This timeline highlights key events in World War II
Timeline of World War II (1939–1945)
1939: The Outbreak of War
September 1, 1939 – Germany invades Poland, marking the beginning of World War II.
September 3, 1939 – Britain and France declare war on Germany.
September 17, 1939 – The Soviet Union invades eastern Poland.
September 27, 1939 – Warsaw falls; Poland is divided between Germany and the Soviet Union.
1940: Axis Expansion
April 9, 1940 – Germany invades Denmark and Norway.
May 10, 1940 – Germany attacks France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
June 14, 1940 – German troops enter Paris.
June 22, 1940 – France surrenders to Germany.
July–October 1940 – The Battle of Britain: Germany launches air attacks on Britain but fails to gain air superiority.
1941: The War Becomes Global
June 22, 1941 – Germany launches Operation Barbarossa, invading the Soviet Union.
December 7, 1941 – Japan attacks Pearl Harbor; the U.S. enters the war.
December 8, 1941 – The U.S. and Britain declare war on Japan.
December 11, 1941 – Germany and Italy declare war on the United States.
1942: The Turning Point
June 4–7, 1942 – The Battle of Midway: The U.S. defeats Japan, shifting the balance in the Pacific.
August 23, 1942 – February 2, 1943 – The Battle of Stalingrad: The Soviet Union defeats Germany, marking a turning point in Europe.
November 8, 1942 – Operation Torch: The Allies land in North Africa.
1943: The Axis Powers Begin to Retreat
July 10, 1943 – The Allies invade Sicily.
September 3, 1943 – Italy surrenders, but Germany occupies northern Italy and continues fighting.
November 28 – December 1, 1943 – The Tehran Conference: Allied leaders plan the final phase of the war.
1944: The Liberation of Europe
June 6, 1944 – D-Day: The Allies land in Normandy, France.
August 25, 1944 – Paris is liberated from German occupation.
December 16, 1944 – January 25, 1945 – The Battle of the Bulge: Germany’s last major offensive fails.
1945: The End of the War
April 30, 1945 – Adolf Hitler commits suicide.
May 8, 1945 – Victory in Europe (V-E Day): Germany surrenders.
August 6 and 9, 1945 – The U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
September 2, 1945 – Japan surrenders, officially ending World War II (V-J Day).
The Key Events