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The Invasion of Poland
It marked the start of World War II when Nazi Germany launched a military attack on Poland, prompting Britain and France to declare war on Germany in response, effectively initiating the European theatre of the conflict. German forces quickly overwhelm Polish defenses, leading to the eventual division of Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union, who invaded from the east later in September as per a secret pact between the two nations. -
The Battle of Britain
a pivotal World War II air campaign fought primarily over southern England between the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe, where the RAF successfully defended the United Kingdom against sustained aerial attacks, preventing a planned German invasion by thwarting their attempts to gain air superiority, ultimately forcing Hitler to abandon his invasion plans. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The surprise attack by some 350 Japanese aircraft sunk or badly damaged eighteen US naval vessels, including eight battleships, destroyed or damaged 300 US aircraft, and killed 2,403 men. The attack began at 7:55 AM when Japanese planes launched a two-wave assault on the naval base. -
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a decisive US victory over Japan in the Pacific Ocean from June 4–7, 1942, the United States destroyed Japan's first-line carrier strength and most of its best trained naval pilots. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major World War II battle that took place in the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd) from 1942–1943. The battle was a turning point in the war and is considered one of the largest, bloodiest, and longest battles in modern history. -
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was a joint British and American invasion of French North Africa during World War II. It began when Allied forces landed in Morocco and Algeria, aiming to secure the region from Axis control and open a second front in the Mediterranean. This effectively marked the first major Allied amphibious assault against Axis forces. -
Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program
A unit established during World War II by the Allied forces to protect and recover culturally significant artworks, monuments, and archives across Europe from destruction and looting by the Nazis, primarily by identifying, locating, and returning stolen pieces to their rightful owners after the war. -
The Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk was the largest tank battle in history, involving some 6,000 tanks, 2,000,000 troops, and 4,000 aircraft. It marked the decisive end of the German offensive capability on the Eastern Front and cleared the way for the great Soviet offensives of 1944–45. -
D-Day
Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare. Codenamed Operation 'Overlord', the Allied landings on the beaches of Normandy marked the start of a long and costly campaign to liberate north-west Europe from Nazi occupation. -
The Battle of the Bulge
German army launched a massive offensive in the Ardennes Forest. The Battle of the Bulge would be the largest engagement ever fought by the US Army—and ultimately hasten the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. -
The Battle of Iwo Jima
A brutal and bloody World War II battle where the US Marines invaded and eventually captured the volcanic island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army. -
The Death of FDR
He collapsed and died of a cerebral hemorrhage. -
The Death of Adolf Hitler
committed suicide via a gunshot to the head, in the Führerbunker in Berlin after it became clear that Germany would lose the Battle of Berlin, which led to the end of World War II in Europe. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
A bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, killing tens of thousands of people. The bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy", was a uranium gun-type weapon that exploded with the force of 15,000 tons of TNT. -
Atomic Bombing Nagasaki
The United States dropped an atomic bomb, codenamed "Fat Man", on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, causing widespread devastation and killing an estimated 40,000 people instantly, with many more succumbing to radiation sickness and injuries in the following days and weeks. -
The Battle of Okinawa
Dragged out over nearly three months and included some of the worst kamikaze attacks of the war. By the time Okinawa was secured by American forces on June 22, 1945, the United States had sustained over 49,000 casualties including more than 12,500 men killed or missing.