Categories
History Learning Materials

American Celebrities Who Served in World War 2

We have all seen hundreds of movies related to war and active combat. Rather than honoring these films that represent the military or conflict, we’re honoring the cinema stars who have served their nation in the real world.

World War Two gripped the masses like no other conflict before or after. Artists were employed by several countries, particularly the United States, to gain support for the war. Some stars even left the safety of Hollywood to fight on the field.

Here are a few examples of some of the most famous American celebrities who served in World War 2!

Jimmy Stewart

Image by Pinterest

Jimmy Stewart was the first member of Hollywood to join the war operation. His father had taken part in World War I, and it is assumed that perhaps it was because of his family’s long military heritage that he decided to accept the risk.

James Stewart, who enlisted in the US Air Force in 1941, first took part in recruitment operations that included radio engagements and propaganda videos. Eventually, he piloted and directed several bombing flights over Nazi-occupied Germany and Europe. Stewart stayed in the Air Force Reserve after the war, eventually attaining the position of brigadier general.

Audrey Hepburn

How to master Audrey Hepburn's classic cat-eye flick | Vogue India
Image by Vogue India

Audrey Hepburn spent the war years in occupied Holland, where her uncle was killed for resisting the Nazi takeover, and her half-brother was transported to a German labor camp. She aided the Dutch Resistance by doing covert live shows to generate funds and transporting information and goods.

Paul Newman

Paul Newman | Biography, Movies, Assessment, & Facts | Britannica
Image by Britannica

After graduating from high school in 1943, Paul Newman got enlisted in the US Navy and worked on aircraft carriers in the Pacific theatre as a radio operator and turret gunner. Newman was assigned to Barbers Point, Hawaii, in 1944 to serve as a substitute pilot for torpedo bomber units.

Newman received the following medals after being honorably discharged in 1946:

  • American Area Campaign medal
  • The Good Conduct Medal, and
  • World War II Victory medal.

Alec Guinness

17 Top Alec Guinness ideas | guinness, movie stars, actors & actresses
Image by Pinterest

In 1939, the acclaimed British actor joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, putting his successful stage career on hold. In July 1943, he was a key figure in the Allied invasion of Sicily. Guinness spearheaded a landing craft carrying almost 200 British soldiers into the shores of Sicily. Subsequently, he transported guns and ammunition to Yugoslav fighters in the eastern Mediterranean.

Kirk Douglas

Image by Pinterest

Kirk Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch and brought up as Izzy Demsky. He changed his name to Kirk Douglas immediately before enlisting in the US Navy in 1941.

Kirk Douglas was first rejected from the US Air Force after failing his psychiatric exam. Douglas did not get disheartened by the setback and immediately volunteered in the US Navy. He was admitted despite his impaired vision.

In 1944, he was medically discharged owing to battle injuries as a communications officer in anti-submarine combat.

Clark Gable

Clark Gable filmography - Wikipedia
Image by Wikipedia

Clark Gable enrolled in the US Army Air Forces after the loss of his wife, Carole Lombard, the first American female battle victim of Wartime. Gable was posted in England and completed five combat missions as an observer-gunner despite joining at the age of 43 after starring in a recruiting film.

Gable returned to America at the end of 1943 to finish his picture, Combat America. Due to his age, he was upgraded to major the next year and was finally discharged from active service on June 12, 1944.

Adolf Hitler was said to be a major Clark Gable admirer who had promised a large prize to anybody who could capture the star alive and bring him back to Germany.

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman on screen and stage - Wikipedia
Image by Wikipedia

Even though his service was not prominent, Morgan made it to the list as he is one of the most renowned celebrities. Morgan Freeman turned down a Jackson State University acting scholarship because he wanted to be a pilot. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1955, but after an experience of battle in training, he concluded that this was not the field for him. He then went into the less risky field of filmmaking. 

Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley | Biography, Songs, Movies, Death, & Facts | Britannica
Image by Britannica

The American singer Elvis Presley joined the United States Army for two years in 1958. He was largely recognized as a popular single in the entertainment industry at the time of his enrollment.

