CHRONOLOGY OF WORLD WAR 2

1939

• 1 September - Germany invades Poland
• 3 September - Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declare war on Germany
• 10 September - Canada declares war on Germany
• 17 September - Soviet Union invades Eastern Poland
• 27 September - Surrender of Warsaw
• December - German warship Graf Spee was sunk. 

1940

• 12 March - Findland signs peace treaty with Soviet Union
• 9 April - Germany began occupation of Denmark and invades Norway.
• 10 May - Germany invades Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. 
• 10 May - British Prime Minister, Chamberlain resigns replaced by Sir Winston Churchill.
• 15 May -  Holland surrender to Germany
• 26 May - Evacuation of British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk.
• 27 May - Belgium surrender to Germany
• 10 June - Capitulation of Norway
• 10 June - Italy declares war on Britain and France
• 14 June - German Army enters Paris
• 18 June - Soviets invade Baltic states
• 22 June - Germany begins occupation of Channel Islands. 
• 10 July - Battle of Britain
• 11 July - Petain becomes head of French Vichy Government
• 3 August - Italy begins occupation of British Somaliland
• 13 September - Italy invades Egypt
• 27 September - Germany, Italy and Japan sign Tripartite Pact
• 7 October - German army moves into Romania
• 28 October - Italy invades Greece
• 11 November - Night air attack by British carrier planes on the Italian base at Taranto. 
• 14 November - Greek army repels Italians back into Albania.
• 22 November - Italian 9th Army defeated by Greeks.
• 11 December - British capture Sidi Barrani, Egypt from Italians.
• 17 December - British recapture Sollum, Egypt.

1941

• 5 January - Australians capture Bardia, Libya
• 22 January - British and Australians capture Tobruk.
• 6 February - British and Autralians capture Benghazi
• 25 February - British capture Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland
• March - half of Albania was under Greek control / Battle of Matapan : 3 Italian Heavy Cruisers were sunk while on retreat. 
• 1 March - Bulgaria joins Axis
• 25 March - Yugoslavia signs Tripartite Pact
• 30 March - German Afrika Korps begins offensive in North Africa
• 4 April - German capture Benghazi.
• 6 April - Germany invades Yugoslavia and Greece.
• 10 April - Germany takes Zagreb.
• 13 April - Soviets and Japanese sign neutrality pact.
• 17 April - Yugoslav army surrender to Germany
• 22 April - Germans capture Thessalonika.
• 27 April - Germans capture Athens.
• 28 April - Germans takes Sollum
• 15 May - British re-capture Sollum and Halfaya.
• 20 May - German airborne invasion of Crete.
• 24 May - German warship Bismarck sank British warship HMS Hood. 
• 31 May - British forces in Crete defeated.
• 8 June - Allied forces invade Syria
• 22 June - Operation Barbarossa - Germany invades Soviet Union. 
• 22 June - Italy and Rumania declare war on Soviets.
• 23 June - Hungary and Slovakia declare war on Soviets
• 26 June - Finland declares war on Soviets
• 28 June - German Army captures Minsk.
• 15 July - Germans capture Smolensk
• 16 August - Germans capture Novogrod
• 5 September - German Army occupies Estonia
• 15 September - Siege of Leningrad starts.
• 19 September - Kiev captures by Germans.
• 16 October - Soviet Union moves government to Kulbyshev.
• 24 October - Kharkov falls to Germans.
• November - British warship HMS Ark Royal was sunk by German U-Boat. 
• 3 November - Germans capture Kursk
• 25 November - Germans attack Moscow.
• 7 December - Japanese attack on US Fleet at Pearl Harbour
• 8 December - Malayan Campaign -Japanese troops landed at Kota Bharu, Kelantan (Malaya), beginning of Second world war at Southeast Asia and Pacific. Allies declares war on Japan. / Operation Krohcol - Allied forces to invade Thailand but was failed
• 9 December - the airfields at Sungai Petani, Butterworth and Alor Setar were in Japanese hands. 
• 10 December - the sinking of 2 British warships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse by the Japanese at the coast of Kuantan, Malaya
• 11 December - Germany declares war on USA / The fall of Jitra, Kedah (Malaya) to the Japanese troops.
• 16 December - Japanese troops evacuated Penang.  
• 17 December - The falls of Penang (Malaya) to the Japanese troops. 
• 25 December - Japan capture Hong Kong / British re-capture Benghazi.
• 26 December - Ipoh (Malaya) captured by the Japanese
• 30 December - Battle of Kampar (Malaya) - Japanese forces with British and Indian troops at Kampar, Perak, Malaya. 

