The Mukden Incident Gives Japan a Pretext to Invade Manchuria
On September 18, 1931, the staged Mukden Incident gave Japan's Kwantung Army a pretext to invade and occupy Manchuria.
Mussolini Names the Berlin-Rome Axis
On November 1, 1936, Mussolini called the Italy-Germany alliance an "axis," naming the era's central pact.
Britain, France, Germany and Italy Sign the Munich Agreement
On September 29, 1938, the Munich Agreement was signed, handing the Sudetenland to Germany without Czechoslovakia at the table.
Nazi Germany Invalidates Jewish Passports
On October 5, 1938, Nazi Germany invalidated Jewish passports and ordered them stamped with a J.
The Soviet Union Invades Eastern Poland
On September 17, 1939, Soviet forces invaded eastern Poland under the secret protocol of the Nazi-Soviet Pact, partitioning the country.
The Blitz on London Begins
On September 7, 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed London, starting the Blitz, 57 consecutive nights of attacks on the capital.
Roosevelt Signs the First Peacetime Draft in American History
On September 16, 1940, Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act, the first peacetime military draft in United States history.
Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator Opens
On October 15, 1940, Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, his first sound film and a satire of Hitler, opened in New York.
The Babi Yar Massacre Begins Near Kiev
On September 29, 1941, German forces began the Babi Yar massacre outside Kiev, killing some 33,771 Jews in two days.
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress Makes Its First Flight
On September 21, 1942, the first B-29 Superfortress flew from Seattle, the largest and most advanced bomber of the Second World War.
The First V-2 Rocket Reaches Space
On October 3, 1942, a German V-2 rocket reached 84.5 km, the first man-made object to reach space.
The Second Battle of El Alamein Begins
The Second Battle of El Alamein began on October 23, 1942. Montgomery's Eighth Army broke Rommel's line and turned the tide in North Africa.
Italy Signs the Armistice of Cassibile With the Allies
On September 3, 1943, Italy signed the Armistice of Cassibile with the Allies, a secret surrender announced five days later as German troops moved in.
German Commandos Rescue Benito Mussolini
On September 12, 1943, German commandos rescued Mussolini from house arrest on the Gran Sasso in central Italy.
Operation Market Garden Begins in the Netherlands
On September 17, 1944, Operation Market Garden dropped 35,000 airborne troops into the Netherlands to seize bridges to Arnhem.
The Warsaw Uprising Surrenders
On October 2, 1944, the Warsaw Uprising ended after 63 days, and German forces destroyed the city.
Japan Signs the Instrument of Surrender Aboard USS Missouri
On September 2, 1945, Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, formally bringing World War II to an end.
Japan Surrenders to China in Nanjing
On September 9, 1945, Japan surrendered to China in Nanjing, ending a war that had cost China tens of millions of lives.
Vidkun Quisling Is Executed
On October 24, 1945, Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian leader who collaborated with the German occupation, was executed in Oslo for treason.
The United Nations Comes into Being
The United Nations was founded on October 24, 1945, when its Charter took effect. Fifty-one nations were the original members.
China Resumes Sovereignty Over Taiwan
On October 25, 1945, Japan surrendered its forces in Taiwan to China, ending fifty years of colonial rule and returning the island to Chinese sovereignty.
The Nuremberg Tribunal Sentences Nazi Leaders
On October 1, 1946, the Nuremberg tribunal sentenced twelve Nazi leaders to death after the first war crimes trial.
Hermann Goering Takes Poison Before His Execution
Hermann Goering took cyanide in his Nuremberg cell on October 15, 1946, hours before his execution for war crimes.
The Nuremberg Sentences Are Carried Out
Ten Nazi leaders condemned at Nuremberg were hanged on October 16, 1946, the first executions by an international tribunal.
Forty-Eight Nations Sign the Treaty of San Francisco with Japan
On September 8, 1951, 48 nations signed a peace treaty with Japan at San Francisco; China was not invited and rejected its validity.
Maurice Papon Is Convicted
Maurice Papon was jailed on October 22, 1999 for complicity in deporting Jews from wartime France. The case forced France to face its past.