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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.