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The invasion of poland
triggering World War II. In response to German aggression, Great Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany. -
Great Britain and France declare war on Nazi Germany
the United Kingdom declared war on Germany—two days after the German invasion of Poland. France also declared war on Germany later the same day. Poles marching in Warsaw, after Britain declared war on Germany, during invasion of Poland -
The invasion of Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and France
Germany invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Luxembourg was occupied that same day. -
The Battle and Great escape at Dunkirk
As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and other Allied forces to Britain -
The Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was fought above the skies of Britain, between the RAF and the German Luftwaffe. Had British and Allied aircrew not defeated the Luftwaffe, it is likely that Germany would have invaded Britain. -
Selective Service and training act
the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. This was the first peacetime draft in United States' history. -
Lend-Lease assistance act
this act set up a system that would allow the United States to lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defense of the United States." -
The attack on Pearl Harbor
Japan staged a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, decimating the US Pacific Fleet. When Germany and Italy declared war on the United States days later, America found itself in a global war. -
America enters World War 2
the United States declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S. a few days later, and the nation became fully engaged in the Second World War. U.S. involvement in the Second World War was quickly followed by a massive mobilization effort. -
Germany and Italy declare war on the United States
Japan's allies, Germany and Italy, declared war on the United States. The nation was swept up into the biggest war in human history. -
The Battle of the Coral Sea
the waters of the Coral Sea north of Australia marked the end of the phase of Japanese triumphs in the Pacific War and proved to be of strategic significance. -
The Battle of Midway Island
US and Japanese naval forces engaged in a five-day battle in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that changed the course of the war in the Pacific. Top Image: Last minutes on damaged USS Yorktown (CV-5). Midway Islands, June 1942. -
The invasion of North Africa
the Allies had landed in French North Africa (Morocco and Algeria). The invasion force, codenamed Operation Torch, was commanded by the American General Dwight D Eisenhower and included the British 1st Army. After their initial resistance, the Vichy French agreed to a ceasefire. -
The invasion of Sicily and Italy
Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, was the largest single assault landing carried out by the Allies during the war. Over 180,000 soldiers went ashore -
The D-Day invasion of France
brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history. The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. -
Nazi concentration camp discovered
The German concentration camp in Lublin, called Majdanek, was initiated by Heinrich Himmler’s decision. Visiting Lublin in July 1941, Himmler entrusted Odilo Globocnik, the SS and police commander in the Lublin district, with building a camp “for 25-50,000 inmates who would be used to work in SS and police workshops and at construction sites”. The camp was going to be the source of a free workforce for the Third Reich's expansion in the East. -
The battle of the Bulge
the United States suffered well over 80,000 casualties, including an official Army count of 19,246 dead and more than 23,000 American troops taken prisoner -
The Yalta conference
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. -
Victory in Europe day
Victory in Europe Day (VE DAY) – is a day etched in the memory of everyone who witnessed it. After nearly six years of war Germany officially surrendered on 7 May 1945 and the conflict was finally over. -
The atomic bomb on Hiroshima
Japanese city of Hiroshima was devastated by the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon of war. The bomb, nicknamed `Little Boy', was dropped from the USAAF B29 bomber `Enola Gay' and exploded some 1,800 feet above the city. -
The atomic bomb on Nagasaki
The bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki with the Fat Man plutonium bomb device on August 9, 1945, caused terrible human devastation and helped end World War II. -
Victory over Japan day
As soon as the news of Japan's surrender was announced on August 14, celebrations erupted across the United States. The United Kingdom announced that its official V-J Day would be the next day