What is On This Day in Military History?

On This Day in Military History is a day-by-day calendar of the battles and turning points that shaped the world, from Antiquity to the present day. You can see what happened on the current date or browse the whole year.

Does On This Day cover every day of the year?

On This Day in Military History spans all twelve months, with entries across the year, and you can jump between months using the month tabs or open the highlight for today's date.

How do I read the full story of a battle featured in On This Day?

Featured battles in On This Day include a Read the story link that opens the full account in the Field Dispatch, told scene by scene. Other events link out to Wikipedia for background.

How many battles does Echoes of Battle cover?

Echoes of Battle covers 40 battles, each told scene by scene, and the ones featured in On This Day in Military History link straight through to their full story in the Field Dispatch.

On This Day in Military History

January

1JanLincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the USAWikipedia ›
2JanSurrender of Granada, end of the Reconquista, Moors leave IberiaWikipedia ›
3JanBattle of Princeton, Washington defeats the British in New JerseyWikipedia ›
5JanFailed assassination of Louis XV, Damiens tortured and executedWikipedia ›
8JanBattle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson defeats the BritishWikipedia ›
9JanGallipoli evacuation completed, defeat of the Dardanelles campaignRead the story ›
10JanTreaty of Versailles takes effect, formal end of WWIWikipedia ›
11JanMassacre during the retreat from Kabul, Britain loses an entire columnWikipedia ›
11JanJapanese capture Kuala Lumpur, Malaya falls swiftlyWikipedia ›
12JanBritish ultimatum to Cetshwayo, start of the Zulu WarWikipedia ›
12JanRed Army launches the Vistula-Oder OffensiveWikipedia ›
14JanBattle of Rivoli, Napoleon shatters the Austrian army in ItalyWikipedia ›
15JanMurder of Rosa Luxemburg, Berlin revolution crushedWikipedia ›
16JanHitler moves into the bunker beneath the Reich Chancellery in BerlinWikipedia ›
17JanOperation Desert Storm begins, coalition strikes IraqWikipedia ›
18JanGerman Empire proclaimed at Versailles after the Franco-Prussian WarWikipedia ›
19JanFirst Zeppelin raid on Britain, bombs fall on NorfolkWikipedia ›
20JanWannsee Conference, Nazis plan the HolocaustWikipedia ›
21JanExecution of Louis XVI, climax of the French RevolutionWikipedia ›
22JanBattle of Isandlwana, Zulus crush a British regimentWikipedia ›
22JanBloody Sunday in St. Petersburg, tsarist guards fire on workersWikipedia ›
23JanBattle of Rorke's Drift, 139 Britons hold off 4,000 ZulusWikipedia ›
23JanMontgomery's forces enter Tripoli, end of the Libyan campaignWikipedia ›
24JanCasablanca Conference, Allies demand Germany's unconditional surrenderWikipedia ›
26JanBritain introduces conscription, the Military Service ActWikipedia ›
27JanLiberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by the Red ArmyWikipedia ›
28JanBattle of the Bulge ends, last great defeat of the Third ReichWikipedia ›
29JanQueen Victoria institutes the Victoria Cross, highest decorationWikipedia ›
30JanAdolf Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany, seizure of powerWikipedia ›
31JanTet Offensive, Viet Cong's mass attack surprises the AmericansWikipedia ›

