Explore 5072 historical events from 1940–1949.
The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. It…
The Soviet Union annexes the Czechoslovak province of Carpathian Ruthenia
The 1945 El Teniente mining accident, known locally as the Smoke Tragedy, is the largest mining accident in metal extraction in the history of Chile and, as of 2005, worldwide. It …
The Smoke Tragedy leaves 355 workers dead in the underground copper mine of El Teniente, Chile
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in northwestern Europe, off the coast of the continenta…
The United Kingdom holds its first general election in 10 years, which would be won by Clement Attlee's Labour Party.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore is an American country singer-songwriter currently living in Austin, Texas.
Jimmie Dale Gilmore, American country singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and producer
Robin Victory in Europe Strasser is an American actress, best known for her role as Dorian Lord on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live.
Robin Strasser, American actress
Keith Jarrett is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, …
Keith Jarrett, American pianist and composer
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program undertaken during World War II to produce the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States in collaboration w…
Manhattan Project: The Atomic Age begins when the United States successfully detonates a plutonium-based test nuclear…
A heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in calibre, whose design…
World War II: The heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis leaves San Francisco with parts for the atomic bomb "Little Boy"…
The Allies, or Allied powers, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during World War II (1939–1945) to oppose the Ax…
World War II: The main three leaders of the Allied nations, Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman and Joseph Stalin, hold…
The Labour Party, commonly Labour, is a political party in the United Kingdom. It sits on the centre-left of the left–right political spectrum, and has been described as an allianc…
The Labour Party wins the United Kingdom general election of July 5 by a landslide, removing Winston Churchill from…
The Potsdam Declaration, or the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender, was a statement that called for the surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II. …
World War II: The Potsdam Declaration is signed in Potsdam, Germany.
Hilda Pérez Carvajal is a Venezuelan biologist from the Central University of Venezuela. She was president of the Venezuelan Society of Parasitology at the end of the 1980s. Perez …
Hilda Pérez Carvajal, Venezuelan biologist
Alan James Ball was an English professional football player and manager. He won the 1966 World Cup with England and scored more than 180 league goals in a career spanning 22 years.…
Alan Ball, Jr
Ian Patrick McLagan was an English keyboardist, best known as a member of the rock bands Small Faces and Faces. He also collaborated with the Rolling Stones and led his own band fr…
Ian McLagan, English keyboard player and songwriter (died 2014)
USS Indianapolis (CL/CA-35) was a Portland-class heavy cruiser of the United States Navy, named for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Launched in 1931, she was the flagship of the…
World War II: The USS Indianapolis arrives at Tinian with components and enriched uranium for the Little Boy nuclear…
The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. milita…
A U.S. Army B-25 bomber crashes into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building killing 14 and injuring 26.
The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio …
The BBC Light Programme radio station is launched for mainstream light entertainment and music.
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: Japanese submarine I-58 sinks the USS Indianapolis, killing 883 seamen. Most die during the following…
The Potsdam Conference was held at Potsdam in the Soviet occupation zone from 17 July to 2 August 1945, to allow the three leading Allies to plan the postwar peace, while avoiding …
World War II: The Potsdam Conference ends.
Lars Nils "Lasse" Berghagen was a Swedish singer and songwriter. He represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 with the song "Jennie, Jennie". He was also known for pre…
Lasse Berghagen, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (died 2023)
Louis Eugene Marini Jr., known as "Blue Lou" Marini, is an American saxophonist, arranger, and composer. He is best known for his work in jazz, rock, blues, and soul music, as well…
Lou Marini, American saxophonist and composer
Francesca Annis is an English actress. She is known for television roles in Agatha Christie's Partners in Crime (1983-84), Reckless (1998), Wives and Daughters (1999), Deceit (2000…
Francesca Annis, English actress
Yochanan Vollach is an Israeli former footballer. He was a member of the Israel national team that competed at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. He is a member of the Israeli Football Hall …
Yochanan Vollach, Israeli footballer
(Thomas) Michael Dexter FRS is a British haematologist and director of the Wellcome Trust, from 1998 to 2003.
Michael Dexter, English hematologist and academic