Historical Context: June, 1943

Movie goers at Bob’s Theatre in Twin Bridges, Montana, could witness the cinematic showdown that defined the year’s Best Actor race: Cagney vs Cooper. With back-to-back showings of James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy and Gary Cooper in The Pride of the Yankees, audiences had a front-row seat to the competition. Though Cooper had won the honor the previous year for Sergeant York, it would be Cagney’s turn in ’43.

Historically in June, the first ever national child-care program would be passed, and controversy — with consequences — would follow a political miss-step by the sitting vice president.

On June 29, the Senate passed a  national child-care program that allocated  $20 million for federal care of children whose mothers were employed for the duration of the war. Since that single victory, proponents of the idea have never successfully passed a similar plan.

On that same day, Vice-President Henry A. Wallace made “an ill-considered speech” attacking Secretary of Commerce Jesse H. Jones. Historicans point to these remarks as one reason why President Roosevelt would drop Wallace from the ticket in 1944. His alternate choice — Harry S. Truman — would become preisdent at Roosevelt’s death one year later.