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D-Day
This is marked as the largest invasion force which involved more than 175,000 allied troops. It was the invasion of Normandy against German troops. This day is known as D-Day and is often named the beginning of the end of the War in the Pacific (part of WW2). -
Battle of Saipan
Battle that was fought on the island of Saipan, in the Mariana Islands, from June 15 to July 9, 1944. After three weeks of fighting, the Japanese are not able to resupply, resulting in defeat. This battle claimed the lives of many and others chose suicide rather than being captured due to Japanese Propaganda that showed the United States being evil. -
Kamikaze
Because of desperate measures to win the war, Japanese soldiers started to conduct Kamikaze (divine wind) suicide attacks. Using their explosive-filled planes and jets as weapons, the soldiers would aim for US troops ships. This resulted in the deaths of about 10,000 Americans and 3,860 Japanese troops. -
Yalta Conference
Conference that was held in Yalta, USSR. The meeting consisted of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin and spoke about the final assault on Germany and the end of WW2. Took place from February 4 to February 11, 1945 -
Death of President Roosevelt
On April 12, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away after suffering an intracerebral hemorrhage. Vice President Harry S. Truman is sworn in as president and left with difficult decisions, such as whether to use the atomic bomb or not. -
Hitler's Suicide
In his bunker in Berlin, Adolf Hitler and his wife of two days, Eva Braun both committed suicide by swallowing cyanide pills and Hitler shooting himself. Hitler wanted to avoid capture after hearing the news of the execution of Mussolini (Italy's dictator). Berlin surrendered shortly after on May 2, 1945. -
VE Day
Declared as Victory over Europe Day. This day marks the end of WW2 in Europe. While the United States did celebrate this victory, flags still flew at half-staff because of the recent loss of President Roosevelt -
Bombing of Hiroshima
The atomic bomb landed in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The bomb's powers were so strong, it killed almost 80,000 people immediately. Those that were not killed right away were released to radiation poisoning. If a person were to see the explosion, they would go blind because it was so powerful, the bomb melted the retinas in people's eyes. This bomb was nicknamed the "Little Boy". -
Bombing of Nagasaki
Following the bombing of Hiroshima, the US bombed Nagasaki resulting in the death of about 90,000 to 146,000 people. This bomb was the second of two nuclear weapons that have ever been used in war. The bomb that dropped on Nagasaki was nicknamed the "Fat Man" for its shape. -
The end of the War
The Japanese surrendered after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, (Aug. 6 and Aug. 9 respectively), on August 15, 1945. The signing of the document officially ending the war was signed on September 2, 1945. This day is known as VJ day or Victory over Japan day.
