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Start of WW2
September 1, 1939, was the official start date for World War 2, when Hitler invaded Poland -
Battle of Britain
Operation Sea lion was Germany's strategy for attacking Britain. The German Luftwaffe (Airforce) would attack the Royal Air Force. The UK used radar to figure out where the Germans would attack from. While the UK lost 1,000 planes, the Germans lost 1,700. The Germans bombed everything they could, but ultimately radar saved the UK from falling to Germany. -
Pearl Harbor Attack
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory -
The Beginning of the Code
After struggles because of Japanese intercepting messages in battles, WW1 veteran Philip Johnston who lived in a Navajo Reservation, came up with the idea to use the Navajo language as code. -
Philip Returns to Camp Elliott
Several weeks later, Philip brings 4 Navajo natives back to Camp Elliott and proved how easy it was to translate their messages and the Marines then accepted his idea. -
Bataan Death March and Japan takes Philippines
Douglas MacArthur was commander of US forces in Asia. He miscalculated the strength of Japan and had to retreat to the Bataan Penninsula. Mac Arthur retreated to Australia, but he left his US troops behind. Japanese took Philippines and most US forces surrendered. Japan forced US troops to march 55 miles and more than 7,000 died. -
Navajos Are Recruited
U.S Marines went to the Navajo Reservation and talked to Chee Dodge, who was the chairman of the council. He liked the idea and many Navajos were excited when they heard the news. Many wanted to go and fight for their country. Twenty-nine Navajos joined. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad, which saw Hitler's major push for dominance on the Eastern Front, was marked by terrible losses on both sides. The Russians alone had over a million men wounded or killed. -
Allies Drive Germans out of North Africa
The British had been fighting the Germans and Italians in North Africa since 1940. Forcing Germany out of North Africa would provide the Allies with an opportunity to invade Italy. In 1943, George S. Patton (US tank commander) defeated Rommel (German tank commander). 240,000 Germans and Italians surrendered. This provided a way for the Allies to invade mainland Europe through southern Italy. -
Ritchie Boys Enter Europe
On June 6, 1944 also known as D-Day, the Ritchie Boys entered Europe. The Ritchie Boys would become an important weapon for the Allies. -
Two Ritchie Boys Captured
Kurt Jacobs and Murray Zappler were two Ritchie Boys from the 106th infantry division were captured by German Forces -
Hitler Died
Adolf Hitler killed himself by gunshot in his Führerbunker in Berlin. His wife Eva Braun committed suicide with him by taking cyanide. -
Code Talkers Dictionary
The very first Navajo code talkers dictionary was published and was established as the main book for US Marines. This dictionary was the book that the rest of Marines from then on used to learn code talking. -
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 6, 1945, US pilots dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The USSR declared war on Japan three days later, and the US dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The Japanese finally surrendered. -
Ending of WW2
In 1944, the Allies invaded France, heading towards Germany, while the Soviets kept closing in from the East. Germany surrendered in May 1945. Japan formally surrendered on 2 September 1945. The war ended with the Allied victory.