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 aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.
World War II: Thirteen thousand British and French troops surrender to General Erwin Rommel at Saint-Valery-en-Caux.
On June 12, in the year 1940, World War II: Thirteen thousand British and French troops surrender to General Erwin Rommel at Saint-Valery-en-Caux. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of June 12, one of 403 recorded events on this date across all of history.
Key Facts
- This event took place on June 12, 1940 (AD era).
- It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
- Referenced in 3 Wikipedia articles.
- Wikipedia source last updated on 8 June 2026.
On This Date in History 403
This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More on June 12
1939
Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures' Dr
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production and distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidi…
Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures' Dr
1939
The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by a private foundation. It serves as the central collection …
The Baseball Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York
1935
A ceasefire is negotiated between Bolivia and Paraguay, ending the Chaco War
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. Its geography primarily consists of an Andean region to the west …
A ceasefire is negotiated between Bolivia and Paraguay, ending the Chaco War
1921
105 years ago
Mikhail Tukhachevsky orders the use of chemical weapons against the Tambov Rebellion, bringing an end to the peasant upr
Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevsky, nicknamed the Red Napoleon, was a Soviet general who was prominent between 1918 and 1937 as a military officer and theoretician. He was later ex…
Mikhail Tukhachevsky orders the use of chemical weapons against the Tambov Rebellion, bringing an end to the peasant upr
1914
Massacre of Phocaea: Turkish irregulars slaughter 50 to 100 Greeks and expel thousands of others in an ethnic cleansing
The massacre of Phocaea occurred in June 1914, as part of the ethnic cleansing policies of the Ottoman Empire that included exile, massacre and deportations. It was perpetrated by…
Massacre of Phocaea: Turkish irregulars slaughter 50 to 100 Greeks and expel thousands of others in an ethnic cleansing
1900
The Reichstag approves new legislation continuing Germany's naval expansion program, providing for construction of 38 ba
The Reichstag is a historic legislative government building on Platz der Republik in Berlin that is the seat of the German Bundestag. It is also the meeting place of the Federal C…
The Reichstag approves new legislation continuing Germany's naval expansion program, providing for construction of 38 ba
Comments 0
Sign in to join the discussion.