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The assassination
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo. -
German troops crossed the boarder into Belgium
On August 4, 1914, German troops crossed the border into Belgium. In the first battle of World War I, the Germans assaulted the heavily fortified city of Liege, using the most powerful weapons in their arsenal—enormous siege cannons—to capture the city by August 15. -
The first battle of the Marne
In the First Battle of the Marne, fought from September 6-9, 1914, French and British forces confronted the invading German army, which had by then penetrated deep into northeastern France, within 30 miles of Paris. The Allied troops checked the German advance and mounted a successful counterattack, driving the Germans back to the north of the Aisne River. -
WW1 took place
World War 1, also known as "The Great War," was a global conflict that took place from 1914 to 1918, primarily in Europe and the Middle East, where over 30 nations declared war, resulting in one of the deadliest conflicts in history with millions of casualties. -
enlisted in the U.S army in 1917
Frank Woodruff Buckles was a United States Army corporal and the last surviving American military veteran of World War I. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917 aged 16 and served with a detachment from Fort Riley, driving ambulances and motorcycles near the front lines in Europe. -
Russia reached an armistice with Central Powers
Russia reached an armistice with the Central Powers in early December 1917, freeing German troops to face the remaining Allies on the Western Front. -
transporting prisoners in 1919
Buckles remained in Europe until October 31, 1919, transporting German prisoners of war back to Germany. He returned to the United States and received an honorable discharge on November 12, 1919. -
Awarded the World War 1 Victory Medal
Buckles was awarded the World War I Victory Medal after that conflict, and the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal retroactively following the medal's creation in 1941, as well as the French Legion of Honor in 1999. -
Captured by the Japanese in Manila
Buckles was captured by the Japanese in Manila in December 1941 and held in a prison camp for over three years. He was rescued by American soldiers in February 1945. -
The last surviving veteran
Frank Woodruff Buckles was the last surviving veteran of WWI. Buckles died of natural causes at his home in Charles Town, West Virginia on February 27, 2011, at the age of 110 years and 26 days.