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Hitler Becomes Chancellor
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany -
Japan Defeats China
The Japan defeat Chinese forces in a clash near Peking, taking control of North China. -
Hitler Supports Japan
German Chancellor Adolf Hitler announces support for Japan. -
Germany Invades Poland
German troops invade Poland on the ground while Hitler's air force bombs Polish cities from the sky -
Germany Invades Soviet Union
Germany invades the Soviet Union violating the Nonaggression Pact. U.S. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson estimates that it will take Hitler less than three months to conquer the Soviet Union. -
Japan Decides To Attack
The Japanese government decides to attack Pearl Harbor if negotiations with the United States fail. -
D-Day
D-Day: The first of nearly 3 million Allied soldiers arrive in Normandy, on the northern shores of France -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Adolf Hitler commits suicide in Berlin. -
Germany Surrenders
The German army signs an unconditional surrender -
Hiroshima
The United States drops an atomic bomb—the first to be used in warfare—on Hiroshima, killing 75,000 people instantly, and injuring more than 100,000. -
World War II Ends
A formal surrender ceremony is conducted in Tokyo Bay on the U.S. battleship Missouri. World War II officially ends