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Adolf Hitler is appointed chancellor by German President Paul von Hindenburg
On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. The image shows Htiler paying his respects to German President Paul von Hindenburg on that day. -
First Concentration Camp Opened at Dachau
The first of many concentration camps throughout Nazi Europe was opened at Dachau. Picture is an image of the main gate which reads "ARBEIT MACHT FREI" which means "Work makes free" -
[VIDEO] Hitler becomes "Fuehrer" and commander-in-chief of Germany's armed forces
A video of Hitler at his Triumph of the Will Speech in 1934: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEghwtj1lSU&bpctr=1355764333' -
Vladek meets Anja in Sosnowiec, Polad
Vladek and Anja meet by a friend in Sosnowiec, Poland. They instantly hit it off. Pictured is a photo of Vladek and Anja, post-war. -
Vladek and Anja Marry
Vladek and Anja get married two years before the war. -
Richieu is born in Sosnowiec
Vladek and Anja's first son, Richieu, is born. Pictured is an image of a newborn jewish boy during the jewish ceremony of Brit Malah, where a doctor and parents circumsize the baby. -
Vladek is called to action in Polish Army
Poland, suspecting an invasion from Germany, calls up troops from their reserves. Vladek Spiegelman is one of those men called to defend his country. Pictured are Polish troops marching in 1939. -
Germany invades Poland, starting World War II
German soldiers invade Poland, causing Britain, France, and other allies of Polad to unite against Germany and Italy for the start of World War II. Pictured is a newspaper from the time telling the public that Britain and France were now at war with the Axis powers. -
Vladek captured and sent to POW camp
During the initial German invasion of Poland, Vladek, who was poorly trained and did not really want to kill anyone, is captured by the Germans after shooting and killing one of them. He is then sent to a German POW camp. Pictured are Jewish Soviet POW's at a Nazi camp in 1942. -
[VIDEO] German Army enters Sosnowiec
German soldiers march into Sosnowiec for the first time. Here is a video of German soldiers marching during WWII: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETwh4XEUSt0 -
[VIDEO] Poland Surrenders
Video of fighting between Poland and Germany and the Polish surrender: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECPpEpOw4dY -
Jews are forced to wear arm band or yellow star
All Jews are forced to wear yellow bands at all times by the Nazis -
Vladek and his father-in-law lose their factories
Vladek and his father-in-law lose their textile factories to the Nazis, who give them to Poles. -
Vladek released for POW camp and sent to Lublin
After spending months in the POW camp, Vladek is "released" from the POW and he is no longer in the Polish Army. Vladek is happy at first, but realized the Nazis only did this so they could move the Polish Jews to concentration camps, and since Vladek and the other ex-soldiers no longer had the rights of prisoners of war, the Nazis could do whatever they wanted with them. Pictured are British POW's just after being released from a POW camp. -
Auschwitz Camp begins
The infamous concentration camp Auschwitz begins taking in prisoners. Pictured are the railroad tracks leading into the camp. -
First Gassing at Auschwitz
Auschwitz begins to use gassing as a technique to eliminate their prisoners without having Nazi guards go through the trauma of actually shooting people. Pictured are empty cans of Zyklon B, gas canisters that were opened and then dropped into "shower rooms" full of people, mostly jews. -
[VIDEO] Japan Attacks U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor
Japan launches a pre-emptive strike on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Four U.S. battleships were sunk, and the other four were badly damaged. 2,402 Americans were killed. The attack thrusted the U.S. into war against Japan, Germany, and Italy.