February

1FebBattle of Kwajalein, Allies attack the Japanese-held Marshall IslandsWikipedia ›
2FebPaulus's 6th Army surrenders at StalingradRead the story ›
3FebSinking of USAT Dorchester, German torpedoes down the troop transportWikipedia ›
4FebYalta Conference, the Big Three carve up the postwar worldWikipedia ›
5FebCrucifixion of 26 Christians in Nagasaki, persecution in JapanWikipedia ›
6FebTreaty of Paris ratified, the US takes the Philippines from SpainWikipedia ›
7FebJapan launches its Burma offensive, assault on RangoonWikipedia ›
8FebJapanese torpedo attack on Port Arthur, Russo-Japanese War eruptsWikipedia ›
9FebUnited States introduces fuel rationing, wartime mobilizationWikipedia ›
10FebMongols sack Baghdad, end of the Abbasid CaliphateWikipedia ›
11FebYalta communiqué, Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin reveal their decisionsWikipedia ›
12FebBattle of the Herrings, the English defend a supply convoy to OrléansWikipedia ›
13FebBombing of Dresden by Allied strategic air forcesWikipedia ›
14FebDeath of Captain James Cook in a clash with native HawaiiansWikipedia ›
15FebFall of Singapore, 80,000 British troops surrender to JapanWikipedia ›
16FebLithuania declares independence after Russian troops withdrawWikipedia ›
17FebSubmarine H.L. Hunley, first successful submarine attack in historyWikipedia ›
18FebArrest of the White Rose members, student resistance in GermanyWikipedia ›
19FebBattle of Iwo Jima begins, Marines land on the islandWikipedia ›
20FebBattle of Kasserine Pass, America's first major clash with the Afrika KorpsWikipedia ›
21FebBattle of Verdun begins, Germany attacks French positionsRead the story ›
22FebBattle of Buena Vista, Taylor defeats Santa Anna's Mexican armyWikipedia ›
23FebRaising the flag on Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo JimaWikipedia ›
24FebBattle of Los Angeles, a false air-raid alarm spreads panic in the cityWikipedia ›
25FebSamuel Colt patents the revolver, a revolution in infantry armsWikipedia ›
26FebCoalition liberates Kuwait, Iraqi army flees down the Highway of DeathWikipedia ›
27FebBattle of the Java Sea, Allied fleet destroyed by JapanWikipedia ›
28FebGulf War ceasefire, liberation of Kuwait completeWikipedia ›

March

1MarBattle of Adwa, Ethiopia defeats the Italians, defending its independenceWikipedia ›
2MarBattle of the Bismarck Sea, Allies sink Japanese convoysWikipedia ›
3MarTreaty of Brest-Litovsk, Soviet Russia exits WWIWikipedia ›
4MarEdward IV declares himself King of England after defeating the LancastriansWikipedia ›
5MarBoston Massacre, British soldiers fire into a crowd of colonistsWikipedia ›
6MarBattle of the Alamo, Mexican troops finish off the last defendersWikipedia ›
7MarCrossing at Remagen, Allies unexpectedly push into GermanyWikipedia ›
8MarJapan launches Operation U-Go, a jungle march toward IndiaWikipedia ›
9MarBombing of Tokyo, firestorm kills 80,000 in a single nightWikipedia ›
11MarMacArthur leaves the Philippines, "I shall return", evacuation to AustraliaWikipedia ›
12MarAnschluss of Austria, the Wehrmacht marches in without a shotWikipedia ›
12MarUSSR and Finland negotiate peace ending the Winter WarWikipedia ›
13MarFailed assassination of Hitler, a bomb on his plane fails to explodeWikipedia ›
14MarExecution of Admiral Byng, shot for insufficient aggressivenessWikipedia ›
15MarAssassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of MarchWikipedia ›
16MarMy Lai Massacre, U.S. soldiers murder Vietnamese civiliansWikipedia ›
17MarEvacuation of Boston, the British leave the city after the siegeWikipedia ›
18MarAllied fleet attacks the Dardanelles Strait and runs into minesWikipedia ›
19MarHitler issues the Nero Decree, destruction of the Reich's infrastructureWikipedia ›
20MarFounding of the Republican Party in the USA, before the Civil WarWikipedia ›
21MarOperation Michael, Germany's great spring offensive on the Western FrontWikipedia ›
22MarAllies cross the Rhine at Oppenheim, advancing deep into GermanyWikipedia ›
23MarPatrick Henry delivers "Give me liberty or give me death", VirginiaWikipedia ›
24MarThe Great Escape from Stalag Luft III, 76 prisoners break outWikipedia ›
25MarStart of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman EmpireWikipedia ›
26MarEnd of the Battle of Iwo Jima, the island taken at a cost of 26,000 casualtiesWikipedia ›
27MarBattle of Horseshoe Bend, Jackson crushes the Creek warriorsWikipedia ›
28MarCommando raid on Saint-Nazaire, destruction of the Normandie dockWikipedia ›
29MarBattle of Towton, the bloodiest battle in English historyWikipedia ›
30MarTreaty of Paris ends the Crimean War, a new order in EuropeWikipedia ›
31MarJapan opens its ports after the arrival of Commodore Perry's squadronWikipedia ›

