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The invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign, Polish Campaign, and Polish Defensive War of 1939, was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union, which marked the beginning of World War II. -
On September 3, 1939, Great Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany, officially marking the start of World War II in Europe. This action was taken in fulfillment of their treaty guarantees to defend Poland, which had been invaded by German forces on September 1, 1939. -
The invasion of Belgium or Belgian campaign, formed part of the larger Battle of France, an offensive campaign by Germany during the Second World War. It took place over 18 days in May 1940 and ended with the German occupation of Belgium following the surrender of the Belgian Army. -
The Battle of Dunkirk (May–June 1940) saw over 338,000 Allied troops rescued from northern France during WWII after being surrounded by German forces. Operation Dynamo, directed by Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay, utilized a mix of naval and "little ships" to evacuate soldiers under fire. This "miracle" escape allowed Britain to continue the war. -
The Battle of Britain was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It was the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces -
established the first peacetime draft in U.S. history, requiring men to register for potential military service in preparation for World War II, and later extended conscription through the Korean and Vietnam Wars until 1973, with the current Selective Service System maintaining registration for all eligible young men for potential future emergencies. This act and its subsequent versions created the framework for military conscription in the U.S. -
The Lend-Lease Act (March 11, 1941) allowed the U.S. President to transfer, lend, or lease war materials—such as arms, food, and machinery—to any nation deemed vital to U.S. defense. It effectively ended U.S. neutrality by providing over $50 billion in aid to Allied nations like Britain and the Soviet Union -
The Empire of Japan launched a surprise military strike on the United States Pacific Fleet at its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. At the time, the U.S. was a neutral country in World War II. -
The United States formally entered World War II on December 8, 1941, by declaring war on Japan, one day after the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Following this, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. on December 11, 1941, prompting a swift American declaration of war against them -
Yes, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941, four days after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, bringing the U.S. fully into World War II against the entire Axis alliance, with the U.S. Congress voting overwhelmingly to reciprocate the declarations. Adolf Hitler announced Germany's declaration in a speech, followed shortly by Benito Mussolini's declaration for Italy, formalizing their commitment to Japan under the Tripartite Pact. -
The Battle of the Coral Sea, from 4 to 8 May 1942, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy and naval and air forces of the United States and Australia. -
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II that took place on 4–7 June 1942, six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea. -
Operation Torch was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during World War II. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while allowing American armed forces the opportunity to begin their fight against Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy on a limited scale. -
The Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) in July 1943 was a crucial World War II campaign that opened the "soft underbelly of Europe," leading to Mussolini's downfall and paving the way for the invasion of mainland Italy, beginning the Italian Campaign that lasted until 1945, aimed at removing Italy from the war and diverting German forces. The combined American, British, and Canadian forces successfully drove out Axis troops from Sicily, securing Mediterranean sea -
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D-Day, it is the largest seaborne invasion in history -
As Allied troops advanced across Europe in 1944 and 1945, they discovered a vast network of thousands of Nazi concentration and extermination camps, revealing the true scale of the Holocaust -
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during the Second World War, taking place from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945 -
The Yalta Conference, held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the postwar reorganization of Germany and Europe. -
V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) was celebrated on May 8, 1945, marking the formal acceptance of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender and the end of WWII in Europe. Following Adolf Hitler's suicide, celebrations erupted worldwide while the war continued in the Pacific. -
Hiroshima, located on Honshu Island, is a resilient, modern city renowned for its profound peace advocacy following the 1945 atomic bombing. Key sites include the poignant Peace Memorial Park, the preserved Atomic Bomb Dome, and the scenic Itsukushima Shrine on nearby Miyajima Island. The city is famous for its unique okonomiyaki (savory pancake) and vibrant cultural scene. -
Nagasaki, the capital of Nagasaki Prefecture on Japan's Kyushu island, is a scenic, hilly port city with a population of approximately 392,000. Known as the only Japanese port open to foreign trade for over 200 years during the Edo period, it has a unique, multicultural blend of European and Asian influences. Today, it is a significant, restored city famous for the Nagasaki Peace Park, Glover Garden, and its top-tier night views. -
Victory over Japan Day is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end