Explore 5072 historical events from 1940–1949.
Benjamin Sumner Welles III was an American government official and diplomat. He was a major foreign policy adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served as Under Secretary …
Sumner Welles, U.S. Under Secretary of State, issued a declaration that the U.S. government would not recognize the…
Arthur Neville Chamberlain was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party from May 1937 …
British prime minister Neville Chamberlain resigned and formally recommended Winston Churchill as his successor
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: German forces commenced their invasion of Belgium
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 bulk of Dutch forces surrendered to the German Wehrmacht, ending the Battle of the Netherlands
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: German troops captured Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, forcing British forces to evacuate via Dunkirk
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 Allies began a mass evacuation of British, French and Belgian troops cut off by the German army du
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: Ninety-seven soldiers of the British Royal Norfolk Regiment were killed after surrendering to German force
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: Belgium surrendered to Nazi Germany, ending the Battle of Belgium
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: HMS Cambrian was sunk by a mine in The Solent, with the loss of 23 lives
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 remaining Allied forces protecting the Dunkirk evacuation surrendered, ending the Battle of Dunkir
The Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Lithuania before midnight of 14 June 1940. The Soviets, using a formal pretext, demanded that an unspecified number of Soviet soldiers be al…
The Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Lithuania demanding that the Red Army be allowed to enter the country and form a
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: Four days after the French government fled Paris, German forces occupied the French capital, a major a
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: RMS Lancastria was sunk by German aircraft near Saint-Nazaire, France, causing thousands of fatalities
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: Charles de Gaulle gave his Appeal of 18 June speech, often considered to be the origin of the French Resis
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 main offensive of the unsuccessful Italian invasion of France began
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 British Army carried out Operation Collar, its first commando raid into German-occupied France
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: Operation Aerial, an evacuation of nearly 200,000 Allied soldiers from French ports, was completed
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 …
Second World War: The Grand Quartier Général of the French Army was disbanded, following the French surrender.
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 …
Second World War: The Royal Navy attacked the French fleet at Mers El Kébir (pictured), fearing that the ships would…
The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River built to carry vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the sout…
The Story Bridge in Brisbane, the longest cantilever bridge in Australia, was opened by Sir Leslie Wilson, Governor of…
The Salzburg Conference was a conference between Nazi Germany and the Slovak State, held on 28 July 1940, in Salzburg, Reichsgau Ostmark. The Germans demanded the expulsion of the …
At the Salzburg Conference, Adolf Hitler demanded the replacement of much of Slovakia's cabinet.
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: Italian forces began a conquest of British Somaliland, capturing the region in 16 days.
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 German Luftwaffe launched an air operation, codenamed Adlertag, to destroy the British Royal Air…
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: During the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe made an all-out effort to destroy RAF Fighter Command,…