ever wondered what Gilded Age high society meant by \"dollar princess\" or \"the alum\"? Decode the 19th-century slang used in HBO’s 'The Gilded Age.'","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Paul Anthony Jones"},"datePublished":"2026-11-08T23:00:01Z","dateModified":"2026-11-08T23:00:01Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/slang/gilded-age-society-slang-decoded"}}
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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/food/foods-families-ate-during-gilded-age","headline":"6 Foods Families Really Ate During the Gilded Age","description":"From potted ham and boiled cabbage to diamondback terrapin and celery, discover what high society—and working-class families—actually ate during the Gilded Age.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Nitya Rao"},"datePublished":"2026-11-08T01:00:01Z","dateModified":"2026-11-08T01:00:01Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/food/foods-families-ate-during-gilded-age"}}
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/real-historical-figures-gilded-ag","headline":"10 Real-Life Historical Figures in HBO’s 'The Gilded Age'","description":"The HBO show 'The Gilded Age' features a number of people who really did live during the Gilded Age, from the real Mrs. Catherine Astor to Booker T. Washington.","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"Paul Anthony Jones"},"datePublished":"2026-11-07T23:00:00Z","dateModified":"2026-11-07T23:00:00Z","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.mentalfloss.com/entertainment/tv/real-historical-figures-gilded-ag"}}
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