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In 1944, Grace Murray Hopper began her work with Howard Aiken on the Mark I computer. The Mark I was a collaborative effort between Harvard, IBM, and the US Navy. The Mark I was originally intended to help calculate the trajectories of shells fired in a variety of weather conditions, but remained in use until 1959. World War II had been going on in the United States for 3 years by 1944. 1944 saw the D-Day invasion of Europe by Allied forces. By this time, it was increasingly apparent that the Allies would ultimately be triumphant over the Axis powers, but the job was by no means done. Life in the United States during World War II was marked by sacrifice and shortages of many types of goods as the cost of living rose 30% for Americans during the year 1944 due to the diversion of so much of the nation's production to the war effort. 1940s Grace Murray Hopper Eleanor Roosevelt Queen Elizabeth of England While Grace Murray Hopper was not the only woman to contribute to the Allied Victory, with a Ph. D. in mathematics under her belt, her contributions were unusual for a woman in that time. Other important women from that era include Eleanor Roosevelt who was the First Lady of the United States during the Depression and the war. Her outspoken support for minorities, the poor, and women made her both a symbol of inspiration for some and a lightning rod for controversy among other groups. Eleanor Roosevelt is pictured in the room with Queen Elizabeth of England. Queen Elizabeth earned a place in the hearts of her countrymen for her heroic refusal to leave London during the nightly bombing raids that the Nazis conducted during the Blitz. All of these women worked hard for their nations during World War II. June 3, 1944 The Allies retake Rome. June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion of Europe by the Allies. Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected to an unprecedented fourth term as United States President. The Mark I http://www.digidome.nl/howard_h__aiken.htm This is from the Digidome website. Paul Stujit, Chairman of the Digidome Foundation, gave permission to use the image. See printed email. The image of Grace Murray Hopper is from the Naval Historical Center site. http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/pers-us/uspers-h/g-hoppr.htm This is a public domain image. The image on the wall is a WAVE Recruitment poster from the Naval Historical Center site. http://www.history.navy.mil/ac/posters/wwiiwomen/wavep3.htm This is a public domain image. The picture of Eleanor Roosevelt and Queen Elizabeth is part of the collection of the Library of Congress. It came up in a search of the site and is not listed on a specific page. It is part of the New York World-Telegram & Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection which is in the public domain. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/pphome.html Baker