Year 1944 in History

D-Day: The Normandy Landings

Allied forces launch the largest amphibious invasion in history on the beaches of Normandy, France, marking the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation.

wars conflicts

Army defeats Navy 10-7 in football "Arab Bowl," Oran, North Africa

Siege of Leningrad lifted by the Soviets after 880 days and more than 2 million Russians killed

Battle of Eniwetok: US forces take Enewetak Atoll at the cost of 37 Americans killed or missing and 94 wounded; Japanese

Battle of Eniwetok: US forces take Enewetak Atoll at the cost of 37 Americans killed or missing and 94 wounded; Japanese losses are 800 dead and 23 prisoners

American actor Charlton Heston (20) weds American actress and photographer Lydia Clarke (20)

"Going My Way," directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby, premieres in New York (Academy Award for Best Picture,

"Going My Way," directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby, premieres in New York (Academy Award for Best Picture, 1945)

Baseball player Ted Williams marries Doris Soule (divorced 1954)

First of over 180,000 Hungarian Jews reaches Auschwitz

Jews, or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They traditionally adhere to Judaism.

American actor Burgess Meredith (36) weds American actress Paulette Goddard (33) at film studio executive David O. Selzn

American actor Burgess Meredith (36) weds American actress Paulette Goddard (33) at film studio executive David O. Selznick's Beverly Hills home - third time for each; divorce in 1949

Operation Overlord: D-Day begins as the 156,000-strong Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy, France, during Worl

Operation Overlord: D-Day begins as the 156,000-strong Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy, France, during World War II

Day one of the two-day Battle of the Philippine Sea, US naval forces defeat the Japanese fleet in World War II

The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a major naval battle of World War II on 19–20 June 1944 that eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions.

Franklin Roosevelt announces he will run for a fourth term as President of the United States

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945.

Bretton Woods Conference ends, establishes the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, later part of the

Bretton Woods Conference ends, establishes the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, later part of the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund

American actress Susan Hayward (27) weds American actor Jess Barker (32) at St. Thomas Church in Los Angeles, California

American actress Susan Hayward (27) weds American actor Jess Barker (32) at St. Thomas Church in Los Angeles, California; divorce in 1954

World War II: Operation Spring is one of Canada's bloodiest days, with 1,444 casualties, including 441 killed in a singl

World War II: Operation Spring is one of Canada's bloodiest days, with 1,444 casualties, including 441 killed in a single day

Anne Frank is arrested in Amsterdam by German Security Police (Grüne Polizei) following a tip-off from an informer who i

Anne Frank is arrested in Amsterdam by German Security Police (Grüne Polizei) following a tip-off from an informer who is never identified

German commander Dietrich von Choltitz surrenders Paris to the Free French forces of Philippe Leclerc, disobeying Adolf

German commander Dietrich von Choltitz surrenders Paris to the Free French forces of Philippe Leclerc, disobeying Adolf Hitler's orders to destroy the city. President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic Charles de Gaulle gives a famous speech at the Hôtel de Ville.

Holocaust diarist Anne Frank (15) is among the prisoners on the 68th and final transport of Dutch Jews sent from Westerb

Holocaust diarist Anne Frank (15) is among the prisoners on the 68th and final transport of Dutch Jews sent from Westerbrooksent to Auschwitz concentration camp [1]

Polish resistance fighters capitulate in the Warsaw Uprising after an estimated 250,000 people are killed

Battle of Aachen: US 1st Army attacks Aachen, the first German city captured during World War II

The Battle of Aachen was a battle of World War II, fought by American and German forces in and around Aachen, Germany, between 12 September and 21 October 1944.

US forces under General Douglas MacArthur return to the Philippines with the landing of the US Sixth Army on the island

US forces under General Douglas MacArthur return to the Philippines with the landing of the US Sixth Army on the island of Leyte

US troops capture Aachen, the first large German city to fall in World War II

The Battle of Aachen was a battle of World War II, fought by American and German forces in and around Aachen, Germany, between 12 September and 21 October 1944.

Aaron Copland's ballet score "Appalachian Spring" premieres at Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress in Washing

Aaron Copland's ballet score "Appalachian Spring" premieres at Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., with Martha Graham dancing the lead role [1]

American country music star Hank Williams (21) weds American country singer Audrey Sheppard (21). her second marriage an

American country music star Hank Williams (21) weds American country singer Audrey Sheppard (21). her second marriage and his first; divorce in 1952

Nazi Germany launches a counteroffensive against the Allies in the Ardennes region of Belgium, beginning the Battle of t

Nazi Germany launches a counteroffensive against the Allies in the Ardennes region of Belgium, beginning the Battle of the Bulge

General Dwight D. Eisenhower's clerk Rickey marries corporal Pearlie

Battle of Bastogne: US General George S. Patton's Third Army repulses German forces

George Smith Patton Jr. (11 November 1885 – 21 December 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army...

Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green's musical "On the Town" with choreography by Jerome Robbins, opens at

Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green's musical "On the Town" with choreography by Jerome Robbins, opens at the Adelphi Theatre, NYC; runs for 462 performances

Operation Carpetbagger begins (aerial dropping of supplies and weapons to resistance fighters in Europe)

Operation Paravane was a British air raid of World War II that inflicted heavy damage on the German battleship Tirpitz, at anchor in Kaafjord in the far north of German-occupied Norway.

