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Germany Invades Poland
Germany invaded Poland for more territory. This was the start of the second world war. -
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German Blitzkrieg
The Germans relied on a new military tactic called the "Blitzkrieg" (lightning war). They quickly overcame much of Europe using tanks, planes, and artillery. -
Pearl Harbor
Japanese fighter planes attack Pearl Harbor, which is a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. They managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels. Later, Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to declare war on Japan. Japan later declared war on China. -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
Allies storm the Normandy coast on June 6, 1944. The battle, codenamed Operation Overlord, over 156,000 American, British, and Canadian forces attacked the heavily armored coast of France's Normandy region. By late August of 1944, all of northern France had been liberated. -
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler attempted to split the Allied forces with a surprise bliztkrieg. American forces fought hard to slow the German advance. The Germans launch the deadliest and most desperate battle of the war in the west. Germany targets the small and poor region of Ardennes. As the Germans pushed deeper in the region, the line of Allied troops took on the appearance of a bulge, which the battle would be known as. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
America invades Iwo Jima, Japan because they needed a base near the Japanese coast. -
Battle of Okinawa
The U.S. invades the Pacific island of Okinawa as a final push towards Japan. It was one of the last major battles of World War II. -
VE Day
Both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazis. -
Dropping of the atomic bomb
America is the first and only nation to use nuclear weapons during war. The U.S drops an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima in Japan. Although the Germans had already been defeated, the war with Japan still raged on. -
V-J Day
The Allied forces celebrate Victory over Japan day, after Japan had surrendered.