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(Europe)
German troops invaded Poland, causing the second World War as France and Great Britain declared war on Nazi Germany. -
(Europe)
A German assault known as the battle of France which resulted in the capture of France and three other countries; Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium. -
(Europe)
The evacuation of more than 338,000 allied French and British soldiers who'd been surrounded by the Germans after a six week battle during World War II from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, northern France. -
(Europe)
Roughly 500 German planes dropped more than 700 tons of bombs across London City, killing nearly 1,500 people and destroying 11,000 homes. -
(Pacific)
The Japanese Navy attacked the U.S. naval base Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii, due to it being a major oil station as well as attacking with the assumption that it would cripple U.S. military. -
(Pacific)
Was the forced transfer of roughly 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war in Japan from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp O'Donnell via San Fernando. -
(Pacific)
A U.S. air raid during World War II which targeted major cities in Japan; boosted U.S. morale while instilling fear in the Japanese, especially after their recent bombing at pear Harbor. -
(Pacific)
The U.S. and Japanese naval forces engaged in a five-day battle in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. This battle changed the tides of the war in the Pacific. -
(Europe)
One of the most decisive battles on the Eastern Front in World War II in which the Soviet Union took victory over Germany, as well as the bloodiest battle in history with over 4,172,000 deaths -
(Pacific)
A series of destructive air and sea engagements closely related to a Japanese effort to reinforce land forces on the island. The U.S. took a critical victory during these battles, as it caused the allies of the Japanese to put them on the defensive for the first time. -
(Europe)
The Allies invaded Italy and successfully defeated the Germans, taking control of Italy. This was also preparation for D-Day. Both sides committed war crimes during the conflict. -
(Europe)
The Allies conducted an enormous invasion which took Nazi Germany by surprise across five beaches, initiating the end of Nazi rule over Europe. -
(Europe)
One of the largest operations by the Allies during World War II. The Allies planned to take hold of important bridges under German territory, but the plan miserably failed due to poor leadership. -
(Pacific)
An air and sea battle of World War II that crippled the Japanese, permitted U.S. invasion of the Philippines, and reinforced the allies' control over the Pacific. -
(Europe)
The Germans launched a surprise attack on the Allies, but were forced to withdraw. This became the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. -
(Pacific)
A significant battle for the United States Marine Corps and Navy; they captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese during World War II in one of the bloodiest battle of the war. -
(Pacific)
The last major battle of World War II; it was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific campaign, and led to U.S. victory as they defeated the final barrier between them and Imperial Japan. -
(Europe)
This was the day Germany unconditionally surrendered its military forces to the Allies, and became a yearly holiday as celebrations erupted world wide in marking the end of World War II in Europe. -
(Pacific)
The U.S. detonated two bombs over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing roughly 240,000 deaths. This changed the tides of war, leading to Japan's immediate surrender. -
(Pacific)
The creation of the Atomic bomb forced the Japanese into surrender during world War II; this was the day the surrender was officially signed aboard the USS Missouri.