1942

• 2 January - Japanese captures Manila
• Battle of Slim River - Allied forces defeated by the Japanese Troops on the west coast of Malaya. 
• 7 January - 2 Indian Brigade (British Army) were overrun by the Japanese troops at Slim River, Perak (Malaya). 
• 7 January - Battle of Bataan - battle fought by the U.S and Philippine against the Japanese at Luzon. 
• 11 January - British re-capture Sollum
• 11 January - Japanese takes Kuala Lumpur (Malaya)
• 13 January - Soviets recapture Kiev.
• 14 January - Battle of Muar / Battle of Gemas - the last major battle of Malayan Campaign by the Japanese forces. 
• 22 January - The first large massacre of Australian troops by Japanese at Parit Sulong, Johor (Malaya).
• Battle of Endau - first notable naval engagement at Malaya after the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse on 10 December 1941.
• 8 February - Battle of Singapore - Japanese invaded the British stronghold of Singapore. 
• 14 February - Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge at Singapore - Japanese troops advance to Opium Hill defended by the Royal Malay Regiment. / SS Vyner Brooke was sunk by the Japanese at Banka Island, Indonesia. 
• 15 February - The falls of Singapore to the Japanese, General Percival signed the surrender. 
• 18 February - The Sook Ching Massacre at Singapore, approximately 5,000 chinese were killed in the massacre by the Japanese soldiers. 
• 27 February - Battle of the Java Sea - Allied forces (Dutch, British, Australian and U.S Navy) was defeated. 
• 8 March - Japanese enter Rangoon / Japanese troops landed at Lae and Salamaua in New Guinea. 
• 9 April - Bataan Death March - forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of 60,000 to 80,000 American and Filipino POW from Bataan to San Fernando, Philippine. 
• 18 April - The Doolittle Raid -  USS Hornet launched  16 Army Airforce B-25 Bombers commanded Col. James Doolittle on Japanese capital Tokyo. 
• 4 May - Battle of the Coral Sea - major battle between Imperial Japanese Navy with naval and airforce of the Australian and U.S. 
• 6 May - British captures Madagascar / Surrender of all US forces at Phillipines.
• 8 May - U.S Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington exploded after being attack by Japanese air attack. 
• 28 May - Germans defeat Soviets at Kharkov. 
• 4 June - Battle of Midway - 4 Japanese carriers sunk 
• 7 June - USS Yorktown was sunk by the Japanese. 
• July - Gen. Horii Tamitaro South Sea Detachment began advanced toward Port Moresby. 
• 3 July - Sevastopol falls to Germans
• 7 August - Battle of Guadalcanal :  1st U.S Marine Division landed at Guadalcanal in the Pacific theater
• 17 August - The first air raid over western Europe by USAAF bomber force in Northern France. 
• 22 August - Brazil declares war on Germany and Italy.
• 24 August - Battle of Eastern Solomon - the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign between the US Navy and the IJN. 
• 12 September - German troops advanced toward Stalingrad.
• 23 October - Battle of El-Alamein
• 25 October - Battle of Santa Cruz -  the fourth carrier battle of the Pacific Campaign between the US Navy and the IJN. 
• 8 November - Operation Torch - Allies invade NW Africa
• 19 November - The Soviet attacked North of Stalingrad. 

1943

• 14 January - Casablanca Conference begins - President Roosevelt demands "Unconditional Surrender".
• 23 January - British 8th Army captures Tripoli.
• 31 January - German surrender at Stalingrad
• 8 February - Soviets re-capture Kursk.
• 14 February - Soviets re-capture Rostov.
• 16 February - Soviets re-capture Kharkov.
• 15 March - German Army re-takes Kharkov
• 12 May - Surrender of Axis forces in North Africa
• 5 July - Operation Citadel -  German offensive operation against Soviet forces in the Kursk, Russia (Battle of the Kursk)
• 10 July - Operation Husky - Allied landing in Sicily.
• 25 July - Mussolini's Italian Fascist government overthrown
• 26 July - Marshal Badoglio declares martial law in Italy.
• 23 August - Soviest re-capture Kharkov
• September - Operation Rimau - Allied operation succeeded in blowing up 7 Japanese ships in Singapore Harbour.
• 3 September - Italy signs armistice
• 10 September - Germans occupy Rome
• 23 September - Mussolini declares Fascist government in Northern Italy.
• 13 October - Official Italian Government declares war on Germany.
• 6 November - Soviets re-capture Kiev.
• 20 November - Battle of Tarawa - U.S. invasion of the Gilbert Island