April

1AprBattle of Okinawa, Americans land on the last stronghold before JapanWikipedia ›
2AprArgentina seizes the Falklands, start of the ten-week warWikipedia ›
3AprTruman signs the Marshall Plan, rebuilding Europe after WWIIWikipedia ›
4AprNATO treaty signed, the Western defensive allianceWikipedia ›
5AprBattle of the Ice, Alexander Nevsky crushes the Teutonic KnightsWikipedia ›
6AprUSA declares war on Germany, America enters WWIWikipedia ›
7AprSinking of the battleship Yamato, the world's largest warshipWikipedia ›
9AprLee surrenders at Appomattox, end of the American Civil WarWikipedia ›
9AprFall of Bataan, 75,000 Allied prisoners fall into Japanese handsWikipedia ›
11AprLiberation of Buchenwald camp by US Army soldiersWikipedia ›
12AprFirst shot of the Civil War, attack on Fort SumterRead the story ›
13AprGermany announces discovery of the Katyn mass gravesWikipedia ›
14AprAssassination of President Lincoln, fatally shot at Ford's TheatreWikipedia ›
15AprBattle of Formigny, France retakes Normandy in the closing years of the Hundred Years' WarWikipedia ›
16AprRed Army launches the assault on BerlinRead the story ›
17AprBay of Pigs Invasion, anti-Castro forces defeated in CubaWikipedia ›
18AprDoolittle Raid, first American air raid on TokyoWikipedia ›
19AprFirst shots of the American Revolution at Lexington and ConcordWikipedia ›
20AprSoviet artillery begins shelling the center of BerlinRead the story ›
21AprBattle of San Jacinto, Sam Houston defeats the Mexican armyWikipedia ›
22AprGermany uses poison gas at Ypres, first use of chemical weaponsWikipedia ›
23AprBattle of Clontarf, Brian Boru's Irish defeat the VikingsWikipedia ›
24AprEaster Rising in Dublin, the Irish fight the BritishWikipedia ›
25AprAllies land at Gallipoli, start of the Dardanelles campaignRead the story ›
26AprBombing of Guernica by Nazi and Fascist air forcesWikipedia ›
27AprGermans enter Athens, completing the conquest of GreeceWikipedia ›
28AprMussolini executed by Italian partisansWikipedia ›
29AprLiberation of Dachau camp, Americans open the first camps in GermanyWikipedia ›
30AprHitler's suicide in the bunker beneath BerlinWikipedia ›

May

1MayGoebbels announces Hitler's death, Radio Hamburg broadcasts the newsWikipedia ›
2MayBerlin capitulates, the Soviets capture the Reich's capitalRead the story ›
2MayWehrmacht surrenders on the Italian front, end of fighting in ItalyWikipedia ›
4MayNapoleon reaches Elba to begin his first exileWikipedia ›
5MayMauthausen camp liberated by soldiers of the U.S. 11th Armored DivisionWikipedia ›
6MaySack of Rome, imperial landsknechts plunder and slaughter in the Eternal CityWikipedia ›
7MaySinking of the Lusitania by a U-boat, 1,198 dead, a diplomatic crisisWikipedia ›
8MayVictory in Europe Day (V-E Day), Germany surrendersWikipedia ›
10MayGermany attacks France and the Benelux, Operation Fall GelbWikipedia ›
11MayAllies land on Attu, retaking the Aleutians from JapanWikipedia ›
12MayEnd of the Berlin Blockade, the USSR fails to push the Allies out of the cityWikipedia ›
13MayUSA declares war on Mexico, conflict over Texas eruptsWikipedia ›
14MayIsrael proclaims independence, neighboring Arab states attack at onceWikipedia ›
15MayThe Netherlands capitulates to Germany, Blitzkrieg crushes the defenseWikipedia ›
16MayOperation Chastise, RAF blows up the Ruhr Valley damsWikipedia ›
18MayFall of Monte Cassino, the Poles capture the fortified hillWikipedia ›
19MayBattle of Rocroi, Condé destroys the Spanish terciosRead the story ›
20MayGuderian's panzers reach the Channel, the Allied front is cut in twoWikipedia ›
21MayBattle of Aspern-Essling, Austria stops Napoleon for the first timeWikipedia ›
22MayFirst Battle of St Albans, start of the Wars of the RosesWikipedia ›
23MayBattle of Heiligerlee, start of the Dutch Eighty Years' WarWikipedia ›
24MayHitler issues the mysterious "halt" order, Dunkirk is savedWikipedia ›
26MayStart of the Dunkirk evacuation, Operation DynamoWikipedia ›
27MaySinking of the battleship Bismarck, the Royal Navy destroys the soul of the KriegsmarineWikipedia ›
28MayBelgium capitulates, the Belgian army lays down arms after 18 daysWikipedia ›
29MayFall of Constantinople, the Turks capture the Byzantine capitalWikipedia ›
30MayJoan of Arc is burned at the stake in RouenWikipedia ›
31MayBattle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of WWI; Germany fails to break the blockadeWikipedia ›