Presley’s music had aroused national fury before he joined the army. Many parents, religious leaders, and educators cheered his enlistment in the military. His management convinced Presley to serve as a regular soldier despite being allowed to enroll in Special Services and reside in priority accommodation. This gained him the admiration of many of his colleagues and Americans who had previously held a wrong opinion of him.

Hank Greenburg

Image by Pinterest

Many baseball players suspended their careers in the mid-40s to serve. Greenberg was recruited for WWII service in May 1941 when he was in his prime. After three months in the army, he came to Detroit to train for the 1942 game. When the assault on Pearl Harbor occurred, Hank Greenberg abruptly reversed his decision and proclaimed publicly that he was re-enlisting in the army. 

Categories
Characters History Adventures News NU-Q Product Releases Spencer Striker PhD

Empires & Interconnections

All New Digital Book

Introducing Empires & Interconnections, the newest edition in the award-winning History Adventures digital book series, whose accolades include the 2019 Horizon Interactive Awards Gold Medal for Best Education App.

This fully interactive, animated digital learning product represents a fresh approach to history education, designed for today’s digital generation.

History Adventures: Empires & Interconnections (1450-1750) combines the latest in mobile entertainment with the power of narrative design—bringing the pages of history to life.

An Age of Exploration, Gunpowder, and International Trade

During this period of colossal change, from 1450-1750, the world got smaller. The age of exploration, gunpowder, and international trade took hold, like never before. Epic empires expanded, and followed trade routes–as European nations battled to control as much of the world’s wealth as possible. The dark side of this explosion of wealth and consolidated power and influence, meant enslavement and ruin for some, as Europeans unknowingly brought diseases that killed millions and meanwhile initiated the gruesome, inhumane Atlantic Slave Trade. Some nations remained autonomous and isolated, such as the Tokugawa of Japan–but this took huge effort to throw off this tide of increasing global interconnectedness.

Empires & Interconnections

For Empires & Interconnections, we have developed 6 new characters–each of whom confronts the core question: how to deal with this tidal sweep of rising empires, will they fold into this interconnectedness, or will they somehow resist?

A World of Characters

We begin our journey in 1453, as Ioannina, a woman of Byzantine and Turkish ancestry, experiences the Ottoman Siege of Constantinople, led by Sultan Mehmed II. The battle hangs by a thread, but ultimately the ancient capital falls, heralding the final death knell of the Roman Empire, and the rise of the Islamic empires of the Middle East, whose control of this critical crossroads will push the emerging mercantile empires of Western Europe to search for a Western route to Asia. Our next character, Luis Felipe Gutierrez, is a Spanish adventurer, who dreams of achieving wealth and glory in the New World–while spreading the word of God–as Columbus, Cortez, and Pizarro had done before him. In the disease-stricken, war-torn mountains and jungles of Peru, he finds instead madness, confusion, and death.

In Tokugawa Japan, a young woman, Ishi, is a key advisor to the powerful warlord, Tokugawa, who strives to achieve the first Shogunate. She will advise Tokugawa on how to deal with these strange, fanatical European missionaries: should she grant clemency, or should she deal with them harshly, and with violence, to stamp out their looming threat. In 1619, we introduce William, a man forcibly brought to the new settlement of Jamestown in Virginia, by Portuguese Slave traders. Captured by English pirates in the Caribbean, William was sold along with 16 other Africans to the struggling Jamestown colony–and there he would be the first to confront an international slave trade that would last for centuries, and grip the lives of millions.

A century later we find one man, Jonas, was still struggling to find his place in the Atlantic World. As trading companies and governments tightened their grip, a few men like Jonas rebelled and turned pirate. Based in the notorious pirate haven of Nassau, in the Caribbean, Jonas plundered merchant ships. The question was for how long he could escape the hangman’s noose? On the other side of the world, in the Indian subcontinent, a Bengali tax collector must decide whether to remain loyal to the Mughal Emperor or side with the rapidly expanding British East India Company. As the company seized control of Bengal on the battlefield, Arun had to decide where his loyalties lay?

What Would I Have Done?
The Best Question About the Past You Can Ever Ask..

