Explore 3063 historical events from 1940–1949.
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino (RSM), is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apenn…
World War II: San Marino, a neutral state, is mistakenly bombed by the RAF based on faulty information, leading to 35 ci
Christopher Francis Patten, Baron Patten of Barnes, is a British politician who was the Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1992, and the 28th and last Governor of Hong…
Chris Patten, English academic and politician, 28th Governor of Hong Kong
Armistead Jones Maupin Jr. is an American writer notable for Tales of the City, a series of novels set in San Francisco.
Armistead Maupin, American author, screenwriter, and actor
Gene Cornish is a Canadian-American musician. He is an original member of the popular 1960s blue-eyed soul band The Young Rascals. From 1965 to 1970, the band recorded eight albums…
Gene Cornish, Canadian-American guitarist
The Battle of Osuchy was one of the largest battles between the Polish resistance and Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II, a part of the Zamość Uprising. It took pl…
World War II: The Battle of Osuchy in Osuchy, Poland, one of the largest battles between Nazi Germany and Polish resista
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 Battle of Cherbourg ends with the fall of the strategically valuable port to American forces
Jack Roosevelt Robinson was an American professional baseball player who was the first African American to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Robinson broke the…
Jackie Robinson refuses to move to the back of a bus, leading to his court-martial.
A circus fire occurred on July 6, 1944, in Hartford, Connecticut, killing at least 167 people and leaving more than 700 injured. It was one of the worst fire disasters in United St…
The Hartford circus fire, one of America's worst fire disasters, kills approximately 168 people and injures over 700…
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: Largest Banzai charge of the Pacific War at the Battle of Saipan.
Bill Alter was a former Missouri Republican politician who served in the Missouri Senate. He lived in High Ridge, Missouri, with his wife Merijo.
Bill Alter, American police officer and politician
James Ridout "Jesse" Winchester Jr. was an American-Canadian musician and songwriter. He was born and raised in the southern United States. Opposed to the Vietnam War, he moved to …
Jesse Winchester, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 2014)
Albert Louis Hammond OBE is a Gibraltarian singer, songwriter and record producer. As a songwriter he has collaborated with songwriters Mike Hazlewood, John Bettis, Hal David, Dian…
Albert Hammond, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
Winfried Georg Sebald, known as W. G. Sebald or Max Sebald, was a German writer and academic. At the time of his death at the age of 57, he was according to The New Yorker "widely …
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William Emanuel Cobham Jr. is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Or…
Billy Cobham, Panamanian-American drummer, composer, and bandleader
The Battle of Saipan was an amphibious assault launched by the United States against the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War II between 15 June and 9 July 1944…
World War II: American forces take Saipan, bringing the Japanese archipelago within range of B-29 raids, and causing…
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II. It began with a F…
World War II: Continuation War: Finland wins the Battle of Tali–Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in northern…
The Port Chicago disaster was a deadly munitions explosion of the ship SS E. A. Bryan on July 17, 1944, at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California, United State…
Port Chicago disaster: Near the San Francisco Bay, two ships laden with ammunition for the war explode in Port…
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: Adolf Hitler survives an assassination attempt led by German Army Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.
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: Battle of Guam: American troops land on Guam, starting a battle that will end on August 10.
Antal Nagy is a Hungarian former professional footballer who played as a striker. In his only season for Standard de Liège (1968–69), he won the Belgian championship and he became …
Antal Nagy, Hungarian footballer
Friedrich Schorlemmer was a German Protestant theologian. He was a prominent member of the civil rights movement in East Germany, leading to the Peaceful Revolution. Remaining acti…
Friedrich Schorlemmer, German Protestant theologian (died 2024)
Peter William Mayhew was a British-American actor. He was best known for portraying Chewbacca in the Star Wars film series. He played the character in all of his live-action appear…
Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (died 2019)
The Polish Committee of National Liberation, also known as the Lublin Committee, was an executive governing authority established by the Soviet-backed communists in Poland at the l…
The Polish Committee of National Liberation publishes its manifesto, starting the period of Communist rule in Poland.
Operation Spring was an offensive operation of the Second World War conducted by II Canadian Corps during the Normandy campaign in 1944. The plan was intended to create pressure on…
World War II: Operation Spring near Caen is one of the bloodiest days for the First Canadian Army during the war.