This Day in History: March 26

Here’s a brief look back in time for this day, March 26.

In 1920, future The Great Gatsby writer F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes his first book titled This Side of Paradise. His debut novel shared some similarities with the future American classic; its story revolved around American wealth and the vices it can manifest. A wealthy benefactor himself, Fitzgerald lived a lavish lifestyle that mirrored a lot of key plot points in his works. The ending to his story was equally as tragic, having died of a heart attack at age 44 in 1940.

In 1945, “Operation Detachment”, the invasion of Iwo Jima, ends, following a monthslong campaign planned by the U.S. Marines. Initially having begun on February 19 this same year, the goals of the campaign were to dismantle its airfields, and convert it to an emergency landing space for the U.S. Army Air Corp. In total, about 7,000 Marines lost their lives, with another 20,000 wounded. The war in the Pacific Theatre was not won yet; in a few days, the Battle of Okinawa was about to begin.