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.

  1. May 8, 1945 – Victory in Europe (V-E Day): Germany surrenders.

  2. August 6 and 9, 1945 – The U.S. drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

  3. September 2, 1945 – Japan surrenders, officially ending World War II (V-J Day).