World War II
1939-1945 AD
📂 WAR
📖 About This Event
World War II (1939-1945) was the deadliest conflict in human history, with an estimated 70-85 million deaths. It began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and ended with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The war encompassed the Holocaust—the systematic murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime—as well as the genocide of Romani people, disabled persons, political dissidents, and millions of Soviet prisoners of war.
Pope Pius XII (Eugenio Pacelli) reigned during the war and has been the subject of intense debate. His opponents accuse him of silence in the face of Nazi atrocities, while his defenders point to the thousands of Jews and others he saved through the Vatican's diplomatic network, the hiding of refugees in Vatican properties, and the fierce condemnations of Nazi racism in his 1942 Christmas encyclical. Recent opening of the Vatican archives has continued to shed light on his actions.
The Catholic Church suffered enormously during the war: priests and nuns were murdered in concentration camps, churches were bombed, and the Church in Eastern Europe was subjected to communist persecution. Key Sources: Pope Pius XII's 1942 Christmas Address; Martin Gilbert, The Righteous; David Kertzer, The Pope at War; Vatican Archives
📜 Key Facts
Date
1939-1945 AD
Category
War
Icon
⚔️
Browse Other Events
Creation of Adam
4004 BC
The Fall
4004 BC
Creation of Eve
4004 BC
Birth of Cain and Abel
3984 BC
Cain Kills Abel
3974 BC
Birth of Seth
3874 BC
Death of Adam
3074 BC
Enoch Walks with God
3017 BC
Birth of Noah
2948 BC
The Great Flood
2348 BC
Noah Builds the Ark
2348 BC
God's Covenant with Noah
2348 BC
Tower of Babel
2346 BC
Birth of Abraham
2056 BC
Death of Noah
1998 BC
Abraham's Call
1981 BC
Abraham Leaves Ur for Canaan
1981 BC
Covenant with Abraham
1981 BC
Birth of Ishmael
1970 BC
Birth of Isaac
1956 BC
Death of Sarah
1919 BC
The Binding of Isaac (Akedah)
1912 BC
Birth of Jacob and Esau
1896 BC
Jacob Receives the Birthright
1890 BC
Jacob's Ladder
1884 BC
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel
1884 BC
Birth of Joseph
1830 BC
Joseph Sold into Egypt
1813 BC
Joseph in Potiphar's House
1811 BC
Joseph Interprets Pharaoh's Dreams
1800 BC
Joseph Made Vizier of Egypt
1800 BC
Jacob's Family Moves to Egypt
1798 BC
Death of Jacob (Israel)
1781 BC
Death of Joseph
1720 BC
Birth of Moses
1526 BC
The Exodus
1446 BC
The Ten Plagues of Egypt
1446 BC
The Passover
1446 BC
Crossing the Red Sea
1446 BC
The Ten Commandments
1446 BC
The Tabernacle Constructed
1445 BC
The Golden Calf
1445 BC
The Bronze Serpent
1409 BC
Death of Moses
1406 BC
Joshua Leads Israel into Canaan
1406 BC
Fall of Jericho
1406 BC
Death of Joshua
1389 BC
Period of the Judges Begins
1375 BC
Othniel, First Judge
1370 BC
Deborah and Barak
1330 BC
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
1280 BC
Jephthah Judges Israel
1250 BC
Samson's Strength
1140 BC
Samuel, Last Judge
1140 BC
Saul Anointed First King
1050 BC
David Defeats Goliath
1040 BC
Death of Saul
1037 BC
David King of Judah
1037 BC
King David's Reign
1010 BC
Solomon Becomes King
1010 BC
David Brings the Ark to Jerusalem
1000 BC
David's Covenant with God
1000 BC
Solomon Builds the Temple
997 BC
David's Sin with Bathsheba
980 BC
Solomon's Wisdom and Wealth
970 BC
Kingdom Divides: Israel and Judah
931 BC
Elijah the Prophet
930 BC
Elijah Taken to Heaven
898 BC
Elisha's Miracles
870 BC
King Jehu's Zeal
853 BC
Prophet Amos
798 BC
Prophet Hosea
760 BC
Isaiah Begins Prophecy
740 BC
Prophet Micah
740 BC
Fall of Northern Kingdom (Israel)
722 BC
Hezekiah's Reforms
713 BC
Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem
701 BC
Prophet Zephaniah
689 BC
Prophet Habakkuk
640 BC
Prophet Nahum
627 BC
Josiah's Reforms
622 BC
Death of Josiah
609 BC
Jeremiah Begins Prophecy
607 BC
Daniel in Babylon
605 BC
Daniel's Visions
605 BC
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
605 BC
Prophet Ezekiel in Exile
600 BC
First Babylonian Exile
597 BC
Destruction of First Temple
586 BC
Second Babylonian Exile
586 BC
Lamentations of Jeremiah
586 BC
Daniel in the Lions' Den
570 BC
Prophet Joel
563 BC
Prophet Obadiah
560 BC
Prophet Jonah
550 BC
Prophet Haggai
550 BC
Cyrus Decree — Exile Ends
549 BC
Prophet Zechariah
540 BC
Return from Exile — First Group
536 BC
Prophet Malachi
520 BC
Second Temple Completed