German bombers attack London

A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, see below) is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators intentionally end their own lives as part of the attack.

Allied forces begin landing at Anzio on the Italian mainland

Detroit Red Wings score 15 goals against New York Rangers with an NHL record 37 points; also record consecutive goals &

Detroit Red Wings score 15 goals against New York Rangers with an NHL record 37 points; also record consecutive goals & most lopsided game, 15-0

Allied troops occupy Nettuno Italy

USS Missouri, the last battleship commissioned by the US Navy, is launched

USS Missouri (hull number BB-63) is an Iowa-class battleship built for the United States Navy (USN) in the 1940s and is now a museum ship.

The Battle of Cisterna begins in central Italy

Supreme Soviet increases Soviet republics' autonomy

The three Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – were re-occupied in 1944–1945 by the Soviet Union (USSR) following the German occupation.

4th US marine division conquers Roi, Marshall Islands

The Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign was a series of engagements fought from August 1942 to February 1944, in the Pacific theatre of World War II between the United States and Japan.

World War II: United States troops capture the Marshall Islands.

World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers.

Jean Anouilh's play "Antigone" premieres in Paris

Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh was a French dramatist and screenwriter whose career spanned five decades.

1st African American reporter accredited to White House, Harry McAlpin

U-734/U-238 sunk off Ireland

Belgian resistance fighter and author Kamiel van Baelen arrested

German troops reconquer Aprilia, Italy

Wendell Wilkie enters the race to be the Republican nominee for US President

From March 14 to June 11, 1944, voters of the Republican Party selected delegates to the 1944 Republican National Convention for the purpose of selecting their nominee for president in the 1944...

Anti-Japanese revolt on Java

British bombers attack Berlin in the largest raid by the RAF against the city

Berlin, the capital of Germany, was subject to 363 air raids during the Second World War.

15-year-old Joe Nuxhall signs a contract to play baseball with the Cincinnati Reds just one day after playing in a high

15-year-old Joe Nuxhall signs a contract to play baseball with the Cincinnati Reds just one day after playing in a high school basketball game; debuts later that year

British bombers attack Berlin

Berlin, the capital of Germany, was subject to 363 air raids during the Second World War.

Batman & Robin comic strip premieres in newspapers

"War As It Happens" news show premieres on NBC-TV, in New York City only

World War II: US Army Air Forces accidentally bomb Dutch town of Nijmegen, around 800 civilians die

World War II (1939–1945) involved sustained strategic bombing of railways, harbours, cities, workers' and civilian housing, and industrial districts in enemy territory.

Alexander Gretchaninov's "Missa Oecumenica" (Ecumenical Mass) premieres in Boston with Serge Koussevitzky conducting the

Alexander Gretchaninov's "Missa Oecumenica" (Ecumenical Mass) premieres in Boston with Serge Koussevitzky conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra; the composer wrote the work in memory of the conductor's wife Natalie (1880-1942)

First female US Navy captain, Sue Dauser of the Nurse Corps, appointed

Arrests of the ten-Boom family in Nazi occupied Netherlands (Haarlem) through a Dutch collaborator on charges of hiding

Arrests of the ten-Boom family in Nazi occupied Netherlands (Haarlem) through a Dutch collaborator on charges of hiding Jews

5 leaders of Indonesia Communist Party sentenced to death

The Portuguese Communist Party is a communist and Marxist–Leninist political party in Portugal.

Massive strikes in northern Italian towns

1st US bombing of Berlin

Berlin, the capital of Germany, was subject to 363 air raids during the Second World War.

USAAF begins daylight bombing of Berlin

Japan begins offensive in Burma

The fighting in the Burma campaign in 1944 was among the most severe in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II.

US resumes bombing Berlin

Berlin, the capital of Germany, was subject to 363 air raids during the Second World War.

U-575 sinks British corvette HMS Asphodel in the Atlantic Ocean killing 92 of the 97 men aboard

Dutch resistance fighter Joop Westerweel arrested

The Dutch resistance (Dutch: Nederlands verzet) to the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized as non-violent.

Italian town of Cassino destroyed by Allied bombing

The Abbey of Monte Cassino (today usually spelled Montecassino) is a Benedictine monastery on a rocky hill about 130 kilometres (80 mi) southeast of Rome, in the Latin Valley.

French Vichy Internal minister Pierre Pucheu sentenced to death for treason

Vichy France (French: Régime de Vichy, lit. 'Vichy regime'; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), also known as the Pétainist regime (French: Régime pétainiste) and Pétainist France, officially the French...

Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupts after months of volcanic unrest, destroying several towns near the volcano

Nazi Germany occupies Hungary

British composer Michael Tippett's oratorio "A Child of Our Time" premieres at the Adelphi Theatre in London, England

Sir Michael Kemp Tippett (2 January 1905 – 8 January 1998) was an English composer who rose to prominence during and immediately after the Second World War.