June

1JunGlorious First of June, British fleet defeats the French in the AtlanticWikipedia ›
3JunBattle of Cold Harbor, Grant assaults the trenches; 7,000 casualties in 20 minutesWikipedia ›
4JunBattle of Midway, US Navy aircraft destroy 4 Japanese carriersRead the story ›
4JunDunkirk evacuation ends, 338,000 soldiers rescuedWikipedia ›
5JunIsrael attacks Egypt, Jordan and Syria, the Six-Day War beginsWikipedia ›
6JunD-Day, Allied landings in NormandyRead the story ›
8JunVikings raid Lindisfarne monastery, the Viking Age beginsWikipedia ›
10JunItaly enters WWII on Germany's side, Mussolini declares warWikipedia ›
10JunNorway capitulates to Germany, Scandinavian resistance brokenWikipedia ›
10JunSix-Day War ends, Israel triples its territoryWikipedia ›
12JunJeb Stuart launches his cavalry ride around McClellan's army, 100 miles in 3 daysWikipedia ›
13JunGermany launches the first V-1 missiles at LondonWikipedia ›
14JunBattle of Marengo, Napoleon turns the tide of the Italian campaignWikipedia ›
15JunMagna Carta signed, limiting royal power in EnglandWikipedia ›
16JunBattle of Ligny, Napoleon's last victory before WaterlooRead the story ›
16JunFrance asks for an armistice, defeated in 6 weeksWikipedia ›
17JunBattle of Bunker Hill, colonists put up bloody resistance to the BritishWikipedia ›
18JunBattle of Waterloo, Napoleon's final defeatRead the story ›
19JunCSS Alabama vs. USS Kearsarge, the famous warship duelWikipedia ›
20JunBattle of the Catalaunian Plains, Aetius halts Attila's HunsWikipedia ›
21JunGermany captures Tobruk, Rommel at the peak of his African careerWikipedia ›
22JunOperation Barbarossa, Germany invades the USSRWikipedia ›
23JunBattle of Bannockburn, Robert the Bruce defends Scotland against EnglandWikipedia ›
24JunBattle of Sluys, the English destroy France's fleet, gaining naval dominanceWikipedia ›
25JunBattle of the Little Bighorn, Native Americans wipe out Custer's 7th CavalryWikipedia ›
26JunFirst US Army troops land in FranceWikipedia ›
27JunUSA decides to intervene in Korea, Truman sends in troopsWikipedia ›
28JunSarajevo assassination, the killing of Archduke Franz FerdinandWikipedia ›
30JunNight of the Long Knives, Hitler eliminates rivals and seizes total powerWikipedia ›

