Explore 6096 historical events from 1940–1949.
Wakashima Gonshirō was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture. He was the sport's 21st yokozuna and the first official yokozuna from the Osaka Sumo …
Wakashima Gonshirō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 21st Yokozuna (born 1876)
Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau was a Canadian poet, writer, letter writer, and essayist, who "was posthumously hailed as a herald of the Quebec literary renaissance of the 1950s". H…
Hector de Saint-Denys Garneau, Canadian poet and painter (born 1912)
Sir Marc Aurel Stein was a Hungarian-born British archaeologist, primarily known for his explorations and archaeological discoveries in Central Asia. He was also a professor at Ind…
Aurel Stein, Hungarian-English archaeologist and academic (born 1862)
Max Reinhardt was an Austrian-born theatre and film director, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his radically innovative and avant-garde stage productions, Reinhardt is rega…
Max Reinhardt, Austrian-born American actor and director (born 1873)
The Emilia Plater Independent Women's Battalion was a unit of the Soviet First Polish Army during the Second World War. It was created in 1943 with the intention of serving as a fr…
The all-female Emilia Plater Independent Women's Battalion was formed in the Soviet Union's First Polish Army.
Dysentery, historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of i…
After suffering train derailments, defections, and outbreaks of dysentery and typhoid fever which killed two members, th
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and air…
Second World War: The Royal Navy submarine HMS Seraph began Operation Mincemeat to deceive Germany about the upcoming in
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and air…
Second World War: Australian Hospital Ship Centaur was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queens
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and air…
Second World War: The Royal Air Force's "Dambusters" squadron embarked on an attack on German dams using bouncing bombs
The Luttra Woman is a skeletonised bog body discovered in a peat bog in Falbygden near Luttra, Sweden. The remains were found on 20 May 1943 by a peat cutter. The skull was well-pr…
The Luttra Woman (skull pictured), a bog body from the Early Neolithic period, was discovered near Luttra, Sweden
Pere Areny Aleix was an Andorran man who was the last person to be executed by Andorra.
Pere Areny, convicted of the murder of his brother, became the last person to be executed by Andorra.
The Junkers Ju 88 is a twin-engined multirole combat aircraft designed and produced by the German aircraft manufacturer Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works. It was used extensively du…
Eight German Junkers Ju 88s shot down British Overseas Airways Corporation Flight 777 over the Bay of Biscay off the coa
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and air…
World War II: The Royal Air Force began Operation Bellicose, a four-day shuttle-bombing mission that included raids on G
The United States Army is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is designated as the army of the United States in the United States Constitution. As a part …
Amid racial tensions, U
Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski was a Polish military and political leader. Before World War I, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promote…
The aircraft carrying Władysław Sikorski, prime minister of the Polish government-in-exile, crashed off Gibraltar,…
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. World War II …
World War II: The Battle of Saipan concluded after a mass Japanese suicide attack was repelled by American forces.
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. World War II …
World War II: German and Soviet forces engaged each other at the Battle of Prokhorovka (tanks pictured), one of the…
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. World War II …
World War II: Operation Fustian, an Allied operation to capture the Primosole Bridge in Sicily, was launched.
The Grand Council of Fascism was the main body of Mussolini's government in the Kingdom of Italy, which held and applied great power to control the institutions of government. It w…
The Grand Council of Fascism voted a motion of no confidence against Benito Mussolini, who was arrested the same day…
The 1943 Surprise Hurricane was the first hurricane to be entered by a reconnaissance aircraft. The first tracked tropical cyclone of the 1943 Atlantic hurricane season, this syste…
As the Surprise Hurricane struck Texas, a United States Army Air Forces pilot made the first reconnaissance flight…
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, during the Second World …
Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt met in a highly secret military conference (pictured) held in Quebec City.
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many eng…
World War II: The Royal Air Force began a strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany's V-weapon programme by…
Ian Melville Stephens was a British journalist who was the editor of the Indian newspaper The Statesman in Kolkata, West Bengal, from 1942 to 1951. He became known for his independ…
Ian Stephens, editor of The Statesman, defied British censorship to publish pictures of death and misery (example…
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many eng…
Second World War: A decisive Soviet victory against German forces at the Battle of Kursk gave the Red Army the…