On the evening of 3 February 1945 troopers of the US 1st Cavalry Division drove into Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and reached Santo Tomas University, where the Japanese held about 4,000 Allied civilians. It was the start of the Battle of Manila, a month of street fighting that killed an estimated 100,000 Filipino civilians.
Battle of Manila, 1945: the month that destroyed a capital
3 February 1945 · 81 years ago
US and Filipino forces fought Japanese troops for Manila, the Philippine capital, in a month of street fighting in World War II. The battle ended the Japanese occupation but left the city in ruins, with a huge civilian toll, many killed in Japanese massacres.
Read the full story of Battle of Manila, 1945: the month that destroyed a capital ›Battle of Diu, 1509: the sea fight that gave Portugal the Indian Ocean
3 February 1509 · 517 years ago
A Portuguese fleet attacked the allied fleets of Gujarat, Mamluk Egypt and Calicut in the harbor of Diu, on India's west coast. The Portuguese victory paved the way for their control of Indian Ocean trade and their dominance there for over a century.
Read the full story of Battle of Diu, 1509: the sea fight that gave Portugal the Indian Ocean ›
