Dec. 6, 1942: As the nation nears the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt halts all enlistments in the armed forces, shifting the military entirely to the draft. The services also stopped taking men older than 38 and opened the way for men above that age to be discharged if their civilian duties would be better for the war effort.

With sidewalks so jammed that many people walked in the streets, shoppers crowded the downtown business district. Gasoline rationing apparently kept auto traffic low, and buses and streetcars were full most of the day, The Times said.

Above, shoppers fill the sidewalk at 7th Street and Broadway.

Emanuel Middleton, 30, the African American conductor of the Middleton Symphonietta orchestra, is preparing a concert at Patriotic Hall. Middleton was trained at the Institute of Musical Art, studied composition at Columbia and composed the musical comedy “Shadows Over Harlem” and music for Paul Green’s play “In the Valley.” He was also an instructor at Claflin University.

There isn’t much information about Middleton in The Times. His orchestra apparently played at least two seasons in Los Angeles in 1941-42. One concert featured music by Meredith Willson, Albert Stoessel and Morton Gould.