1944

• 6 January - Soviets advance into Poland
• 22 January - Allied landing in Anzio
• 27 January - End of siege of Leningrad
• 31 Januari - U.S.troops began landings on Kwajalein, Roi-Nmur and Majuro. 
• 19 March - Hungary occupied by German Army
• 10 April - Soviets capture Odessa
• May - US warship USS England achieved the unmatched feat of sinking 6 Japanese submarines within a period of 12 days. 
• 9 May - Sevastopol falls to Soviets
• 4 June - Rome captured by Allies
• 6 June - Operation Overload - Allied invasion of Normandy (D-Day)
• 15 June - Battle of Saipan - U.S Marines defeated the Imperial Japanese Army at Saipan Island. 
• 19 June - Battle of the Philippine Sea -  US and Japanese fleet
• 27 June - US Army captures Cherbourg
• 3 July - Soviets re-capture Minsk
• 7 July - Japanese defeat on Saipan
• 9 July - Allies capture Caen
• 20 July - German assassination attempt on Hitler fails.
• 21 July - US landing on Guam
• 25 July - Operation Cobra - Allied breakout from Normandy
• 28 July - Soviets take Brest-Litovsk.
• 4 August - Allies liberate Florence
• 15 August - Operation Anvil - Allied landings in South of France.
• 25 August - Allies liberate Paris
• 28 August - Liberation of Marseilles / Toulon
• 30 August - Germans abandon Bulgaria
• 31 August - Soviets caputre Bucharest.
• 2 September - Pisa liberated
• 3 September - Antwerp / Brussels liberated
• 5 September - Soviest declares war on Bulgaria
• 12 September - Le Havre liberated
• 17 September - Operation Market Garden - failed airborne assault in Holland
• 22 September - Boulogne liberated
• 26 September - Estonia occupied by Soviets
• 28 September - Liberation of Calais
• 1 October - Soviets enter Yugoslavia
• 4 October - Allies land in Greece
• 14 October - Athens liberated
• 20 October - Liberation of Belgrade
• 21 October - Allies capture Aachen / the first Kamikaze attack off Leyte, Philippines, Australian cruiser HMAS Australia was badly damaged. 
• 23 October - Soviets enter East Prussia
• 23 October - Battle of Leyte Gulf - largest Naval battle near the Philippine island of Leyte.
• 4 November - Surrender of Axis forces in Greece.
• 24 November - French capture Strasbourg
• 16 December - Battle of Bulge - the last major German offensive campaign on the Western front. 
• 26 December - US troops hold Bastogne

1945

• 1 January - German withdraw from Ardennes
• 9 January - Gen. Douglas MacArthur send US 6th Army ashore in Lingayen Gulf. 
• 17 January - Soviets capture Warsaw
• 26 January - Japanese retreat to Chinese coast
• 26 January - Soviets liberate Auschwitz
• 28 January - 470 Allied prisoners marched from Sandakan to Ranau in Borneo, only 313 arrived at Ranau (Sandakan Death March)
• 4 February - Manila falls to Allies
• 19 February - Japanese evacuate Mandalay / US Marine Corps landing at Iwo Jima
• 1 April - US invades Okinawa
• 11 April - Soviets and Yugoslavia sign treaty
• 12 April - US President Roosevelt dies - Harry S.Truman becomes President.
• 13 April - Soviets capture Vienna
• 15 April - Allies capture Arnhem
• 23 April - Soviets enter Berlin
• 20 April - Nuremburg falls to Allies
• 28 April - Mussolini captured by Partisans and executed.
• 30 April - Hilter commits suicide
• 2 May - German forces in Italy surrender
• 4 May - German forces in Holland, Denmark and N W Germany surrender.
• 7 May - German unconditional surrender
• 8 May - VE Day declared
• 9 May - Soviets occupy Prague
• 29 May - the Second Sandakan Death March with 536 prisoners (Borneo)
• 9 June - the Final Sandakan Death March with 75 prisoners (Borneo)
• 10 June - Australians invades Borneo
• 22 June - US Forces capture Okinawa
• 7 July - 7 members of the Operation Rimau was beheaded by the Japanese at Kranji, Singapore. 
• 6 August - Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima
• 8 August - Soviets declare war on Japan
• 9 August - Atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki
• 14 August - Japan surrender
• 15 August - VJ Day declared
• 3 September - British forces landed at Penang
• 5 September - British forces land in Singapore
• 7 September - Japanese surrender at Shanghai
• 12 September - Admiral Lord Louis Mounbatten accepted the Japanese surrender at Singapore. 
• 13 September - Japanese surrender at Burma
• 16 September - Japanese surrender at Hong Kong