July

1JulFirst day of the Battle of the Somme, 57,000 British casualtiesRead the story ›
2JulSecond day at Gettysburg, assaults on the Wheat Field and Devil's DenRead the story ›
2JulBattle of Marston Moor, Parliamentarians crush the Royalist forcesWikipedia ›
3JulPickett's Charge at Gettysburg, the battle's turning pointRead the story ›
4JulBattle of Klushino, Hetman Żółkiewski defeats Russian and Swedish forcesWikipedia ›
5JulBattle of Kursk begins, the largest tank battle in historyRead the story ›
6JulMacArthur declares the complete liberation of the PhilippinesWikipedia ›
7JulMarco Polo Bridge Incident, start of the full-scale Japanese-Chinese warWikipedia ›
8JulBattle of Poltava, Peter the Great crushes Charles XII of Sweden's armyRead the story ›
9JulBattle of Sempach, Swiss infantry defeat the Habsburg knightsWikipedia ›
9JulBraddock's defeat, French and Indian forces destroy a British columnWikipedia ›
10JulBattle of Britain begins, the first Luftwaffe air raidsRead the story ›
11JulBattle of the Golden Spurs, Flemish infantry beat French knightsWikipedia ›
12JulBattle of Prokhorovka, a colossal tank clash near KurskWikipedia ›
13JulNew York City draft riots, protest against the Civil WarWikipedia ›
14JulBattle of Vítkov Hill, Jan Žižka's Hussites smash the crusadeWikipedia ›
14JulStorming of the Bastille, outbreak of the French RevolutionWikipedia ›
15JulBattle of Grunwald, Polish-Lithuanian victory over the Teutonic KnightsRead the story ›
15JulNapoleon's soldiers discover the Rosetta Stone in EgyptWikipedia ›
16JulFirst atomic bomb test, 'Trinity', New MexicoWikipedia ›
17JulExecution of Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanov family in YekaterinburgWikipedia ›
18JulSpanish Civil War erupts, Franco launches the military revoltWikipedia ›
20JulPlot to kill Hitler, Stauffenberg detonates a bomb at HQWikipedia ›
21JulBattle of Shrewsbury, Henry IV defeats the rebel PercysWikipedia ›
22JulAllies take Palermo, the Sicily campaign gains momentumWikipedia ›
23JulSoviets liberate Majdanek, the first major death camp discoveredWikipedia ›
25JulMussolini overthrown, the Grand Council of Fascism strips his powerWikipedia ›
26JulPotsdam Declaration, Allies demand Japan's unconditional surrenderWikipedia ›
27JulEnd of the Korean War, armistice signed at PanmunjomWikipedia ›
28JulAustria-Hungary declares war on Serbia, official outbreak of WWIWikipedia ›
29JulBattle of Gravelines, Drake shatters the Spanish ArmadaWikipedia ›
30JulFirst Defenestration of Prague, Hussites throw councillors from a windowWikipedia ›
31JulThird Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele), Allies attack through the mudRead the story ›

August

1AugGermany declares war on Russia, WWI engulfs the great powersWikipedia ›
2AugBattle of Cannae, Hannibal annihilates the Roman armyRead the story ›
3AugGermany declares war on France, the Schlieffen Plan in motionWikipedia ›
4AugBritain declares war on Germany, WWI engulfs the empiresWikipedia ›
5AugBattle of Mobile Bay, Admiral Farragut seizes the South's last portWikipedia ›
6AugAtomic bomb dropped on HiroshimaWikipedia ›
7AugLanding on Guadalcanal, first US ground offensive in the PacificWikipedia ›
8AugThe Black Day of the German Army, Allied counteroffensive at AmiensWikipedia ›
9AugAtomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan decides to surrenderWikipedia ›
10AugStorming of the Tuileries, Paris mob topples the monarchy of Louis XVIWikipedia ›
11AugMalta convoy, HMS Eagle and other ships lost defending MaltaWikipedia ›
12AugArmistice in the Spanish-American War, end of the colonial eraWikipedia ›
13AugBattle of Blenheim, Marlborough and Eugene crush France and BavariaWikipedia ›
14AugJapan announces unconditional surrender, end of WWIIWikipedia ›
15AugSurrender of Japan, end of the Second World WarWikipedia ›
16AugBattle of Camden, Cornwallis destroys Gates's army in the CarolinasWikipedia ›
17AugEnd of the Sicilian campaign, Germans evacuate to ItalyWikipedia ›
19AugBattle of Thermopylae, Leonidas defends the passRead the story ›
20AugChurchill on RAF pilots: "Never was so much owed by so many to so few"Wikipedia ›
21AugQuantrill's raid on Lawrence, Confederate massacre of civiliansWikipedia ›
22AugCharles I raises the Royal Standard, official start of the English Civil WarWikipedia ›
23AugBattle of Stalingrad begins, the bombing of the cityRead the story ›
24AugSack of Rome by Alaric's Visigoths, a shock to civilizationWikipedia ›
25AugLiberation of Paris, de Gaulle marches triumphant down the Champs-ÉlyséesWikipedia ›
26AugBattle of Crécy, English archers shatter France's knighthoodRead the story ›
27AugBattle of Long Island, Howe destroys Washington's armyWikipedia ›
28AugBattle of Heligoland Bight, the Royal Navy destroys German shipsWikipedia ›
29AugBattle of Mohacs, the Turks destroy the Kingdom of HungaryWikipedia ›
30AugFort Mims massacre, Red Stick Creeks destroy the Alabama settlementWikipedia ›
31AugBattle of Jonesborough, Sherman cuts Atlanta's railroad linesWikipedia ›

