Browse Historical Events by Month:
Battles, deaths, and monumental religious moments. Explore significant events from September that helped shape the world. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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World War II effectively begins with Hitlers Germany's invasion of Poland. The German army blitzkrieg tactics quickly overpower the Polish forces. Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later on September 3.
in accordance with their earlier commitments to Poland.The Soviets entered into a pact with Germany and the Red Army occupies eastern Poland on September 17.
France and the United Kingdom declare war on Germany, two days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland, marking the start of WWII
The Soviet Union invades Poland which was already in a state of war with Nazi Germany and occupies the Eastern part of Poland. At the end of September the division of Poland was confirmed by German–Soviet Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Demarcation.
The treaty included a correction of the borders first drawn in the secret clause of the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. It was the beginning of a 2-year long occupation of Central Europe by two totalitarian regimes. More
The Blitz begins as German Luftwaffe planes bomb London, marking the start of a sustained aerial bombing campaign during World War II on British towns and cities which went on until May 1941. More
Lascaux cave paintings of animals are accidentally discovered by four boys examining a fox hole down which their dog had fallen on the hill of Lascaux, France.
The boys, in awe of what they had found, told their teacher, after which the process towards excavating the cave was set in motion. By 1948 the cave was ready to be opened to the public.Lascaux is located in the Dordogne region of southwestern France, near the town of Montignac. It is a cave complex renowned for its Palaeolithic art, featuring well-preserved paintings of animals that are estimated to be up to 20,000 years old. The original cave is now closed to the public for preservation, but you can visit replicas like Lascaux IV to experience the art. More
Italy invades Egypt from their colony in Libya. Having limited success, Hitler realized that Germany would have to support the Italians and on 11 February 1941 Major-General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps landed at Tripoli. More
The United States instituted the the first peacetime draft in United States' history. with the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft. Those who were selected from the draft lottery were required to serve at least one year in the armed forces.
Once the U.S. entered WWII, draft terms extended through the duration of the fighting. By the end of the war in 1945, 50 million men between eighteen and forty-five had registered for the draft and 10 million had been inducted in the military. More
Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact, forming the Axis Powers alliance one year after the start of World War II. It created a defense alliance between the countries and was in part intended to deter the United States from entering the conflict. More
The Siege of Leningrad begins as German forces surround the city, leading to a brutal and prolonged siege that lasted for nearly 900 days. More
Japan drops incendiary bombs near Brookings, Oregon. Nobuo Fujita was the only Japanese pilot to bomb the U.S. mainland during WWII. A total of four bombs were dropped over two occasions with the intent of starting forest fires; however, due to damp conditions, little damage occurred. In 1962, the Brookings Jaycees invited Fujita to Brookings as an occasion of historical significance.
During the visit, Fujita donated his Samurai sword, which had flown with him in the cockpit, to the City of Brookings as a gesture of international peace and goodwill. Fifty years after the bombing, Fujita returned to the forest he once bombed and planted a little redwood tree, which he called a "symbol of friendship and peace." More
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The RMS Laconia was sunk by the U-156 German Submarine. The ship was carrying 268 British soldiers and 80 civilians, and 1,800 Italian prisoners of war who were being guarded by 160 Polish soldiers. Some 1,500 of Laconia’s passengers survived. primarily due to the efforts of the U-156 and three other German submarines which participated in the initial rescue operations. More
The first Superfortress XB-29 prototype takes-off from Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington. The powerful Wright R-3350 engines experienced chronic overheating issues during testing, leading to the crash of the second prototype just north of Boeing Field on February 18, 1943. The first war debut took place in June 5, 1944, as part of the Allied campaign to liberate Burma from Japanese hands. More
Montgomery’s 8th Army crosses the Strait of Messina from Sicily and lands at Calabria, beginning the invasion of the Italian mainland.
Italy secretly signs an armistice with the Allies, effectively surrendering in World War II and leading to the collapse of Fascist rule in Italy. No public announcement was made until five days later.
The Italian Instrument of Surrender was signed by Major-General Walter Bedell Smith for the Allies and Brigade-General Giuseppe Castellano for Italy, the armistice's signing took place at a summit in an Allied military camp at Cassibile, Sicily. More
Gen. Dwight Eisenhower publicly announces the surrender of Italy to the Allies which had been signed in secret on September 3. Germany reacted with Operation Axis, the Allies with Operation Avalanche.
The Allied Fifth Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Mark W. Clark, USA, lands on Salerno, Italy, transported by the Western Naval Task Force, TF 80, commanded by Vice Admiral H. Kent Hewitt, USN.
Operation Stalemate II; The Battle of Peleliu. Three days after the Island underwent a heavy naval and air bombardment by the US Third Fleet forces, the 1st Marine Division lands on “White” and “Orange” beaches on the western side of the Island of Peleliu, a small island and one of the 16 states within the island nation of Palau.
Once ashore, the landing forces quickly realized that the pre-invasion bombardment had not been particularly effective. The cost of taking the island, was high. On Peleliu, Marine casualties were 1,336 killed and 5,450 wounded while the 81st Infantry Division suffered 1,393 casualties including 208 killed in action. On Angaur, the 81st Infantry Division had 1,676 casualties, including 196 killed in action. The Japanese lost an estimated 10,695 men, with an additional 301 taken as prisoners of war. More
Operation Market Garden, a major Allied airborne operation, commences in the Netherlands with the goal of securing key bridges and opening a path into Germany. The operation ultimately falls short of its objectives.
Japan formally surrenders aboard the USS Missouri, marking the end of World War II and bringing about the official cessation of hostilities in the Pacific theater. More
Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese Communist leader, declares Vietnam independence from France on the same day Japan surrenders to the Allies.
In a deliberate appeal for American support, he opened his speech with the words: “All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The U.S did not support the Vietnamese struggle and instead adopted a neutral policy when on the same year, France went to war to recolonize Vietnam and in 1950, President Harry S. Truman authorized financial and military assistance to the French. Al these actions led to the eventual U.S military involvement. Vietnam's official estimate of war dead is as many as 2 million civilians on both sides and some 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. There were 58,220 U.S. military fatal casualties of the Vietnam War. More
