August 25, 1939

The Soviet Union and Germany signed a non-aggression pact and it included a secret protocol that split up eastern Europe which made Hitler to decide to invade and attack Poland.

This began World War II in Europe

July 10th, 1940-October 31st, 1940

The Royal Air Force fought the German Air Force to protect the UK.

Germany was conquering Europe and needed air superiority to invade Britain.

It was Nazi Germany's first major military defeat.

source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Britain-European-history-1940

June 4th, 1942 - June 7th, 1942

The U.S. Navy fought the Japanese Navy in the Pacific Ocean.

Japan wanted to capture the Midway Atoll, which started the battle.

It stopped Japan’s expansion and gave the U.S. a chance to push back Japan.

source: https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-of-midway

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/battle-midway#:~:text=This%20critical%20US%20victory%20stopped,several%20even%20larger%20naval%20battles.

July 17th 1942- February 2nd , 1943

The Soviet Union fought against Nazi Germany and its allies.

Germany wanted to control southern Russia and its resources, so they attacked the city.

It was the first big defeat for Germany on the Eastern Front, boosting Allied morale and showing Germany's decline.

source: https://www.history.com/articles/battle-of-stalingrad

https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Stalingrad#:~:text=Battle%20of%20Stalingrad%2C%20(July%2017,in%20favour%20of%20the%20Allies.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-battle-of-stalingrad#:~:text=Stalingrad%20was%20one%20of%20the,the%20Soviet%20dictator%2C%20Josef%20Stalin.

June 6, 1944

Soldiers from the Allied nations launched the invasion of Normandy

It happened because they wanted to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control

It marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control

source: https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-d-day#:~:text=The%20defeat%20of%20Germany%20was,evacuation%20from%20Dunkirk%20in%201940.

July 16th , 1945

The Trinity test was the first time a nuclear weapon was set off, marking a huge moment in history and the start of the atomic age.

The test site was 210 miles (340 kilometers) south of Los Alamo, New Mexico

It was the first atomic bomb test site

sources: https://www.afnwc.af.mil/About-Us/History/Trinity-Nuclear-Test/#:~:text=Department%20of%20Energy)-,The%20world's%20first%20nuclear%20explosion%20occurred%20on%20July%2016%2C%201945,knocking%20observers%20to%20the%20ground.

https://www.britannica.com/story/discover-more-about-the-first-atomic-bombs-tested-and-used-during-world-war-ii

February 19, 1942 - March 20, 1946

Japanese American internment camps were places where over 120,000 people were forced and held during World War II

The government used national security as an excuse to forcibly relocate Japanese Americans from the West Coast.

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the U.S. The government started to suspect Japanese Americans of being spies.

sources: Japanese-American Incarceration During World War II

National Archives (.gov)

https://www.archives.gov › lessons › japanese-relocation

https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/presidential-inquiries/japanese-american-internment

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation

December 7th,1941

The Japanese surprise attack early in the morning

They destroyed more than 20 ships and 300 planes and killed more than 2,400

The next day, President Franklin D, Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan.

sources:https://www.history.com/articles/pearl-harbor

July 5, 1943

The Battle of Kursk was the largest tank battle in history

resulted in huge casualties and material damage

Germany aimed to regain the initiative on the Eastern Front after losing the Battle of Stalingrad

It marked the decisive end of the German offensive capability on the Eastern Front

sources: https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Kursk#:~:text=Battle%20of%20Kursk%2C%20(July%205,in%20anticipation%20of%20the%20attack.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Kursk

January 14, 1943

It was a meeting

They finalized Allied strategies against the Axis powers.

It marked the first demand for unconditional surrender from the Axis powers

sources:The Casablanca Conference

The National WWII Museum | New Orleans

https://www.nationalww2museum.org › war › articles

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1937-1945/casablanca#:~:text=The%20Casablanca%20Conference%20was%20a,policy%20of%20%E2%80%9Cunconditional%20surrender.%E2%80%9D

January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945

He ran the United States and was involved in WW2 until his death in 1945

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served the longest tenure in American history.

He worked with other national leaders in leading the Allies against the Axis powers.

sources: https://millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt/impact-and-legacy

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franklin-D-Roosevelt

April 20,1889-April 30,1945

Adolf Hitler began to have power over Germany in 1933

He had power over Germany when WW2 started and he was very much involved in WW2

He was a central figure in World War II, initiating the war with the invasion of Poland and orchestrating the Holocaust

sources: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adolf-Hitler

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/how-did-adolf-hitler-happen#:~:text=the%20Nazi%20Party.-,He%20ruled%20absolutely%20until%20his%20death%20by%20suicide%20in%20April,free%20press%20in%20the%201920s?