Video of the battleship USS Arizona taking a direct hit during the attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujquq7IU0uY
Pictured is a US battleship heavily damaged during the attack. -
1500 Jews are taken from Sosnowiec, including Anja's parents
Anja's parents are taken from Sosnowiec and are most likely taken to a death camp, as the elderly and children were usually the first to go (as they could not work). They do not survive the war. Pictured is a panel from the book showing Vladek recalling he and Anja seeing her father in a window, crying and tearing his own hair out. "He was a millionaire, but even this did not save him his life." -
8,000 Jews are sent from Sosnowiec to Auschwitz after reporting to Dienst Stadium for "document inspection"
Vladek questions whether or not he should go to the registration, but in the end he does. Pictured are lists from World War II of Jewish Poles that registered. -
All remaining Jews in Sosnowiec are forced to move to the Srodula ghetto.
All remaining Sosnowiec Jews are moved to the Srodula ghetto. Vladek and Anja send Richieu to live with his aunt, Tosha. -
Most inhabitants of the Srodula ghetto are deported to Auschwitz.
Vladek and Anja are in hiding -
All Jews in Zawiercie ghetto are sent to Auschwitz. Tosha poisons herself, Richieu, and two other children.
To avoid being taken to the gas chambers, Tosha poisons herself, Richieu, and two other children. Pictured is a poison vial attached to a necklace, similar to the kind Tosha most likely used. -
The remaining Jews in Srodula are killed. Vladek and Anja are still in hiding.
All Jews in Srodula are ordered to be killed. Vladek and Anja are still hiding. Pictured are two Nazi soldiers guarding an entrance/exit to the Srodula ghetto. -
Vladek and Anja are found and sent to Auschwitz.
Vladek and Anja are finally found by the Nazis and are sent to Auschwitz. Pictued is a panel from the book showing one of Vladek and Anja's hiding places. -
Vladek sees Anja in Birkenau
While working as a tinsmen, Vladek sees Anja in Birkenau. -
Anja moved from Birkenau to Auschwitz
Vladek spends time saving enough money to bribe Germans to have Anja brought from Birkenau to Auschwitz. -
Forced evacuation of Auschwitz
Auschwitz is forced to evacuate, due to the fast counter-assault by Soviet troops to destroy the Germans once and for all. Unfortunately for the prisoners, they must walk to their new destinations, in trips that would later be called "death marches." Pictured are prisoners headed south on a death march from the Dachau concentration camp in 1945. -
Vladek is sent to Dachau
Vladek is sent the concentration camp at Dachau. Pictured are two prisoners at the infamous camp. -
Dachau is liberated
The concentration camp at Dachau is liberated by American troops. Dachau was the first of the German concentration camps. Pictured are prisoners celebrating with the Americans, with an American flag being waved ceremoniously in the background. -
Germany surrenders
Germany surrenders to the Allies. This day is commonly called V-E day, or Victory in Europe day. Since Italy had already surrendered, the Allies had achieved complete victory in Europe. Japan had yet to be totally defeated. Soviet troops took over the last parts of Berlin and Adolf Hitler commited suicide, leading the German unconditional surrender. Pictured is a newspaper from V-E day telling of the Nazi defeat. -
Japan surrenders
The Empire of Japan surrenders unconditonally the the Allies. This day is commonly known as V-J day, or Victory in Japan day. This ended World War II. Japan surrendered without U.S. troops ever having actually invaded mainland Japan because Americans dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Pictured is the famous photo of a sailor kissing a nurse on V-J day, celebrating the end of the war. -
Vladek and Anja, previously reunited, move to Sweden
The Spiegelmans move to Sweden from Poland, and never return back to their native land (except to find out about Richieu later on).
Pictured is the Swedish flag. Sweden remained neutral throughout World War II. -
Art Spiegelman is born in Stockholm, Sweden.
Vladek and Anja have their second child, Art, in Stockholm. Pictured is a photo of Stockholm. -
Spiegelman family immigrates to the United States of America
The Spiegelman family, consisting of Vladek, Anja, and Art, immigrate to the United States from Stockholm, and move to New York. Pictured is the Statue of Liberty, which is one of the first things that the family would have seen if they came to Ellis Island, a common place for European immigrant ships to go to gain clearance to enter the United States.
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