The Second World War was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 and involved many of the world's major powers. Here is a year by year overview of some of the major events of the war:
1939:
September 1: Germany, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, invades Poland, marking the start of World War II in Europe.
September 3: Britain and France declare war on Germany in response to the invasion of Poland.
1940:
April 9-June 10: Germany invades Denmark and Norway.
May 10: Germany begins its invasion of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, and quickly overcomes these countries.
June 22: France signs an armistice with Germany, ending the fighting in France.
July 10-October 31: The Battle of Britain takes place, with the Royal Air Force successfully resisting the German air force's attempt to gain air superiority over Britain.
1941:
April 6: Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece.
June 22: Germany launches Operation Barbarossa, its invasion of the Soviet Union.
December 7: Japan launches a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into the war.
1942:
February 19-March 1: The Battle of Singapore takes place, with the Japanese capturing the British colonial city and its defense forces.
June 4-7: The Battle of Midway takes place, with the US Navy defeating a Japanese fleet and turning the tide in the Pacific War.
November 8: Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa, begins.
1943:
January 14-February 2: The Battle of Stalingrad takes place, with the Soviet Union defeating the German army and turning the tide on the Eastern Front.
July 10-13: The Allies invade Sicily, beginning the campaign to liberate Italy.
November 28-December 2: The Tehran Conference takes place, with leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union meeting to discuss strategy for the war.
1944:
June 6: The Allies launch D-Day, the invasion of Normandy, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe.
June 22: The Soviet Union launches Operation Bagration, its massive offensive against the German army on the Eastern Front.
August 25: The Allies liberate Paris, marking the beginning of the liberation of France.
1945:
January 27: The Allies liberate the Auschwitz concentration camp, revealing the full horrors of the Holocaust to the world.
April 30: Hitler commits suicide as Soviet forces close in on Berlin.
May 8: Germany signs its unconditional surrender, effectively ending the war in Europe.
August 6: The United States drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
August 9: The United States drops a second atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.
August 15: Japan announces its surrender, effectively ending the war.