2,500 women trample guards and floorwalkers to purchase 1,500 alarm clocks announced for sale in a Chicago Illinois depa

2,500 women trample guards and floorwalkers to purchase 1,500 alarm clocks announced for sale in a Chicago Illinois department store

+ 8th Air Force bombers attack Berlin

The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC).

Italian resistance group bombs occupying German police at Via Rasella, Rome; killing 33 and wounding 110 of the 156 man

Italian resistance group bombs occupying German police at Via Rasella, Rome; killing 33 and wounding 110 of the 156 man force; retaliation kills 335 civilians

76 Allied officers escape Stalag Luft 3 (Great Escape)

Stalag Luft III (German: Stammlager Luft III; literally "Main Camp, Air, III"; SL III) was a Luftwaffe-run prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during the Second World War, which held captured Western Allied...

Germany troop executes 335 residents of Rome

British bombers attack Essen, Germany

2,000 Jews are murdered in Kaunas Lithuania

British bombers attack Nuremberg

A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, see below) is a deliberate attack in which the perpetrators intentionally end their own lives as part of the attack.

Hungary orders all Jews to wear yellow stars

Japanese troops conquer Jessami, Eastern India

British dive bombers attack German battleship Tirpitz at Kåfjorden, Norway

Allied Bucharest bombings targeting railroads kills 5,000

The Bucharest World War II bombings were primarily Allied bombings of railroad targets and those of the Oil Campaign of World War II, but included a bombing by Nazi Germany after the 1944 coup...

World War II: 145 RAF Lancasters bomb German aircraft factory in Toulouse, France

Jewish nursery at Izieu-Ain, France, overrun by Nazis

"Patrolling the Ether" is shown on 3 TV stations simultaneously

RAF bombs census bureau in The Hague

New Zealand and the Soviet Union establish diplomatic relations

The Ambassador from New Zealand to the Soviet Union was New Zealand's foremost diplomatic representative in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in charge of New Zealand's diplomatic mission...

NFL Draft: Angelo Bertelli from University of Notre Dame first pick by Boston Yanks

Angelo Bortolo Bertelli (June 18, 1921 – June 26, 1999) was an American football quarterback. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1943.

Dutch Communist Party resistance fighter John Postma sentence to death

NFL Chic Cardinals & Pittsburgh Steelers merge (dissolves on Dec 3)

Allies land near Hollandia, New Guinea

The Battle of Hollandia (code-named Operation Reckless) was an engagement between Allies of World War II and Japanese forces during World War II.

1st Boeing B-29 arrives in China "over the Hump"

United Negro College Fund incorporates

First B-29 is attacked by Japanese fighters, one fighter shot down

Boston Brave Jim Tobin no-hits Bkln Dodgers, 2-0

Exercise "Tiger" ends with 750 US soldiers dead in D-Day rehearsal after their convoy ships were attacked by German torp

Exercise "Tiger" ends with 750 US soldiers dead in D-Day rehearsal after their convoy ships were attacked by German torpedo boats off Slapton Sands, Devon.

Raid by Dutch Resistance on the National Printing Office in The Hague to procure 10,000 Dutch identity cards.

NY Giant Phil Weintraub gets 11 RBIs

Pulitzer prize awarded to American Martin Flavin for his novel "Journey in the Dark"

WABD (WNEW, now WNYW) TV channel 5 in NYC (DUM/MET/FOX) 1st broadcast

KJR-AM in Seattle Washington swaps calls with KOMO

33 communist resistance fighter sentenced to death

The German resistance to Nazism (German: Widerstand gegen den Nationalsozialismus) included unarmed and armed opposition and disobedience to the Nazi regime by various movements, groups and...

1st eye bank opens in New York City

New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama, and the New York City Center 55th Street Theater) is a performing arts center at 131 West 55th Street...

Chinese offensive in West-Yunnan

The Crimean offensive (8 April – 12 May 1944), known in German sources as the Battle of the Crimea, was a series of offensives by the Red Army directed at the German-held Crimea.

Opposition group surprise attack post office Washer

+ 8th US Air Force bombers attack Zwikau, Bohlen & Brux

91 German bombers harass Bristol

-18] Allied air raid on Surabaja, Java

Expulsion of more than 200,000 Tartars from Crimea by Soviet Union begins, they are accused of collaborating with the Ge

Expulsion of more than 200,000 Tartars from Crimea by Soviet Union begins, they are accused of collaborating with the Germans

US Communist Party dissolves

The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, is a far-left communist party in the United States.

WWII: West Loch Disaster - explosion during munition loading kills at least 160 sailors, injures nearly 400, destroys si

WWII: West Loch Disaster - explosion during munition loading kills at least 160 sailors, injures nearly 400, destroys six ships and damages 3 piers and several buildings at Pearl Harbor U.S. Naval Base in Oahu, Hawaii; details were kept classified until the early 1960s

British and Canadian troops occupy Pontecorvo, Italy

Allies land on Biak, Indonesia (operation Horlicks)

British troops occupy Aprilia, Italy

Generals Giraud & de Gaulle reach agreement on constitution

Henri Honoré Giraud was a French Army general best known for his escape from German captivity in 1942 and subsequently as one of the leaders of the French Resistance and a rival of Charles de Gaulle.

French General Charles de Gaulle arrives in London

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany and Vichy France in World War II and...