Innovative product features

  • Immersive 360 Panorama Environments
  • Animated, Interactive Infographics
  • Enhanced Original Historical Documents
  • Choose Your Own Adventure Experience
  • Animated Illustrations & Dynamic Text
  • AP World History Curriculum
  • Media-Rich Interactive Assessments

Optimized for cross-platform performance, running flawlessly on phones, tablets, and the web.

What the Press are Saying

“Screenwriters have been adapting historical stories for years, but Spencer Striker, PhD is using a new medium to bring history to life—a fully animated, interactive, narrative-driven digital book series.”

– Script Magazine, May 7, 2020

“Spencer Striker’s History Adventures couldn’t have come at a better time. As parents all over the US are scrambling to home school their children, the digital media professor and producer has delivered us the history of the world, in an enticing and entertaining format.”

– Filmdaily, March 24, 2020

History Adventures showcases a fresh approach to learning and literacy, designed for today’s digital generation: interactive, multimodal content that combines mobile entertainment with the power of story—bringing the pages of history to life!

Download History Adventures: Empires & Interconnections today!

Links

http://www.historyadventures.co/
https://www.facebook.com/HistoryAdventures
https://www.instagram.com/history.adventures/
https://twitter.com/HistoryAdvs

Created by Spencer Striker, PhD
Digital Media Design Professor at Northwestern University in Qatar

Categories
History Adventures Presentations Spencer Striker PhD

5 Reasons To Download History Adventures

Watch out people, there is a new kid on the block and it’s revolutionizing the way you learn history: introducing History Adventures

History Adventures is a series of next-generation digital books developed by Dr. Spencer Striker. History Adventures blends the latest innovations in mobile entertainment design and technology – including animation, music, motion, and sound effects, with the powerful storytelling method of narrativizing the life stories of peoples who lived in past centuries, in different ages and locations around the world, with the innovative, cross-disciplinary curricula.

The first book, History Adventures, World of Characters, (1750-1900), presents a fresh approach to history education, designed for today’s digital generation.

What’s History Adventures’ secret? Amazingly, it simply lets you relive history by reading the stories of multiple characters who used to live during a certain period in world history with a click of a finger. 

If you are getting ready for the AP World History Exam, just download History Adventures. Getting ready for the college, voila – History Adventures. Or maybe you are no longer studying, but just want to improve your general knowledge of history, or relax and enjoy a fascinating and engaging book while distracting yourself after a long day – then History Adventures will come in hand too. 

With our streamlined book application, anyone can have a great audiovisual experience at the click of a button! To celebrate our launch, we’ve put together this list of even more reasons why you should download History Adventures.

By the way, you can download History Adventures: World of Characters, (1750-1900) here.

  1. Engaging Learning Experience



    Learning history has never been more exciting! History Adventures provides users with an interactive history learning experience that will enhance and broaden their comprehension of the complex world around them.

    When you first open the book application on your device, make sure you go through the ‘How To Use This Book’ guide since History Adventures is filled with different types of interactive content and you can launch different features at your own comfort by clicking certain icons – additional information, 3D experience, tags (mainly to help you memorize certain definitions), audio comments of the historian related to the featured topic, and much more!

  2. History Has Never Been So… Unboring!
    Innovative applied interaction design research shows how data visualization, musical scoring, interactive maps of time, and documentary-inspired visualizations can bring the pages of history to life, which makes the learning experience incredibly engaging and fascinating.

    We promise, after you start reading, you just won’t be able to stop!

  3. Get Ready To Ace The AP World History Exam (Applicable To Some Other Exams Too)



    We’ve created the History Adventures keeping the AP World History Program curriculum in mind. Therefore, in the actual book, you will be able to see which AP World History: Modern topics exactly are covered in the upcoming pages.

    The best part – you will also be able to test your knowledge about the relevant topic or story with different types of questions.

    Moreover, the book can also be used when preparing for other types of World History exams.

  4. Pure Readaxation
    According to the University of Sussex research, reading for just 6 minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by 68%. Our book will not only help you reduce stress, but you’ll also be able to switch your mind off from your work and daily routine and go on a breathtaking historical journey to the age of Revolutions and Industrialization.

    By the way, you can learn more about the power of reading for pleasure here.

  5. History Adventures is free



    Yes, you read that right! History Adventures is absolutely free to download for everyone.