September

1SepOutbreak of WWII, Germany invades PolandWikipedia ›
1SepBattle of Chiari, Eugene of Savoy defeats France in ItalyWikipedia ›
2SepFormal Japanese surrender aboard USS Missouri, end of WWIIWikipedia ›
2SepRichard the Lionheart and Saladin sign the peace ending the Third CrusadeWikipedia ›
3SepBritain and France declare war on GermanyWikipedia ›
4SepLee enters Maryland, the South's offensive into the NorthWikipedia ›
5SepFirst Battle of the Marne begins, the defense of ParisRead the story ›
6SepBattle of the Frigidus, Theodosius defeats the usurper EugeniusWikipedia ›
7SepBattle of Borodino, the bloodiest day of the Russian campaignRead the story ›
8SepBattle of Kulikovo, Russia defeats the Mongols of the Golden HordeWikipedia ›
9SepBattle of Flodden, the English destroy the Scottish army; James IV is killedWikipedia ›
10SepBattle of Lake Erie, Perry defeats the British in the War of 1812Wikipedia ›
11SepBattle of Brandywine, Howe defeats Washington, opening the road to PhiladelphiaWikipedia ›
12SepBattle of Marathon, the Athenians defeat the PersiansRead the story ›
12SepBattle of Vienna, the charge of Sobieski's hussarsRead the story ›
13SepBattle of the Plains of Abraham, Wolfe defeats France, winning Canada for EnglandWikipedia ›
14SepNapoleon's army enters Moscow, the city burned by the RussiansWikipedia ›
15SepFirst use of tanks in history, Battle of the SommeRead the story ›
16SepStreet fighting in Stalingrad, defense of the tractor factoryRead the story ›
17SepSoviet invasion of Poland, enacting the Ribbentrop-Molotov PactWikipedia ›
18SepMukden Incident, Japan attacks Manchuria as a pretext for conquestWikipedia ›
19SepFirst Battle of Saratoga, the colonists halt BurgoyneWikipedia ›
20SepSaladin besieges Jerusalem, the end of the Kingdom of JerusalemWikipedia ›
21SepBattle of Prestonpans, Bonnie Prince Charlie defeats the English armyWikipedia ›
22SepIraq attacks Iran, start of the longest conventional war of the 20th centuryWikipedia ›
23SepBattle of USS Bonhomme Richard, Jones defeats HMS SerapisWikipedia ›
25SepBattle of Stamford Bridge, Harald Hardrada defeated by Harold IIWikipedia ›
25SepOperation Market Garden ends, defeat at ArnhemRead the story ›
26SepLast great Allied offensive on the Western Front, the Hundred DaysWikipedia ›
27SepWarsaw capitulates after 27 days of heroic defenseWikipedia ›
28SepJames I of Aragon captures Valencia, the Reconquista advancesWikipedia ›
29SepThe U.S. Congress establishes the United States ArmyWikipedia ›
30SepRichard II abdicates, the end of the Plantagenet dynastyWikipedia ›

