Second World War Timeline


The Great Events of World War II, Day-by-Day



On September 1st, 1939, Hitler's Army crossed into Poland to mark the start of World War 2. The event forced the British, French and others into war. Hitler's forces used fast-moving tactics to put the hapless Allies on the defensive. The rest of the world now awaited the fallout from the events engulfing Mainland Europe - a fallout soon destined to overtake the globe.
1939 - Powers On-the-March
The beginning of the war was officially marked by the German invasion of neighboring Poland in September of 1939 - the Soviets would join the effort soon after.
1940 - Losses Begin to Mount
1940 went on to prove that the old guard of European leadership was not up to the task of a new war on the continent - despite some preparations.
1941 - The Titans Awake
The German reversal against the Soviets coupled with the entry of the United States into the war undoubtedly changed the outcome of the conflict for the better.
1942 - A War for All Fronts
No corner of the world was left untouched by the conflict that began in Europe - a second World War was officially underway, proving just as bloody as the one before.
1943 - The Script Rewritten
The Allies - with their combined manpower, firepower and industrial base - were now able to claim several victories to change the course of the war for good.
1944 - The Beginning of the End
In one of the more critical years of the war for the Allies, success on the battlefield - and over it - ensured shrinking territories for the remaining Axis powers.
1945 - From Berlin to Tokyo
The long road to 1945 saw a series of turning points - some bad, some good - for the conflict that would end in an ultimate victory over German aggression and Japanese expansion.
World War 2 Statistics (1939-1945)
With no corner of the globe immune to the fighting, the numbers related to the war would reach epic proportions with many generations left affected by its outcome.
World War II Quotes
The myriad of characters and personalities dotting the Second World War landscape led to an equally diverse collection of quotes captured by history. These are just some of them...
1939
Invasion of Poland
1939
Battle of River Plate
1939
Battle of the Atlantic
1939
Winter War
1940
Invasion of Norway
1940
Invasion of France
1940
RAF Bombing Campaign
1940
Miracle at Dunkirk
1940
Battle of Britain
1940
Operation Compass
1940
Balkans Invasion
1940
Operation Judgement
1941
Gazala to Tobruk
1941
Sinking of the Bismarck
1941
Invasion of Crete
1941
Operation Barbarossa
1941
Soviet Offensive
1941
Arctic Convoys
1941
Siege of Leningrad
1941
Battle of Sevastopol
1941
Attack on Pearl Harbor
1941
Japanese Expansion
1942
Battle of the Solomons
1942
Battle of Kharkov
1942
Battle of Coral Sea
1942
Battle of Midway
1942
Operation Blue
1942
Battle of El Alamein
1942
Kokoda Track Campaign
1942
Operation Jubilee (Dieppe)
1942
Battle of Stalingrad
1942
Battle of Guadalcanal
1942
Operation Torch
1943
Kasserine Pass
1943
Battle of Kursk
1943
Operation Husky (Sicily)
1943
Schweinfurt Raid
1943
Battle of Tarawa
1944
Monte Cassino
1944
Anzio Landings
1944
'Big Week'
1944
D-Day (Normandy)
1944
Great Marianas Turkey Shoot
1944
Operation Bagration
1944
Normandy Breakout
1944
Warsaw Uprising
1944
Operation Market Garden
1944
Battle of the Bulge
1945
Push to the Oder River
1945
Fall of Berlin
1945
Battle of Okinawa


  Events by War Year  

  1939  
  1940  
  1941  
  1942  
  1943  
  1944  
  1945  


  Events by Nation  

  Australia  
  Belgium  
  British India  
  Canada  
  Denmark  
  Empire of Japan  
  Finland  
  France  
  Germany  
  Greece  
  Kingdom of Hungary  
  Kingdom of Italy  
  Netherlands  
  New Zealand  
  Norway  
  Poland  
  Philippines  
  Kingdom of Romania  
  Soviet Union  
  United Kingdom  
  Ukraine  
  United States  
  Yugoslavia  

  Special Topics  

  Land Events  
  Aerial Warfare Events  
  Naval Warfare Events  
  Statistics  
  Quotes  
  Pearl Harbor Speech  
  War Posters  
Site Disclaimer  |  Privacy Policy  |  Cookies

Civil War Timeline
©2023 www.SecondWorldWarHistory.com • Content ©2016-2023 SecondWorldWarHistory.com • All Rights Reserved. The SecondWorldWarHistory.com logo, its written content, and photography / illustrations are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and are protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. Information found across this site, verified through publicly available sources, is assumed to be accurate at the time of publication. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

©2023 www.SecondWorldWarHistory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2006-2023 (17yrs)