1st B-29 bombing raid; 1 plane lost due to engine failure

Tokyo was bombed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in a series of air raids on Japan, primarily launched during the closing campaigns of the Pacific Theatre of World War II in 1944–1945,...

Alaska Airlines commences operations

Alaska Airlines is a major airline in the United States headquartered in SeaTac, Washington, within the Seattle metropolitan area.

Achilles Veen soccer team forms in Veen

1st SS-Panzer Korps counterattacks at Normandy

Soviet offensive in Carelia, Finland

Nazi forces carry out a massacre of 642 civilians in the French village Oradour-sur-Glane

15 US aircraft carriers attack Japanese bases on Marianas

Hiyō was the name ship of her class of two aircraft carriers of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).

British 12th airborne battalion and the 13th & 18th Hussars attack and capture Bréville

The Battle of Bréville was fought by the British 6th Airborne Division and the German 346th Infantry Division, between 8 and 13 June 1944, during the early phases of the invasion of Normandy in the...

First German V-1 flying bomb (Fieseler Fi 103) attack on London [1]

The V-1 flying bomb (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1, lit. 'Vengeance Weapon 1') was an early cruise missile.

First B-29 raid against mainland Japan

During the Pacific War, Allied forces conducted air raids on Japan from 1942 to 1945, causing extensive destruction to the country's cities and killing between 241,000 and 900,000 people.

US forces begin invasion of Saipan in Pacific

The Battle of Saipan was an amphibious assault launched by the United States against the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War II between 15 June and 9 July 1944.

-19] French troops under Lattre de Tssigny conquer Elba

Farewell concert of conductor Willem Mengelberg in Paris, France

Congress charters Central Intelligence Agency

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and...

Very heavy bombing on Berlin

Berlin, the capital of Germany, was subject to 363 air raids during the Second World War.

Boston Brave Jim Tobin 2nd no-hitter of yr beats Phils, 7-0 in 5 inn

4 tornadoes strike Appalachia, killing 153

British assault at Caen, Normandy

The capture of the Caen Canal and Orne River bridges (wrongly known as Operation Deadstick [which in fact was a specialized glider exercise], and in official documents as Operation Coup de Main) was...

2nd British army reaches Grainville-Mouen line

Cherbourg, France liberated by Allies

The liberation of France (French: libération de la France) in the Second World War was accomplished through the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers including Free French forces in London...

French Nazi collaborator Paul Touvier shoots 7 Jews dead

Allies land on Vogelkop, New Guinea

Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, and Indonesian Papua, is the western half of the island of New Guinea, formerly Dutch and granted to Indonesia in 1962.

2,500+ killed in London/SE England by German flying bombs

1,100 US guns fire 4th of July salute at German lines in Normandy

Harry Crosby takes 1st rocket airplane, MX-324, for maiden flight

Heavy Japanese counter offensive on Saipan

WWII: British troops march into Caen, Normandy

Normandy is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular...

In World War II, US troops secure Saipan as Japan falls

Theresienstadt Family camp disbands, with 4,000 people gased

The Theresienstadt family camp (Czech: Terezínský rodinný tábor, German: Theresienstädter Familienlager), also known as the Czech family camp, consisted of a group of Jewish inmates from the...

Vilnius, Lithuania, liberated

Attempt to liberate prisoners in Amsterdam fails; John Post arrested

Greenwich Royal Observatory in London damaged by WW II flying bomb [1]

Dodgers score 8 unearned runs against Braves to win 8-5 and break their 16-game losing streak; they will lose another 5

Dodgers score 8 unearned runs against Braves to win 8-5 and break their 16-game losing streak; they will lose another 5 in a row

Soviet troops cross Bug River and march into Poland

The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military conflict by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war.

7:45 Operation Goodwood: British assault east of Caen

Operation Goodwood was a British offensive during the Second World War, which took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the larger battle for Caen in Normandy, France.

1,200+ 8th US Air Force bombers bomb targets in SW Germany

US general Omar Bradley flies to England

Adolf Hitler survives an assassination attempt led by German army officer Claus Von Stauffenberg

Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of...

Soviets set up Polish Committee of National Liberation

The Committee of National Liberation for Northern Italy (Italian: Comitato di Liberazione Nazionale Alta Italia, CLNAI) was set up in February 1944 by partisans behind German lines in the Italian...

Allied bombers drop firebombs on German positions at Saint-Lô, France

Japanese banzai attack on Guam

The Battle of Guam (21 July – 10 August 1944) was the American recapture of the Japanese-held island of Guam, an American territory in the Mariana Islands captured by the Japanese in the First Battle...

Japanese suicide attack on US lines in Guam

First British jet fighter used in combat (Gloster Meteor)

The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War.

Allied air forces bomb Germany for 6 hours

WWII: US 30th division reaches the suburbs of Saint-Lô, Normandy with heavy battles also occurring at Tessy-sur-Vire and

WWII: US 30th division reaches the suburbs of Saint-Lô, Normandy with heavy battles also occurring at Tessy-sur-Vire and Villebaudon

Jewish survivors of Kovono Ghetto emerge from their bunker

Allied troops under Lieutenant General Joseph Stilwell take Myitkyina, Burma

Joseph Warren "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell (19 March 1883 – 12 October 1946) was a United States Army general who served in the China Burma India theater during World War II.

