Today in World War II History—Feb. 9, 1942

Troopship USS Lafayette, on fire in New York harbor, 9 February 1942 (US National Archives)

75 Years Ago—Feb. 9, 1942: French liner Normandie, which had been seized by the US and renamed the troopship USS Lafayette, burns at pier in New York, capsizes next day.

US institutes War Savings Time: year-round daylight savings time.

US Department of Justice requires German, Italian, and Japanese nationals to register for Certificates of Identification by Feb. 28.

Britain begins to ration soap (4 oz/month).

US poster about War Savings Time, WWII