-
Pearl Harbor
Japanese planes bombed the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Almost 2,300 Americans died and nearly 20 American ships and over 300 planes were damaged. This attack was a complete surprise to the United States although the U.S. and Japan had argued about Japan's expansion into China. The United States and Japan both were interested in Asian natural resources. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the successful defense of the city Stalingrad. This battle started the turn of the war in favor of the Allies. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in history. The casualties reached nearly 2 million. This battle is considered to be one of the Russian's Great Patriotic War. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
After preparing for two years, the U.S. and Great Britain sent a large army with planes, ships, and many soldiers to Normandy, France which was, at the time, controlled by Germany. There was a large number of casualties, but the mission was successful. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major battle that was fought in northern France over land the Germans had taken. It began on December 16, 1944 and ended on January 25, 1945. Over 100,00 Germans and 76,000 Americans were killed, wounded, or captured. The Allies regained land the land the Germans took. -
Liberation of Concentration Camps
Prisoners in Nazi concentration camps all over Germany and Poland were set free by Soviet soldiers. These concentration camps were set up to kill Jews and other targeted groups of people. Many people died at these camps. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
After months of naval and air bombardment. U.S. Marines invaded a tiny island called Iwo Jima. Nearly 7,000 U.S. Marines were killed, and many more were wounded. It was one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history, but the island was finally declared secured in March 1945. This battle happened because Japanese fighters taking off from Iwo Jima kept intercepting the U.S. B-29s and attacking the Mariana airfields, so the U.S. wanted to take control of the island. -
VE Day
The VE in VE Day stands for Victory in Europe. On May 8th 1945, German troops throughout Europe finally stopped fighting. Germany surrendered to the Soviets. Surrender documents were signed in Berlin and eastern Germany. People all across Europe rejoiced. -
Potsdam Declaration
The Potsdam Conference was the last World War II meeting held by the "Big Three" heads of state. Dictator Joseph Stalin from the Soviet Union, Harry Truman from the US, and Winston Churchill from Great Britain attended. They made a declaration that said that Japan must surrender unconditionally. The conference mostly centered on what happened in Europe after WWII ended. -
Dropping of the Atomic Bombs
The U.S. dropped two bombs in Japan. One was dropped in Hiroshima and three days later the other was dropped in Nagasaki. The bombs were sent to take Japan out of the war and to end WWII. These bombings made the U.S. a powerful force. Some historians also say that they could have started the Cold War. The atomic bombs killed more than 120,000 people in Japan. -
VJ Day
VJ Day stands for Victory over Japan Day. On August 14th, 1945, Japan announced its surrender to the Allies. VJ Day could also be on September 2, 1945, when Japan formally surrendered aboard the U.S.S. Missouri. September 2, 1945 is also the official end date of World War II.
