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The Second Sino-Japanese War
Tension between the Chinese and Japanese finally turned into an all-out war on July 7th, 1937 when the Japanese invaded China and occupied it for the remainder of the war. -
Invasion of Poland/Start of WWII
On September 1st, 1939, German tanks could be heard rumbling outside the border of Poland and Germany, before a full-scale invasion began. Lacking anti-tank means and a decent army, the Poles fought long and hard but eventually succumbed to the Blitzkrieg that would terrorize Europe for years to come. -
Battle of Britain
A series of aerial battles, the Battle of Britain proved the resilience of not only the RAF, but also of the British people, who never once faltered under constant air raids. After suffering heavy losses, the Luftwaffe finally decided to cancel further air raids, effectively losing the Battle of Britain. -
Tripartite Pact
Germany, Italy, and Japan all agree to assist each other in case one country goes to war with another. -
Lend-Lease Act
The United States shipped supplies, medical aid, and weaponry to France, Great Britain, and Russia to help the war effort against the Nazi War Machine. -
Operation Barbarossa, Invasion of Russia, German Blitzkrieg in Russia
The Germans had great initial success in Russia, slicing through Russian defenses and knocking on the Moscow door. Eventually, General Winter came into play and the Germans paid dearly for their costly mistake. Stalingrad was the eventual turning point of the Eastern Front. -
Siege of Leningrad
The Russians eventually survived the 3 year siege. -
Bombing of Pearl Harbor
The first ever attack on American soil, the bombing of Pearl Harbor will forever be remembered as the "Day of Infamy", where the Japanese Navy and Army attacked and effectively crippled the U.S. battleship group among other smaller ships, but ultimately failed to hit vital targets, such as the U.S. aircraft carriers, which were out at sea on a training exercise. -
Wannsee Conference
High ranking Nazi officials met at Wannsee to discuss and finalize plans for the "Final Solution". -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was the turning point of the Pacific Theatre for the Americans. Here, at Midway Island, the American forces were able to completely destroy the Japanese carrier group and effectively cripple the Japanese Navy. -
Operation Overlord (D-Day)
The beginning of the end of the Third Reich began at Normandy, where the combined Allied forces launched the largest amphibious landing known to man. Landing at 5 beaches, Allied forces pushed in land to secure a foothold onto the Cotentin Peninsula. -
Yalta Conference
The original Big Three met at Yalta to confirm the terms set at Casablanca. -
Okinawa and Iwo Jima
The two bloodiest battles in the Pacific Theater, these two battles were the first to be fought on technical Japanese soil, which is why the Japanese fought so hard to defend them. -
Hitler's Suicide
Hitler committed suicide on this day. -
Victory in Europe Day
On this day, Germany officially surrendered to the Allied Powers. -
Warsaw Pact
Feeling it needed a response to NATO, which had shunned the Soviet Union, 8 countries signed a military agreement, leading to the formation of the Warsaw Pact and a potential adversary of NATO. -
Potsdam Conference
The Big Three (though not the original Big Three, besides Stalin), met to negotiate end terms for the Second World War. America and Russia were split on how to handle Germany, but eventually conferred to split it up in four different sectors. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
The first atomic bomb ever dropped was done so by the Enola Gay over the sprawling city of Hiroshima, leading to the complete capitulation of the Japanese government. -
Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki
Known as "Fat Man", the second, more powerful atomic bomb was dropped over the city of Nagasaki, with even more devastating effects than its Hiroshima counterpart, "Little Boy". -
Mao Zedong and People's Republic of China
Having ousted the Nationalists from China, Mao Zedong took over and brought a communist regime with him, establishing the People's Republic of China. While overall viewed as a national hero, his policies effectively ruined China, leading them backwards and not towards the greater China he had hoped for. -
Victory in Japan Day
Japan signed the terms to an unconditional surrender aboard the U.S.S Missouri. -
Formation of United Nations
50 different countries met in San Francisco Bay to officially form the United Nations. -
Truman Doctrine
Under the Truman Doctrine, the United States promised political, military, and economic assistance to other democratic nations. -
Marshall Plan
Named after General George Marshall, the Marshall Plan helped rebuild war-torn Europe. -
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, better known as NATO, was established on this day as a military alliance among countries around the world. -
Korean War
Beginning in the early morning of July 27, 1950, when the DPRK Army rushed into South Korea, the Korean War "ended" in a bitter stalemate, with the borders being almost identical to those of pre-war Korea, along the 38th Parallel. Armistice terms were signed in Panmumjom, where today, its building is still split down the middle with guards on each side of the border. -
Stalin's Death
Stalin died of a stroke on this day. Gorbachev eventually took over as ruler of Russia. -
Vietnam War/Vietnam Conflict
When the U.S. sent in advisors to what was then French Indochina, they had no idea that in twenty years it would escalated to a full conflict. The shocking defeat at Dien Bien Phu by the French caught America's attention, who figured that communism must be spreading in Southeast Asia and decided to intervene, ironic since Ho Chi Minh first asked for the U.S.'s help before turning to communism. -
Sputnkik I
The first artificial satellite was launched by Russia, to the shock and horror of the rest of the world. -
Bay of Pigs
The infamous Bay of Pigs invasion was a total failure that took place in Cuba. -
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was erected by the communist forces in Berlin and became a symbol of oppression. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
With the Cold War cranking up the heat, Russia and the United States found strategic locations to set up nuclear weapons, allowing little room to breathe for either country. Eventually, the U.S. and Russia withdrew their nuclear weapons from their respective locations and the world lived for another day. -
Gorbachev
Wanting to open up the Soviet Union, his policy of "Glasnost" eventually led to the end of the Soviet Union.
