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The Invasion of Poland
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. -
The Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front battle between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in southwestern Russia during the summer of 1943, resulting in a Soviet victory. The Battle of Kursk is the single largest battle in the history of warfare. -
The Battle of Britain
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. -
The Bombing of Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, leading to the United States' entry into World War II. -
The Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway, a decisive World War II naval battle fought in June 1942, saw the U.S. Navy cripple Japan's fleet and effectively turn the tide of the Pacific War, largely due to the US breaking Japanese codes and preparing for the ambush. -
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the code name for the Allied invasion of French North Africa in November 1942, a major amphibious operation intended to open a second front against the Axis powers and relieve pressure on the Soviet Union. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad, a pivotal event in World War II, was a brutal and protracted urban conflict fought between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany from August 1942 to February 1943, resulting in a decisive Soviet victory and a turning point on the Eastern Front. -
Atomic Bombing Nagasaki
On 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively. The bombings killed between 150,000 and 246,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and they remain the only use of nuclear weapons in an armed conflict. -
Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Program
In 1943, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program (MFAA) was established under the Civil Affairs and Military Government sections of the Allied armies as part of a concerted effort to protect artworks, archives, and monuments of historical and cultural significance as the Allies advanced across Europe. -
D-Day (June 6th, 1944)
The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944, 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. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb, "Little Boy," on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, resulting in an estimated 70,000 to 140,000 deaths and marking the first use of nuclear weapons in warfare. -
The Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during World War II, taking place from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945, in the Ardennes region. -
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima (February 19 - March 26, 1945) was a brutal, 36-day battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II where US Marines fought to capture the island from the Japanese, resulting in a costly victory for the Americans. -
The Death of FDR
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served more than two terms. -
The Death of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then taking the title of Führer und Reichskanzler in 1934. -
The Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major World War II battle fought on the island of Okinawa from April to June 1945, resulting in a decisive Allied victory but at a high cost in casualties on both sides.