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World War II
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Invasion of Poland
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. That began World War II. The Germans used a new type of attack. The called it blitzkreig, or "lighting war". Blitzkreig relied on fast moving tanks and warplanes to shock the enemy into surrendering. -
Battle of Britain
Starting in June 1940, German warplanes began bombing Britain. However, the British had a new invention called radar. Radar warned the British when German aircraft were nearing. British fighter airplanes shot down many attackers. This battle, called the Battle of Britain, was the world’s first major battle fought in the air. -
Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, Japanese warplanes attacked U.S warships in Hawaii. They sank 8 big battleships, destroyed more than 180 aircraft, and killed more than 2,000 Americans. -
D-Day
June 6, 1944, is called D-Day. On that day, 156,000 troops from the United States, Britain, and Canada attacked the beaches of Normandy in northern France. After fierce fighting, the Allied armies moved inland. -
Dropping of Bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 6, 1945, a U.S. airplane dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. More than 70,000 people died from the explosion and fires. On August 9 another U.S. plane dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki. Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945. This ended the war.