October

1OctBattle of Gaugamela, Alexander the Great decisively shatters PersiaRead the story ›
2OctSaladin enters Jerusalem, Crusaders surrender the Holy CityWikipedia ›
3OctBattle of Mogadishu, 'Black Hawk Down', US Army fights Somali militiaWikipedia ›
4OctBattle of Germantown, Washington attacks Howe's camp, valor despite defeatWikipedia ›
5OctBattle of the Thames, Tecumseh dies, Native coalition collapsesWikipedia ›
6OctEgypt and Syria attack Israel, outbreak of the Yom Kippur WarWikipedia ›
7OctBattle of Lepanto, the Holy League smashes the Ottoman fleetRead the story ›
8OctSergeant Alvin York captures 132 prisoners, a heroic WWI featWikipedia ›
9OctDeath of Che Guevara, captured and executed by the Bolivian armyWikipedia ›
10OctBattle of Tours, Charles Martel halts the Arab conquest of EuropeRead the story ›
11OctOutbreak of the Boer War, the Boers attack British coloniesWikipedia ›
12OctAllies enter Athens, liberation of Greece from occupationWikipedia ›
13OctArrest of the Templars in France, Philip IV destroys the orderWikipedia ›
14OctBattle of Hastings, William the Conqueror subdues EnglandRead the story ›
16OctExecution of Nazi war criminals at NurembergWikipedia ›
17OctBurgoyne's surrender at Saratoga, turning point of the revolutionRead the story ›
18OctBattle of Leipzig, the 'Battle of Nations', the largest battle in Europe before WWIRead the story ›
19OctStart of the First Battle of YpresRead the story ›
20OctMacArthur lands in the Philippines, 'I have returned'Wikipedia ›
21OctBattle of Trafalgar, Nelson smashes the Franco-Spanish fleetRead the story ›
22OctKennedy announces the blockade of Cuba, missile crisis threatens nuclear warWikipedia ›
23OctBattle of El Alamein, Montgomery's 900 guns open fireRead the story ›
24OctPeace of Westphalia, end of the Thirty Years' War, a new order in EuropeWikipedia ›
25OctBattle of Agincourt, Henry V's archers destroy the French cavalryRead the story ›
25OctUSS St. Lo sunk by kamikaze, first such attack on a warshipWikipedia ›
26OctBattle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle in historyWikipedia ›
28OctCzechoslovakia proclaims independence, the breakup of Austria-HungaryWikipedia ›
30OctThe Ottoman Empire signs an armistice with the AlliesWikipedia ›
31OctGermany torpedoes USS Reuben James, first US losses before Pearl HarborWikipedia ›

November

1NovAlgerian Revolution erupts, the FLN begins its fight against FranceWikipedia ›
2NovBalfour Declaration, Britain backs the creation of IsraelWikipedia ›
4NovAustria-Hungary signs an armistice, the empire collapsesWikipedia ›
5NovGunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes arrested beneath ParliamentWikipedia ›
6NovV-2 rockets pound London regularly, the Reich's technological terrorWikipedia ›
7NovOctober Revolution, the Bolsheviks seize power in RussiaWikipedia ›
8NovBeer Hall Putsch, Hitler tries to topple Bavaria's government, arrestedWikipedia ›
9NovFall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold WarWikipedia ›
10NovUS Marine Corps founded, the Marines are officially establishedWikipedia ›
11NovArmistice signed, the end of World War IWikipedia ›
11NovBattle of Taranto, FAA torpedo bombers cripple Italy's fleet in portWikipedia ›
12NovSinking of the Tirpitz, the RAF blows up Germany's last great warshipWikipedia ›
14NovCoventry Blitz, the Luftwaffe destroys the city and its cathedralWikipedia ›
15NovSherman sets out from Atlanta, the "March to the Sea" across the SouthWikipedia ›
16NovPizarro captures Inca ruler Atahualpa, the conquest of PeruWikipedia ›
17NovBattle of Hürtgen Forest, a bloody, drawn-out Allied campaign in GermanyWikipedia ›
18NovEnd of the Battle of the Somme, a million casualties, the front moved 10 kmRead the story ›
19NovOperation Uranus, Soviet counterattack encircles the 6th Army at StalingradRead the story ›
20NovNuremberg trials begin, the Nazis face the tribunalWikipedia ›
20NovLanding on Tarawa, the bloodiest 76 hours in US Marine Corps historyWikipedia ›
21NovBloody Sunday in Dublin, the IRA and Black and Tans spread terrorWikipedia ›
22NovEnd of the First Battle of Ypres, the front froze for 4 yearsRead the story ›
23NovBattle of Chattanooga, Grant breaks the Confederate siegeWikipedia ›
25NovBattle of Montgisard, the leper Baldwin IV defeats SaladinWikipedia ›
26NovCrossing of the Berezina, remnants of the Grande Armée flee RussiaWikipedia ›
26NovJapan's fleet sails for Pearl Harbor, the decision is madeWikipedia ›
27NovBattle of Chosin Reservoir, US Marines encircled in KoreaWikipedia ›
28NovTehran Conference, the Big Three plan Operation OverlordWikipedia ›
29NovSand Creek Massacre, US cavalry murders the CheyenneWikipedia ›
30NovUSSR attacks Finland, the start of the Winter WarWikipedia ›