German forces begin the mass killing of between 40,000 and 50,000 Polish civilians in the Wola district of Warsaw during

German forces begin the mass killing of between 40,000 and 50,000 Polish civilians in the Wola district of Warsaw during the uprising

The last of 1,200 Jewish death marchers from Lipcani, Moldova, dies

Anton de Kom is arrested as a Surinamese resistance fighter

Cornelis Gerhard Anton de Kom (22 February 1898 – 24 April 1945) was a Surinamese resistance fighter and anti-colonialist author.

Canadian and Polish troops occupy Cramesnil, Secqueville, Cintheaux, and St-Aignan

Smokey Bear debuts as the US Forest Service spokesperson for fire prevention; named after NYC firefighter Smokey Joe Mar

Smokey Bear debuts as the US Forest Service spokesperson for fire prevention; named after NYC firefighter Smokey Joe Martin

Battle for Guam ends with US troops recapturing Guam from the Japanese

The Battle of Guam was an engagement during the Pacific War in World War II that took place from 8 to 10 December 1941 on Guam in the Mariana Islands between Japan and the United States.

Pipeline under the ocean (Pluto) begins operating

Allied air raid on train in northern Netherlands kills 32 people

During the Pacific War, Allied forces conducted air raids on Japan from 1942 to 1945, causing extensive destruction to the country's cities and killing between 241,000 and 900,000 people.

2nd Canadian Division occupies Falaise, Normandy, during Operation Intractable

4th Canadian Armoured Division occupies Trun, Normandy

The 2nd Canadian Division, an infantry division of the Canadian Army, was mobilized for war service on 1 September 1939 at the outset of World War II.

Allied air raid on Maastricht kills more than 80 people

Battle of Falaise, Normandy, led by Polish Armoured Division and First Canadian Army, is the largest encirclement on the

Battle of Falaise, Normandy, led by Polish Armoured Division and First Canadian Army, is the largest encirclement on the Western Front, leading to the surrender and capture of the German 7th Army

94.5°F (34.7°C) in De Bilt, Netherlands, and 101.5°F (38.6°C) in Warnsveld

Bulgaria announces withdrawal, and German troops are to be disarmed

The history of Bulgaria during World War II encompasses an initial period of neutrality until 1 March 1941, a period of alliance with the Axis powers until 8 September 1944, and a period of alignment...

RAF Halifax bombers attack oil installations in Hamburg

Last German troops in Marseille surrender, and Toulon is cleared

The Battle of Marseille was an urban battle of World War II that took place August 21–28, 1944, and led to the liberation of Marseille by Free French forces under the command of General Jean de...

15,000 American troops liberate Paris and march down the Champs-Élysées

11th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Chicago Bears 24, All-Stars 21 (48,769 attendees)

Allied offensive at "Gothen-linie" Italy

Bulgaria government of Bagrjanow, resigns

Belgium's Emissie bank closes

Canadian troops liberate Abbeville, France

The Battle of France (French: bataille de France; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium,...

2,087 Jews are transported from Westerbork to KZ-Lower Theresienstadt

"Mad Tuesday" sees 65,000 Dutch Nazi collaborators flee to Germany

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill travels to Scotland

Gen. von Zangen's 15th Army escapes from Zeeland

Dutch Resistance fighter Jaap Musch arrested in Nijverdal, Netherlands

First V-2 rockets land in London and Antwerp, Belgium

Allied forces liberate Luxembourg

Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning says to Field Marshal Montgomery, "But, Sir, I think we might be going a bridge to

Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning says to Field Marshal Montgomery, "But, Sir, I think we might be going a bridge too far"

A reconnaissance squadron of the US 5th Armored Division "Victory Division" is the first Allied force to enter Nazi Germ

A reconnaissance squadron of the US 5th Armored Division "Victory Division" is the first Allied force to enter Nazi Germany

Noorbeek becomes the first liberated community in the Netherlands during World War II

30th Infantry division of US 1st Army frees Margraten

6,500 Dutch/Indonesian captives sent to Junyo Maru

British bombers hit German battleship Tirpitz with Tallboy bombs

Tirpitz was the second of two Bismarck-class battleships built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (navy) prior to and during the Second World War.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill travels to US

WWII: British submarine Tradewind torpedoes Junyo Maru: 5,600 killed, including 1,377 allied POWs and 4,200 Javanese sla

WWII: British submarine Tradewind torpedoes Junyo Maru: 5,600 killed, including 1,377 allied POWs and 4,200 Javanese slave laborers

Armistice between Finland and Soviet Union is signed. (End of the Continuation War)

The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet–Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II.

Nijmegen is liberated from German occupation

Nijmegen] ; Nijmeegs: Nimwèège [ˈnɪmβ̞ɛːçə]) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole.

Operation Market Garden: Last British paratroopers at Arnhem Bridge surrender after several days of fighting

Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation during the Second World War fought in the German-occupied Netherlands from 17 to 25 September 1944.

