What Happened in June?

Adolf Hitler visits Paris for a celebratory tour after the armistice agreement with France came into effect. During his short three-hour visit, Hitler, along with his entourage, including architects Albert Speer and Hermann Giesler, and sculptor Arno Breker, visited significant Parisian landmarks. More

General Charles de Gaulle, then a brigadier-general, rejects the French government's decision to sign an armistice with Germany and flees to London to continue the fight against Nazi Germany.  Expand +

The island of Crete falls to German forces after a week-long battle during WWII. The battle, which began on May 20, involved intense air bombardment and airborne assaults by German paratroopers and glider troops. Despite fierce resistance from Allied troops and Cretan civilians, the Germans ultimately captured key airfields and were able to reinforce and consolidate their position.

Nazi Germany Invades the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The Invasion, named Barbarossa, was the largest land offensive in human history, with over 10 million combatants taking part. More

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 8802 prohibiting ethnic and racial discrimination in the country’s growing defense industry including in companies, unions, and federal agencies. It also set up the Fair Employment Practice Committee. It was the first federal action, although not a law, to promote equal opportunity and prohibit employment discrimination in the United States. More

British codebreakers at Bletchley Park successfully broke the German Enigma code used on the Eastern Front. This key, codenamed "Vulture," allowed British intelligence to gain insight into German military plans and operations, which ultimately aided the Allied war effort. Winston Churchill, recognizing the value of this intelligence, instructed that the information be shared with Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union. The code breaking remained classified for decades after the war.

194The battle of Midway - Early on the morning of June 4, aircraft from four Japanese aircraft carriers attacked and severely damaged the US base on Midway. Unbeknownst to the Japanese, the US carrier forces were just to the east of the island and ready for battle. More

The residents of the village of Lidice (present-day Czech Republic) were rounded up on orders from Adolf Hitler to kill all men in Lidice, aged 16 and older in reprisal for the assassination by Czech underground fighters of Reinhard Heydrich, deputy leader of the Nazi paramilitary SS group. The women and children were taken to concentration camps or gassed, and the village of Lidice was destroyed. More

Eisenhower is appointed by Army Chief of Staff Marshall to oversee all U.S. operations in Europe. 14 days later, on June 25, 1942, Eisenhower arrived at U.S. headquarters in London and took command.

General Dwight Eisenhower, is appointed to take command of all U.S. Operations in Europe by Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall. Eleven days later, on June 25, 1942, Eisenhower arrived at U.S. headquarters in London and took command.

General Dwight Eisenhower arrives at U.S. headquarters in London and takes command of all U.S. operations, 14 days after being appointed to that position by Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall.

The Zoot Suit Riots - A series of race riots involving American servicemen and Mexican American youth wearing zoot suits start in Los Angeles, California. These riots are considered to be some of the worst race riots in the city's history and were fueled by racial tensions during World War II. Zoot suits, characterized by long, baggy coats and wide-legged pants. were a popular style of clothing among young Mexican Americans at the time. Servicemen, along with some white civilians, attacked Mexican American youth, often beating them and ripping off their zoot suits. The violence was widespread, targeting not only young men wearing zoot suits but also extending to other minority communities, including African Americans and Filipino Americans.

Rome was liberated by the U.S. 5th Army, led by General Mark Clark.

Allied forces launch the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, during World War II - Over 160,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which, “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” By day’s end, the Allies gained a foot-hold in Continental Europe. The cost in lives on D-Day was high; more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded. More

Six days after D-Day, during the Battle of Normandy, the five Allied landing groups of over 300,000 were able to link up and form a single continues solid front across northwestern France after a bitter fight to capture Carentan, between airborne forces of the United States Army and the German Wehrmacht. The deepest Allied penetration point was southwest of Bayeux, where the allies had driven nearly 15 miles (25 km) inland.  

Iceland officially becomes a republic following the Icelandic constitutional .referendum, where over 95% of voters chose independence from Denmark. This decision was made after the Treaty of Union with Denmark expired in 1943, and with Denmark still under German occupation, Icelanders opted to establish their own republic.

The WWII Battle of the Philippine Sea, the last and the largest of five major "carrier-versus-carrier" engagements between American and Japanese naval forces begins. The two day battle eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious reconquest of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War. The battle ended the next day with a U.S. victory. More

The American forces secured Okinawa and the Tenth Army.conducts a flag-raising ceremony. While this marked the end of organized resistance, some Japanese soldiers continued to hide in caves and fight. The battle for Okinawa dragged out over nearly three months and included some of the worst kamikaze attacks of the war. The United States sustained over 49,000 casualties including more than 12,000 soldiers killed or missing. About 90,000 Japanese combatants died in the fighting, but deaths among Okinawan civilians may have reached 150,000. More

President Franklin D. Roosevelt Signs the Servicemen's Readjustment Act also known as the G.I. Bill.Within the following seven years, approximately eight million veterans received educational benefits. Under the act, approximately 2,300,000 attended colleges and universities, 3,500,000 received school training, and 3,400,000 received on-the-job training.  Expand +

The Japanese forces are defeated on Okinawa in World War II. Some sources consider June 22 to be the official date of the end of the battle when a flag-raising ceremony was held by the Tenth Army. While this marked the end of organized resistance, some Japanese soldiers continued to hide in caves and fight. The Japanese defense commander, Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, and his chief of staff committed suicide (hara-kiri) on June 22 rather than surrender. Victory at Okinawa cost more than 12,000 American lives. About 90,000 Japanese combatants died in the fighting, but deaths among Okinawan civilians may have reached 150,000. More