Explore 3967 historical events from 1940–1949.
Ernst Bernhard Wilhelm Busch was a German Generalfeldmarschall during World War II who commanded the 16th Army and Army Group Centre.
Ernst Busch, German field marshal (born 1885)
Ambroise Paul Toussaint Jules Valéry was a French poet, essayist, and philosopher. In addition to his poetry and fiction, his interests included aphorisms on art, history, letters,…
Paul Valéry, French author and poet (born 1871)
Pietro Mascagni was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria rusticana caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-…
Pietro Mascagni, Italian composer and educator (born 1863)
Richard Ira "Dick" Bong was a United States Army Air Forces officer and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II. He was one of the most decorated American fighter pilots and the c…
Richard Bong, American soldier and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1920)
Hiram Warren Johnson was an American attorney and politician who served as the 23rd governor of California from 1911 to 1917 and represented California in the U.S. Senate for five …
Hiram Johnson, American lawyer and politician, 23rd Governor of California (born 1866)
Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray, was a Canadian naval officer, pilot, and recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War II. He and Eugene Esmonde are the only personnel of the Royal…
Robert Hampton Gray, Canadian lieutenant and pilot, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1917)
Harry Livingston Hillman Jr. was one of the longest serving Dartmouth Track and Field Coaches from 1910–45, and an American track and field athlete who won three gold medals at the…
Harry Hillman, American runner and coach (born 1881)
Robert Hutchings Goddard was an American physicist, inventor, and engineer credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, which was successfully launch…
Robert H. Goddard, American physicist and engineer (born 1882)
Stefan Jaracz was a Polish actor and theater producer. He served as the artistic director of Ateneum Theatre in Warsaw during the interwar period (1930–32), and within a short peri…
Stefan Jaracz, Polish actor and theater producer (born 1883)
Korechika Anami was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II who was War Minister during the surrender of Japan.
Korechika Anami, Japanese general and politician, 54th Japanese Minister of the Army (born 1887)
Sub-Lieutenant Frederick (Fred) Hockley RNVR (1923–1945) was an English Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm fighter pilot who was shot down over Japan while taking part in the last combat mis…
Fred Hockley, English lieutenant and pilot (born 1923)
Takijirō Ōnishi was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II who came to be known as the father of the kamikaze.
Takijirō Ōnishi, Japanese admiral (born 1891)
Reidar Haaland was a police officer and Waffen-SS member.
Reidar Haaland, Norwegian police officer and soldier (born 1919)
Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among many Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Ger…
Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian activist and politician (born 1897)
Tomás Burgos Sotomayor was a Chilean philanthropist, one of the strongest supporters of the "mutualist movement" and the founder of "Villa Lo Burgos", the present city of Purranque…
Tomás Burgos, Chilean philanthropist (born 1875)
John Morrison Birch was a United States Army Air Forces military intelligence captain, OSS field agent in China during World War II, as well as former Baptist minister and missiona…
John Birch, American soldier and missionary (born 1918)
Franz Viktor Werfel was a Czech novelist, playwright, and poet whose career spanned World War I, the Interwar period, and World War II. He is primarily known as the author of The F…
Franz Werfel, Austrian author and playwright (born 1890)
Hubert Pál Álgyay was a Hungarian engineer and lecturer.
Hubert Pál Álgyay, Hungarian engineer, designed the Petőfi Bridge (born 1894)
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 air…
Second World War: British and Canadian forces concluded the Liberation of Arnhem in the Netherlands from German occupati
Jasenovac was a concentration and extermination camp established in the village of the same name by the authorities of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in occupied Yugoslavia…
About 600 prisoners of the Jasenovac concentration camp in the Independent State of Croatia revolted, but only 80 manage
Mauthausen was a Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen in Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with nearly 100 further subcamps located th…
The Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps were liberated by the United States Army
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 air…
World War II: The US Army's 90th Infantry Division liberated Flossenbürg concentration camp (pictured) in Germany, freei
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 air…
World War II: The photograph Raising the Flag on the Three-Country Cairn (pictured) was taken after German troops withdr
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 air…
World War II: Benito Mussolini, the deposed fascist dictator of Italy, was executed by partisans in Giulino