Boulogne reoccupied by the Allies

Proclamation No. 30 is issued, declaring the existence of a state of war between the Philippines and the United States a

Proclamation No. 30 is issued, declaring the existence of a state of war between the Philippines and the United States and the United Kingdom

Operation Market Garden ends in Allied failure as the last British and Polish paratroopers are evacuated from Oosterbeek

Operation Market Garden ends in Allied failure as the last British and Polish paratroopers are evacuated from Oosterbeek near the city of Arnhem

Soviet forces occupy Estonia

Estonia declared neutrality at the outbreak of World War II (1939–1945), but the country was repeatedly contested, invaded and occupied, first by the Soviet Union in 1940, then by Nazi Germany in...

Dutch cities Helmond and Oss are liberated

First TV musical comedy (The Boys from Boise)

The Boys from Boise was a television special that aired on the DuMont Network on September 28, 1944, on its New York City affiliate WABD.

Browns last in AL attendance; only 6,172 watch them sweep Yankees in doubleheader

-Oct 1] Failed attack on German officers near Putten, Netherlands

World War II in the Netherlands can be broken down into four periods: September 1939 to May 1940: After the war broke out, the Netherlands declared neutrality.

Newspaper editor Alejandro Córdova is assassinated in Guatemala

First broadcast of Radio Herrijzend Nederland

British troops land on Greek mainland

The Greek Civil War took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communist-led uprising against the established government of the...

Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's musical "Bloomer Girl" premieres in New York City

Allied aircraft accidentally bomb Vriezenveen, Overijssel

Allies bomb sea dikes at Vlissingen

"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" debuts on CBS radio

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family.

Admiral Halsey's Task Force 30 bombs Okinawa; 700 die

Allied troops land in Corfu

Corfu ( kor-FOO, -⁠FEW, US also KOR-foo, -⁠few) or Kerkyra is one of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, and the northernmost island on Greece's west coast except for its satellite Diapontian...

The Arrow Cross Party, similar to Hitler's NSDAP (Nazi Party), takes power in Hungary

The Arrow Cross Party was a far-right Hungarian ultranationalist party led by Ferenc Szálasi, which formed a government in Hungary they named the Government of National Unity.

Hungary's government under Miklós Horthy falls as Nazi German general Döme Sztójay becomes prime minister

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill flies back to London from Moscow

Liquid gas tanks explode in Cleveland, Ohio, killing 135 people and leaving 3,600 homeless

Canadian troops occupy Breskens

Walter Piston's "Fugue on a Victory Tune" premieres in New York City [1]

David Diamond's 2nd Symphony premieres with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Serge Koussevitzky

Serge Koussevitzky was a Russian and American conductor, composer, and double-bassist, known for his long tenure as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949.

Battle of Gulf of Leyte begins - largest naval battle of WWII near the Philippines

The Philippines campaign, Battle of the Philippines, Second Philippines campaign, or the Liberation of the Philippines, codenamed Operation Musketeer I, II, and III, was the American, Filipino,...

In the Leeuwarden Prison Escape, a group of Dutch resistance fighters successfully free 39 prisoners from a Nazi prison

In the Leeuwarden Prison Escape, a group of Dutch resistance fighters successfully free 39 prisoners from a Nazi prison in Leeuwarden

Battle at Cape Engano: 4 Japanese ships sink

The Battle of Leyte Gulf (23–26 October 1944) was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved. By...

Hertogenbosch & Tilburg freed from nazi occupation

Russia and Bulgaria sign a weapons pact

First Polish Armoured Division liberates Breda, Netherlands

The Polish 1st Armoured Division (Polish 1 Dywizja Pancerna, Pierwsza Dywizja Pancerna) was an armoured division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II.

Chief of Staff Kruls names De Quay chairman of the Universal Commission

World War II: Units of the British Army land at Walcheren in the Netherlands

At the start of 1939, the British Army was, as it traditionally always had been, a small volunteer professional army.

Canadian troops occupy Knokke in Belgium

The German occupation of Belgium (French: Occupation allemande, Dutch: Duitse bezetting) during World War II began on 28 May 1940, when the Belgian army surrendered to German forces, and lasted until...

Allied commandos land at Westkapelle, on the Dutch island of Walcheren

The Battle of the Scheldt in World War II was a series of military operations to open up the Scheldt river between Antwerp and the North Sea for shipping, so that Antwerp's port could be used to...

German troops reconquer Schmidt Hurtgenwald

Allied troops reach Zoutelande, Walcheren

Franklin D. Roosevelt is re-elected President of the United States for a record fourth term, defeating Republican candid

Franklin D. Roosevelt is re-elected President of the United States for a record fourth term, defeating Republican candidate Thomas E. Dewey

25,000 Hungarian Jews are loaned to Nazis for forced labor

Red Cross wins Nobel peace prize

The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, an international peace prize established according to Alfred Nobel's will.

Ammunition ship USS Mount Hood (AE-11) exploded at Seeadler Harbour, Manus, Admiralty Islands

Manus Naval Base was a number of bases built after the World War II Battle of Manus by United States Navy on the Manus Island and a smaller island just east, Los Negros Island in the Admiralty...

New York Rangers beat Detroit Red Wings, 5-2 to end NHL record 25 game winless streak (0-21-4)

RAF sinks German battleship Tirpitz at Tromso Fjord, Norway

Tirpitz was the second of two Bismarck-class battleships built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (navy) prior to and during the Second World War.

