-
Beginning of WW2
On the first of September, 1939 in Europe, Germany invaded Poland. This led to Great Britain and France responding with declaring war on Germany, formally starting World War II. -
Opening of Auschwitz concentration camp
Located 30 miles west of Krakow, the Auschwitz concentration camp was established. The original design of the concentration camp was to intimidate the indigenous people of poles and to control them. If they were to cause trouble for the Germans then they risked being sent to Auschwitz. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbour
In december of 1941, Japan sent a surprise attack on Pearl harbour located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii with the intention of destroying and damaging as much of the US pacific fleet as possible. The attack was done only a few days before Italy and Germany declared war on the United States, causing a global war. -
Bombing at Darwin
On the 19 of February, 1946, Japanese fighters and bombers continuously attacked ports and shipping on the harbours located in Darwin, 2 times everyday. The attacks killed 252 allied service personnel, as well as citizens. -
Liberation of concentration camps
Starting in the summer of 1944, many concentration camps all over Europe, starting with Majdanek located in Lubin, Poland were liberated. In January, 1945 the biggest camp, Auschwitz was liberated. Later on, American forces liberated more camps, including Buchenwald, Dora-Mittelbau, Flossenbürg, Dachau, and Mauthausen. -
Suicide of Hitler
While being hunted by soviet troops, on the 30th of April in 1945, the Dictator of Germany, Adolf Hitler committed suicide. -
Use of the Atomic Bomb
In 1945, two Atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The initial impact killed an estimated of 215,000 people were killed, with survivors being effected by the affects of the bomb, facing leukemia, cancer and other side affects of the lasting radiation. -
End of WW2
On May 8, 1945, World War II in Europe came to an end. Truman announced Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. On September 2, 1945, formal surrender documents were signed aboard the USS Missouri, designating the day as the official Victory over Japan Day. -
The fall of Singapore
The fall of Singapore took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of Japan captured the British stronghold of Singapore nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East" with fighting in Singapore lasting from 8 to 15 February 1942. -
Nuremberg Trials
After the war, the top surviving German leaders were tried for Nazi Germany’s crimes, including the crimes of the Holocaust. Their trial was held before an International Military Tribunal (IMT) in Nuremberg, Germany. Judges from the Allied powers, Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States presided over the hearing of 22 major Nazi criminals.