    We’re available on Apple Books, so just download it now to your iOS device and enjoy the most captivating history book ever.

So why wait? Download History Adventures now!

Categories
Characters History Adventures News Publication Spencer Striker PhD

Available Now on iTunes!

History Adventures, World of Characters, Book 3: 1750-1900 is now available for download in 51 countries around the world… for free for a limited time only! 

https://books.apple.com/us/book/history-adventures-world-of-characters/id1505237819

History Adventures presents a fresh approach to history education, designed for today’s digital generation.

History Adventures, World of Characters, Book 3: 1750-1900 is now available for download in 51 countries around the world... for free for a limited time only!
History Adventures, World of Characters, Book 3: 1750-1900 is now available for download in 51 countries around the world… for free for a limited time only!

This interactive, multimodal learning experience combines the latest in mobile entertainment with the power of narrative design—bringing the pages of history to life.

History Adventures foregrounds the power of story, narrativizing the experiences of people who lived in past centuries—in different epochs and locations around the globe.

Students will witness the very real moments these very real people lived through, as if they were there. And via the empathy inspired by storytelling: students will feel the life or death stakes of decisions made in the moment.

The January 31, 2020 release covers the Period from 1750-1900 through the lens of 5 amazing people living through complex flash-points in time.

Book 3 Features:

  • Agent 355, (a slave… and an American Revolutionary War spy)
  • Jiemba, (an indigenous Australian at Botany Bay when the British convict ships arrived)
  • Fei Hong, (a Chinese family man, surviving the Opium Wars)
  • Khari, (a native rebel resisting Belgian oppression during the Congo Free State)
  • Thomas Brown, (a muckraking reporter, working to expose the gross malpractice of the Chicago Meatpacking Industry).

History Adventures: the Stories of People in Time, Connected by Eternity… 

Created by Spencer Striker, PhD

#history #mobile #education #innovation #apworldhistory #worldhistory #peopleshistory #technology #userexperiencedesign #animation #exploration #digitallearning #revolution #culperspyring #othersideofhistory #narrativedesign #opiumwar #gunboatdiplomacy #muckraking #thejungle #uptonsinclair #chicagomeatpackers #rainbowserpent #behindeverygreatfortunethereisacrime #botanybay #deeptime #kingleopoldsghost #interactiondesign #characterdesign #chooseyourownadventure

Categories
Big History Characters History Adventures News

Our official launch trailer!

History Adventures, World of Characters, Book 3, (1750-1900).

A fresh approach to history education, designed for today’s digital generation.

This interactive, multimodal learning experience combines the latest in mobile entertainment with the power of narrative design—bringing the pages of history to life.

History Adventures foregrounds the power of story, narrativizing the experiences of people who lived in past centuries—in different epochs and locations around the globe. Students will witness the very real moments these very real people lived through, as if they were there. And via the empathy inspired by quality storytelling, students will feel the life or death stakes of decisions made in the moment.

The January 2020 release of History Adventures covers the Period from 1750-1900 through the lens of 5 amazing people living through complex flash-points in time.

Book 3 Features

  1. Agent 355, (a slave… and an American Revolutionary War spy)
  2. Jiemba, (an indigenous Australian at Botany Bay when the British convict ships arrived)
  3. Fei Hong, (a Chinese family man, surviving the Opium Wars)
  4. Khari, (a native rebel resisting Belgian oppression during the (so-called) Congo Free State)
  5. Thomas Brown, (a muckraking reporter, working to expose the malpractice of the Chicago Meatpacking Industry).

History Adventures, World of Characters, Book 3 (1750-1900), will go live on iTunes, January of 2020, available for download around the world!

History Adventures: The Stories of People in Time, Connected by Eternity..

Created by Spencer Striker, PhD

#history #digitallearning #historyeducation #digitaldesign #learningdesign #illustration #americanrevolution #congofreestate #peopleshistory #bighistory #mobilelearning #multimodality #interactivelearning #powerofstory #narrativedesign #historicalfiction #characterdesign #washingtonsspies #opiumwars #revolution #rebellion #Imperialism #exploration #clashofcivilizations #muckrakers #botanybay #gunboatdiplomacy #indigenous #chicagomeatpackers #historyadventures