April 29,1901- January 7, 1989

He was the Emperor of Japan during World War II

He oversaw Japan's rise in militarism and approved the decision to go to war which led to the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

sources: Emperor Hirohito - Atomic Heritage Foundation

Nuclear Museum

https://www.history.com/articles/hirohito#:~:text=uprooting%20of%20peasants.-,Japan's%20Involvement%20in%20World%20War%20II,declared%20war%20one%20day%20later.

1937-1938

Chinese soldiers were located and killed, and left to die

Japanese soldiers killed 200,000–300,000 people, sexually assaulted women and some men, and destroyed China during their invasion.

Japan wanted to take more territory in Asia

It became one of the most horrific war crimes

sources:https://www.history.com/articles/nanjing-massacre

https://www.britannica.com/event/Nanjing-Massacre

1943

The U.S. military needed strong, waterproof tape that could rip easily.

A woman created the tape to help the soldiers.

The tape kept moisture out and made it easy for soldiers to get ammo quickly without using tools.

It helped many soldiers once it was invented.

sources https://www.jnj.com/our-heritage/vesta-stoudt-the-woman-who-invented-duct-tape

https://blog.cantech.com/cantech/sticking-together-the-fascinating-history-of-duct-tape#:~:text=The%20Johnson%20%26%20Johnson%20division%20known,with%20complex%20seals%20or%20tools.

16th January 1930

It was created to improve propeller-driven planes

It works by drawing in air, compressing it, and mixing it with fuel

It was the first successful flight of a jet-powered aircraft in 1941.

sources:https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frank-Whittle#:~:text=Whittle%20obtained%20his%20first%20patent,a%20specially%20built%20Gloster%20E.

https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/jet-age#:~:text=Powerful%20and%20durable%2C%20jets%20enabled,wanted%20to%20could%20now%20fly.

1930 

It was first developed by British scientists and engineers

They made it to detect and track enemy aircraft, which was invented during World War II

It was meant to give the Allies an advantage in air defense and other military uses.

sources:https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/how-radar-changed-the-second-world-war

1933- 1945

It was when Nazi Germany intentionally targeted and killed over six million Jewish people during World War II, as part of a planned effort to eliminate them.

Jews were blamed for Germany's issues, and as Nazi control expanded, other Jewish communities also faced persecution and pressure to leave.

It shows the dangers of hatred and racism.

sources:https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/holocaust

September 8, 1941-January 27, 1944. 

It was where over a million people died due to starvation, disease, and bombing by Nazi forces.

They wanted to destroy the city and its people

It showed Nazi cruelty and Soviet strength, lasting 900 days with over a million deaths.

sources:https://www.history.com/articles/the-siege-of-leningrad#:~:text=German%20Forces%20Isolate%20Leningrad,continual%20bombing%20from%20the%20air.%E2%80%9D

https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Leningrad#:~:text=Sparse%20food%20and%20fuel%20supplies,in%20the%20city%20by%201943.&text=Soviet%20offensives%20in%20early%201943,and%20updated%20by%20Michael%20Levy.

November 28 to December 1, 1943. 

It was the first meeting of the Allied leaders during WWII and helped set up the victory by agreeing to open a second front in Europe.

The conference focused on starting a second front in Western Europe against Nazi Germany.

It brought together the leaders of the major Allied powers to plan strategies for winning WWII.

sources:https://www.britannica.com/event/Tehran-Conference#:~:text=Government%20International%20Relations-,Tehr%C4%81n%20Conference,Baltic%20coast%20of%20East%20Prussia.

February 4, 1945

It was a meeting

U.S., UK, and Soviet leaders planned Europe’s future and how to defeat Japan.

Tensions between the Allies quickly grew, leading to the Cold War and the division of Europe.

It marked a critical moment in shaping the post-World War II world order

sources:https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/the-yalta-conference-at-seventy-five-lessons-from-history/#:~:text=Seventy%2Dfive%20years%20ago%2C%20on,make%20deals%20at%20their%20expense.

July 17 and August 2, 1945

The conference was for the Allied leaders of World War II

It was focused on key post war issues

It determined how Germany and Austria would be divided and governed after World War II

sources:https://www.britannica.com/event/Potsdam-Conference

October 18 to November 11, 1941

It was a meeting between the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union

They talked about war goals and postwar plans 

They officially agreed that Germany must surrender without any conditions.

It set the groundwork for the post-war punishment of war criminals sources:https://www.britannica.com/topic/Moscow-Conferences

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/timeline-event/holocaust/1942-1945/moscow-declaration#:~:text=The%20Third%20Moscow%20Conference%20was,decision%20of%20the%20Allied%20governments.