Surprise attack on office of Nethche Bank

US 9th division & 1st Army attacks at Geilenkirchen

The 9th Panzer Division was a panzer division of the German Army during World War II. It came into existence after 4th Light Division was reorganized in January 1940.

1st Japanese suicide submarine attack (Ulithi Atol, Carolines)

Personnel & executive staff of Philips demonstrate for more food

Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry occupies Hoven at Geilenkirchen

Arnold Schoenberg's "Ode to Napoleon" premieres in NYC

US bombers based on Saipan begin 1st attack on Tokyo

The Battle of Saipan was an amphibious assault launched by the United States against the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War II between 15 June and 9 July 1944.

First Allied Marines move into Antwerp Harbor

4,000 shells detonate in RAF arms depot at Fauld, near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire; village of Hanbury destroyed, at l

4,000 shells detonate in RAF arms depot at Fauld, near Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire; village of Hanbury destroyed, at least 70 people killed

Detroit Tigers pitcher Hal Newhouser is named American League MVP

Harold Newhouser (May 20, 1921 – November 10, 1998), nicknamed "Prince Hal" and "Hurricane Hal," was an American professional baseball player.

Albania is liberated from Nazi Germany control (National Day)

Biggest and last British battleship, HMS Vanguard, launches at Clydebank, Scotland

10th Heisman Trophy Award: Les Horvath, Ohio State (QB)

Britain's Home Guard ('Dad's Army') is officially stood down at a special farewell parade in Hyde Park, London.

Germans destroy Rhine dikes, Betuwe flooded

German troops steal all the silver coin in Utrecht

US 95th Infantry division reaches Westwall

Convention on International Civil Aviation drawn up in Chicago

9 Dutch citizens hanged by Nazis

The Dutch famine of 1944–1945, also known as the Hunger Winter (from Dutch Hongerwinter), was a famine in the German-occupied Netherlands during World War II.

Surprise attack on House of Keeping Axe, 29 prisoners freed

Japanese kamikaze crashes into US cruiser Nashville, kills 138

Beginning of Liese-Aktion: Germany tries to recruit Dutch men for the Germany labor force

German V-2 strikes Antwerp bioscope (638 kill)

San Francisco M-Ocean View streetcar resumes service & is extended to Market St

Nazi occupiers of Amsterdam destroy electricity plants

Archbishop De Young & bishop Huibers condemn black market

Terence Rattigan's comedic play "O Mistress Mine" premieres in London

Cards' Marty Marion wins National League MVP

Martin Whiteford "Mr. Shortstop" Marion (December 1, 1917 – March 15, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball shortstop and manager. Marion played for the St. Louis Cardinals and the St.

Germans demand surrender of American troops at Bastogne, Belgium

The siege of Bastogne was an engagement in December 1944 between American and German forces at the Belgian town of Bastogne, as part of the larger Battle of the Bulge.

Beginning of 'the harsh winter', contributes to the famine that develops in the Netherlands

The Dutch famine of 1944–1945, also known as the Hunger Winter (from Dutch Hongerwinter), was a famine in the German-occupied Netherlands during World War II.

Greece: British premier Winston Churchill flies back to London

Dutch Resistance fighter Corrie ten Boom is accidentally released from the Ravensbrück concentration camp, living to spe

Dutch Resistance fighter Corrie ten Boom is accidentally released from the Ravensbrück concentration camp, living to speak and educate of her experience in "The Hiding Place"

Belgian Walloon Nazi collaborator Léon Degrelle sentenced to death

Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle was a Belgian Walloon politician and Nazi collaborator. He rose to prominence in Belgium in the 1930s as the leader of the Rexist Party (Rex).

General Eisenhower's train returns to Versailles

King George II of Greece, abdicates his throne, appointing Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens as Regent in 1945

George II was King of Greece from 27 September 1922 until 25 March 1924, and again from 25 November 1935 until his death on 1 April 1947. The eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and Princess...

48 people die in a train accident in Ogden, Utah

Famous Births

Omar al-Bashir is born

Jimmy Page is born

Jimmy Page, English musician, known for english guitarist, was born on 1944-01-09.

Joe Frazier is born

Joe Frazier, American athlete, known for american boxer, was born on 1944-01-12. Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944 – November 7, 2011) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965…

Paul Keating is born

Alice Walker is born

Alice Walker, American author and activist, known for american author and activist, was born on 1944-02-09.

Jerry Springer is born

Jerry Springer, American tv personality and politician, known for american tv personality and politician, was born on 1944-02-13.

David Geffen is born

David Geffen, American media proprietor, known for american media proprietor, was born on 1944-02-21. David Lawrence Geffen is an American film producer, record executive, and media proprietor.

Nicky Hopkins is born

Nicky Hopkins, English musician, known for english pianist and organist, was born on 1944-02-24. Nicholas Christian Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist.

Bob Woodward is born

Bob Woodward, American investigative journalist, known for american investigative journalist, was born on 1944-03-26. Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist.

John Major is born

Christopher Walken is born

Christopher Walken, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1944-03-31. Christopher Walken is an American actor.

