WWII Timeline

  • The Battle of Stalingrad

    The Battle of Stalingrad
    On July 17, 1936, Nazi Germany fought against the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in Southern Russia. This battle was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II. Nazi Germany and their armies fought long and hard but to no avail.
  • The Battle of Britain

    The Battle of Britain
    The Battle of Britain was between the RAF and Nazi Germany's air force. On July 10 until October 31 of 1940, aircraft took to the sky battling for control over the airspace control of Great Britain, Germany, and the English Channel. The Nazis were confident in their ability to conquer, yet the RAF proved that they were stronger in their aircraft battles.
  • The Bombing of Pearl Harbor

    The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
    The Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service planned a surprise military strike upon the United States at the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 7, 1941.
  • The Battle of Okinawa

    The Battle of Okinawa
    The Battle of Okinawa was the final major battle of World War Two. On April 1, 1945, more than 180,000 U.S. troops invaded the island of Okinawa as a final push toward Japan. This battle was a part of 'Operation Iceberg' which was a plan to invade and occupy the Ryukyu Islands. This battle ended with an Allied victory.
  • The Battle of Midway

    The Battle of Midway
    On the morning of June 4th, aircraft from four Japanese carriers were deployed. This damaged the U.S. base on Midway, severely. However, the Japanese were unaware that the U.S. was prepared for battle and was east of the island. As the Japanese aircraft were returning, the U.S. aircraft began attacking. Three of the four Japanese aircraft were hit, abandoned, and burned. The surviving Japanese aircraft was located and burned until it finally sank.
  • Operation Torch

    Operation Torch
    Operation Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa while also allowing American armed forces the opportunity to engage in the fight against Nazi Germany on a small scale. This operation began on November 8, 1942.
  • Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program

    Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program
    The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program were established in 1943 to help protect cultural property in war during and after World War II. This program was under the Civil Affair and Military Government Section of the Allies armies.
  • The Battle of Kursk

    The Battle of Kursk
    The battle of Kursk was an engagement between Nazi Germany and Soviet Union forces. The battle was fought on July 5, 1943, near Kursk in the southwestern USSR. The battle later became known as the largest tank battle in history.
  • D-Day (June 6th, 1944)

    D-Day (June 6th, 1944)
    As a result of Operation Overlord, codenamed Operation Neptune, the Allies invaded Normandy on Tuesday, June 6, 1944. This day is often referred to as D-Day and is the largest seaborne invasion in history.
  • The Battle of the Bulge

    The Battle of the Bulge
    The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front of World War II. The battle began on December 16, 1944, and lasted until January 25, 1945. Both troops faced harsh weather. Finally, in January the Nazis fell to the American troops.
  • The Battle of Iwo Jima

    The Battle of Iwo Jima
    The battle of Iwo Jima was a military campaign between the U.S. and Japan. The island of Iwo Jima had three airfields that could potentially serve to invade Japan's mainland. The U.S. forces invaded Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945, and the battle lasted five weeks. After the battle, the value of Iwo Jima was questioned; making the battle potentially useless.
  • The Death of FDR

    The Death of FDR
    Franklin Delano Roosevelt also referred to as FDR was an American politician who served as the 32nd president of the United States. On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt was sitting for a portrait when he collapsed from a cerebral hemorrhage, ultimately causing his death.
  • The Death of Adolf Hitler

    The Death of Adolf Hitler
    Adolf Hitler was a German politician who was the dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. Before his death, Adolf was being hunted by the Soviet troops. This led to his suicide on April 30, 1945.
  • Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima

    Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
    On August 6, 1945, an American B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion immediately killed 80,000 people and tens of thousands more would soon die of radiation exposure.
  • Atomic Bombing Nagasaki

    Atomic Bombing Nagasaki
    Three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, another B-29 dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki. This killed an estimated 40,000 people. After these bombings, Japan’s Emperor Hirohito announced his country's "unconditional surrender" on August 15.