516 BC
Ezra Leads Second Return
458 BC
Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem's Walls
445 BC
Ester Saves the Jews
440 BC
Writing of Chronicles
420 BC
Prophet Malachi — Last Words
400 BC
Silent Period Begins (400 Years)
400 BC
Birth of Jesus Christ
1 BC
Crucifixion and Resurrection
33 AD
Pentecost
33 AD
Martyrdom of St. Peter
64 AD
Nero's Persecution of Christians
64 AD
Martyrdom of St. Peter
64 AD
Martyrdom of St. Paul
67 AD
Martyrdom of St. Paul
67 AD
Destruction of the Second Temple
70 AD
Eruption of Mount Vesuvius
79 AD
St. John Writes the Apocalypse
95 AD
St. John Writes His Gospel
c. 100 AD
St. Ignatius of Antioch Martyred
c. 110 AD
Martyrdom of St. Polycarp
155 AD
St. Justin Martyr Writes Apologies
c. 165 AD
St. Irenaeus Writes Against Heresies
c. 180 AD
St. Perpetua and Felicity Martyred
202 AD
St. Cyprian Becomes Bishop of Carthage
209 AD
Martyrdom of St. Cyprian
258 AD
Great Persecution of Diocletian
303 AD
Edict of Milan
313 AD
First Council of Nicaea
325 AD
Edict of Thessalonica
380 AD
Alaric Sacks Rome (First Time)
395 AD
Sack of Rome by the Visigoths
410 AD
Council of Ephesus
431 AD
Council of Chalcedon
451 AD
Vandal Sack of Rome
455 AD
Fall of Western Roman Empire
476 AD
Pope St. Gregory the Great Becomes Pope
590 AD
Islamic Conquest of Iberia and the Reconquista
711-1492 AD
Battle of Tours — Charles Martel Stops Islamic Expansion
732 AD
Charlemagne Crowned Emperor — Birth of Christendom
800 AD
Great Schism
1054 AD
First Crusade Called by Pope Urban II
1095 AD
People's Crusade and Rhineland Massacres
1096 AD
Crusaders Capture Jerusalem
1099 AD
Second Crusade
1147-1149 AD
Third Lateran Council
AD 1179
Saladin Recaptures Jerusalem
1187 AD
Fall of Jerusalem to Saladin
AD 1187
Third Crusade (Richard the Lionheart)
1189-1192 AD
Pope Innocent III and the Fourth Crusade
AD 1198
Fourth Crusade Sacks Constantinople
1202-1204 AD
Albigensian Crusade
1209-1229 AD
Fourth Lateran Council
1215 AD
Fourth Lateran Council
AD 1215
Papal Inquisition Established
1231 AD
Second Council of Lyon
AD 1274
Unam Sanctam - Papal Supremacy Declared
AD 1302
Avignon Papacy Begins
AD 1309
Hundred Years' War
1337-1453 AD
The Black Death
1347-1351 AD
Western Schism Begins
AD 1378
Council of Constance Ends Western Schism
AD 1417
Joan of Arc Burned at the Stake
1431 AD
Martyrdom of Joan of Arc
AD 1431
Council of Florence - Reunion with Eastern Church
AD 1438
Fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans
1453 AD
Fall of Constantinople
AD 1453
Spanish Inquisition
1478-1834 AD
Columbus's Voyage and Evangelization of the Americas
AD 1492
Inter Caetera — Pope Divides the New World
1493 AD
Martin Luther's 95 Theses — The Reformation Begins
1517 AD
Protestant Reformation Begins
AD 1517
Martin Luther's Reformation
1520 AD
Sack of Rome by Charles V
1527 AD
First Ottoman Siege of Vienna
1529 AD
Council of Trent
1545 AD
Council of Trent Begins
AD 1545
Council of Trent Concludes
AD 1566
St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
1572 AD
Gregorian Calendar Introduced
AD 1582
Thirty Years' War
1618-1648 AD
Second Ottoman Siege of Vienna — The Battle That Saved Europe
1683 AD
French Revolution and Persecution of the Church
1789-1799 AD
French Revolution and Persecution of the Church
AD 1789
Napoleon Crowned Emperor by Pope Pius VII
AD 1804
Napoleon Occupies Rome
1809 AD
Pope Pius VII Returns to Rome
AD 1814
Immaculate Conception
1854 AD
Immaculate Conception Defined as Dogma
AD 1854
First Vatican Council
AD 1869
Papal Infallibility
1870 AD
Appearing of Our Lady of Fatima
1910 AD
World War I
1914-1918 AD
Russian Revolution — Communist Persecution Begins
1917 AD
Miracle of the Sun at Fatima
1917 AD
Divine Mercy Revelation
1929 AD
World War II Begins
1939 AD
Atomic Bombs and Dignitatis Humanae
1945 AD
Cold War
1947-1991 AD
Korean War
1950-1953 AD
Dogsma of the Assumption Defined
1950 AD
Vatican II Opens
1962 AD
Vatican II Opens
1962 AD
Vietnam War
1964-1975 AD
Lumen Gentium & Humanae Vitae
1965 AD
Pope John Paul II Elected
1978 AD
Pope John Paul II Elected
1978 AD
Assassination Attempt on JP2
1980 AD
Assassination Attempt on John Paul II
1981 AD
Fall of the Berlin Wall — End of Communist Persecution
1991 AD
Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
1994 AD
September 11 Attacks and the War on Terror
2001 AD
Pope Benedict XVI Elected
2005 AD
Pope Francis Elected
2013 AD
Great Jubilee
2025 AD