Robert Hanssen is born

Robert Hanssen, American double agent and spy, known for american double agent and spy, was born on 1944-04-18.

Ian Kershaw is born

Ian Kershaw, English historian, known for english historian, was born on 1944-04-29.

Michael Palin is born

Michael Palin, English actor, known for english actor, was born on 1944-05-05. Sir Michael Edward Palin is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter.

Dietrich Mateschitz is born

Dietrich Mateschitz, Austrian entrepreneur, known for austrian entrepreneur, was born on 1944-05-20. Dietrich Markwart Eberhart Mateschitz was an Austrian entrepreneur.

Joe Cocker is born

Joe Cocker, English musician, known for english singer, was born on 1944-05-20. John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and…

Tommy John is born

Tommy John athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1944-05-22. Thomas Edward John Jr., nicknamed "the Bionic Man," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in…

Joe Namath is born

Joe Namath, American athlete, known for american football player, was born on 1944-05-31.

Billy Cunningham is born

Billy Cunningham, American athlete, known for american basketball player and coach, was born on 1944-06-03.

Sandra Haynie is born

Malcolm McDowell is born

Malcolm McDowell, English actor, known for british actor, was born on 1944-06-13. Malcolm McDowell is an English actor. He first became known for portraying Mick Travis in Lindsay Anderson's if....

Newt Gingrich is born

Barry Manilow is born

Barry Manilow, American musician, known for american singer, was born on 1944-06-17. Barry Manilow is an American singer and songwriter with a career spanning over sixty years.

Jeff Beck is born

Jeff Beck, English musician, known for english guitarist, was born on 1944-06-24. Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English guitarist.

Geraldo Rivera is born

Geraldo Rivera, American attorney, journalist and talk show host, known for american attorney, journalist and talk show host, was born on 1944-07-04.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell is born

Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Irish northern irish physicist, known for northern irish physicist, was born on 1944-07-15.

Jimmy Johnson is born

Mick Jagger is born

Mick Jagger, English musician, known for english musician, was born on 1944-07-26. Sir Michael Philip Jagger is an English musician, songwriter, and film producer.

Bill Bradley is born

Bill Bradley, American athlete, known for american basketball player and politician, was born on 1944-07-28.

Robert De Niro is born

Robert De Niro, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1944-08-17. Robert Anthony De Niro is an American actor, director, film producer, and restaurateur.

Tuesday Weld is born

Tuesday Weld, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1944-08-27. Tuesday Weld is an American retired actress.

Robert Crumb is born

Robert Crumb, American musician, known for american illustrator and cartoonist, was born on 1944-08-30. Robert Dennis Crumb is an American artist who often signs his work R. Crumb.

Roger Waters is born

Roger Waters, English musician, known for english musician, co-founder of pink floyd, was born on 1944-09-06. George Roger Waters is an English singer-songwriter, musician and political activist.

Lech Wałęsa is born

Steve Miller is born

Steve Miller, American musician, known for american guitarist and singer-songwriter, was born on 1944-10-05. Steven Haworth Miller is an American musician.

Oliver North is born

Oliver North, American military figure, known for american military figure, was born on 1944-10-07.

R. L. Stine is born

R. L. Stine, American writer and producer, known for american writer and producer, was born on 1944-10-08. Robert Lawrence Stine is an American novelist.

Michael Spence is born

Michael Spence, American canadian-american economist and nobel laureate, known for canadian-american economist and nobel laureate, was born on 1944-11-07.

Joni Mitchell is born

Joni Mitchell, American musician, known for canadian and american singer-songwriter, was born on 1944-11-07.

Tom Seaver is born

Tom Seaver, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1944-11-17.

Billie Jean King is born

Billie Jean King, American athlete, known for american tennis player, was born on 1944-11-22. Billie Jean King, also known as BJK, is an American former world No. 1 tennis player.

John Kerry is born

John Kerry, American politician and diplomat, known for american politician and diplomat, was born on 1944-12-11.

Teri Garr is born

Teri Garr, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1944-12-11. Terry Ann Garr (December 11, 1944 – October 29, 2024), known as Teri Garr, was an American actress, comedian and…

Chico Mendes is born

Chico Mendes, Brazilian trade union leader and environmentalist, known for brazilian trade union leader and environmentalist, was born on 1944-12-15.

Keith Richards is born

Keith Richards, English musician, known for english guitarist, was born on 1944-12-18.

Ben Kingsley is born

Ben Kingsley, English actor, known for english actor, was born on 1944-12-31. Sir Ben Kingsley is an English actor.

Robert Lefkowitz is born

Notable Deaths

Edvard Munch dies

Edvard Munch, Norwegian painter, known for norwegian painter, died on 1944-01-23. Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter.

Piet Mondrian dies

Piet Mondrian, Dutch painter, known for dutch painter, died on 1944-02-01. Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, known after 1911 as Piet Mondrian, was a Dutch painter and art theoretician who is regarded as…

Leo Baekeland dies

Leo Baekeland, Belgian chemist; inventor of bakelite, known for belgian chemist; inventor of bakelite, died on 1944-02-23. Leo Hendrik Baekeland was a Belgian chemist.

Manuel L. Quezon dies