December

2DecBattle of Austerlitz, Napoleon's tactical masterpieceRead the story ›
3DecUSS Alfred raises the first U.S. flag aboard a warshipWikipedia ›
5DecUSSR counterattacks at Moscow, the Germans retreat for the first timeWikipedia ›
6DecHalifax Explosion, collision with a munitions ship kills 2,000Wikipedia ›
7DecAttack on Pearl Harbor, Japan drags the U.S. into WWIIRead the story ›
8DecU.S. and Britain declare war on Japan, after Pearl HarborWikipedia ›
8DecBattle of the Falklands, the Royal Navy destroys Admiral von Spee's squadronWikipedia ›
8DecThe remnants of the Grande Armée reach Vilnius during the retreat from RussiaWikipedia ›
9DecAllenby takes Jerusalem, the Turks hand the Holy City to the BritishWikipedia ›
10DecJapan sinks HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse, end of battleship dominanceWikipedia ›
11DecGermany and Italy declare war on the United StatesWikipedia ›
13DecNanjing Massacre, the Japanese murder hundreds of thousands of Chinese civiliansWikipedia ›
13DecBattle of the River Plate, HMS Exeter and Ajax vs. Admiral Graf SpeeWikipedia ›
14DecDeath of George Washington, founding father and general of the revolutionWikipedia ›
15DecGlenn Miller vanishes over the Channel, military bandleader on his last flightWikipedia ›
15DecBattle of Nashville, the Union destroys the last Confederate armyWikipedia ›
16DecStart of the Ardennes Offensive, Germany's last great offensiveRead the story ›
17DecMalmedy Massacre, the SS shoots 84 American POWsWikipedia ›
18DecEnd of the Battle of Verdun, 303 days of fighting, 700,000 casualtiesRead the story ›
19DecWashington leads his army to Valley Forge, a harsh winter of enduranceWikipedia ›
21DecSherman captures Savannah, the end of the March to the SeaWikipedia ›
22DecGeneral McAuliffe replies "Nuts!", Bastogne will not surrenderWikipedia ›
24DecTreaty of Ghent ends the War of 1812, the U.S. and Britain reconcileWikipedia ›
25DecChristmas truce on the Western Front, soldiers play footballWikipedia ›
26DecWashington crosses the Delaware and attacks at TrentonWikipedia ›
26DecBattleship Scharnhorst sunk, the Royal Navy eliminates the Reich's last capital shipWikipedia ›
26DecPatton's Third Army relieves Bastogne, turning point of the ArdennesWikipedia ›
27DecUSSR invades Afghanistan, the start of a 10-year grinding warWikipedia ›
29DecWounded Knee Massacre, the end of the era of Indian wars in the U.S.Wikipedia ›
31DecBattle of Stones River, a bloody, inconclusive battle in TennesseeWikipedia ›