Timeline for WWII
This timeline shows the two major theaters of World War II: the war with Germany and Italy and the war with Japan. WWII began when Germany attacked Poland on September 1, 1939. The United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.
Just as in World War I, the United States didn't enter the war until it was well underway in Europe. The U.S. declared war on Japan after the Pearl Harbor attack, which caused Germany to declare war on the U.S. The U.S. then declared war on Germany and Italy.
Here's a rough timeline of the major theaters of war:
Timeline for War with Japan
This timeline shows major events in the Aleutian Island conflict (highlighted in light blue) in juxtaposition with other major events of WWII.
| 1940 | |
| Sep 27 | Tripartite Pact–Germany, Italy, and Japan |
| 1941 | |
| Apr 13 | Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact |
| Dec 7 | Pearl Harbor Bombed |
| 1942 | |
| Apr 18 | Doolittle Raid on Tokyo |
| May 4-8 | Battle of the Coral Sea |
| Jun 3-4 | Dutch Harbor attack |
| Jun 4-7 | Midway attack |
| Jun 7 | Japanese occupy Kiska and Attu |
| Aug 7 | Navy force bombards Kiska |
| Aug 30 | U.S. forces land on Adak |
| Sep 16 | Japanese forces evacuate Attu |
| Oct 30 | Japanese land second invasion force at Attu |
| 1943 | |
| Jan 12 | U.S. forces land on Amchitka |
| Mar 26 | Battle of the Komandorski Islands |
| Apr 18 | Admiral Yamamoto shot down |
| Apr 26 | Task force bombards Japanese installations at Attu |
| May 11 | U.S. Army troops land on Attu |
| May 30 | Japanese resistance ends on Attu |
| Jul 6 | Task force bombards Kiska |
| Jul 22 | Naval task force bombards Kiska |
| Jul 28 | Japanese complete evacuation of Kiska (undetected) |
| Aug 15 | U.S. troops lands on Kiska–discover no enemy–Aleutian war is won |
| Nov 25 | Cairo Declaration |
| Nov 28 | Tehran Conference |
| 1944 | |
| Apr 19 | Operation Ichi-Go |
| Jun 6 | D-Day Normandy |
| Aug 25 | Paris is liberated |
| 1945 | |
| Feb 4-11 | Yalta Conference |
| Apr 12 | FDR Dies |
| Apr 30 | Hitler commits suicide |
| May 7 | Germany surrenders |
| May 8 | VE Day |
| Jul 26 | Potsdam Declaration |
| Aug 6 | Atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima |
| Aug 9 | Atomic bomb is dropped on Nagasaki |
| Aug 9 | Stalin declares war on Japan |
| Aug 14 | Japan surrenders |
| Aug 15 | VJ Day |
| Aug 17 | General Order No. 1 |
| 1951 | |
| Sep 8 | Treaty of San Francisco |