World War II Brought to Life: The Battle of Iwo Jima in Colorized Photos
-
by Esther ·
- February 19, 2020
- · History
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the commencement of the Battle of Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest battles on the Pacific front during World War II. In commemoration of this important event, we colorized some of the iconic photos from the battle.
The Battle of Iwo Jima took place over the course of 5 weeks, starting February 19 and ending March 26, 1945. Iwo Jima is a Japanese volcano island, one of the 3 islands of the Ogasawara Archipelago. The Japanese had been using it as a base for fighter planes that were intercepting American long-range bombers and as a haven for the Japanese navy.
The battle resulted in 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 deaths. 21,000 Japanese soldiers were stationed at Iwo Jima at the start of the battle, and only 216 were taken prisoner — meaning the rest are assumed to have been killed.
The photos from the battle look even more dramatic in color after having been colorized with MyHeritage In Color™!
Bring your own family history to life by colorizing your own family photos with MyHeritage In Color™!
Is anyone in your family a WWII war veteran? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!
More from History
Who Really Founded Labor Day?
While Labor Day may now be associated with great sales, tasty barbeques, and the last hurrah of summer, the origins of the day tell a completely different tale. The day was originally established to honor the laborers and workers in the United States —...
Love in the Time of the Spanish Flu
Over the past several months, it’s become clear that the coronavirus pandemic will change our lives in many ways — not least of which, the way we connect to our loved ones. Experts say that social distancing is the only effective weapon humanity has...
D-Day in Full Color
On June 6, 1944, the largest seaborne invasion in history took place, finally turning the tide of World War II and leading to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. Operation Neptune, widely known as D-Day, was the much-anticipated operation that began the liberation of...
The True Story Behind the Film “1917”: Director Sam Mendes’s War Hero Grandfather
One of the most celebrated films of the year, 1917 tells the harrowing tale of a pair of World War I soldiers tasked with carrying a message across enemy lines in an effort to save the lives of thousands of British soldiers. The story...
A 12-Year-Old Girl Foreshadowed Coronavirus in a Story Written During the Spanish Flu Pandemic
In 1918, at the height of the Spanish flu pandemic, a children’s newspaper in Winnipeg, Canada held a writing competition for schoolchildren who were stuck at home due to school closures. Among the entries was a story by Jessie Mains, age 12, called “Corona’s...
60 Years Ago Today, Elvis Presley Completed His Military Service
You may know Elvis Presley as the King of Rock ‘n Roll, the genius behind timeless classics such as “All Shook Up,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and “Love Me Tender.” But in 1960, he was known to some as Sergeant Presley. ...
The Titanic Brought to Life with MyHeritage In Color™
Perhaps nothing inspires humility like the legacy of the Titanic: the so-called “unsinkable ship” that did, in fact, sink on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. The ship was built during a time when travel was becoming something people did for leisure rather...
5 Black Women Who Made History — and Who You May Not Have Heard Of
Women of color have been fighting for centuries for their right to live in dignity, freedom, and equality. Despite the considerable challenges, many black women have contributed their unique talents and abilities to shape society into what it is today. And no thanks to...
The Woman Who Beat Phileas Fogg Around the World — and Championed Human Rights Way Ahead of Her Time
When Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days was published in 1872, the idea of circumnavigating the world in such a short period was still strictly in the realm of fiction. And then Nellie Bly came along. Not only did...
Share