Category Archives: 1940s

‘Bésame Mucho (Kiss Me Much)’ by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 4 1944)

(Saturday, March 4, 1944) — “Bésame Mucho (Kiss Me Much)” by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra (with vocals by Bob Eberly and Kitty Kallen) peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard National List of Best Selling Retail Records chart for seven consecutive weeks (Mar. 4/11/18/25, Apr. 1/8/15, 1944). Continue reading ‘Bésame Mucho (Kiss Me Much)’ by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 4 1944)

‘My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart)’ by Glen Gray peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 29 1944)

(Saturday, January 29, 1944) — “My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart)” by Glen Gray and The Casa Loma Orchestra (vocal by Eugenie Baird) peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard National List of Best Selling Retail Records chart for five consecutive weeks (Jan. 29, Feb. 5/12/19/26, 1944). Continue reading ‘My Heart Tells Me (Should I Believe My Heart)’ by Glen Gray peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 29 1944)

872-day siege of Leningrad ends as German forces are pushed away from city 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 27 1944)


Video: 'Leningrad: The Brutal Reality Of The 900-Day Siege | Battlefield | War Stories' (Jan. 1944 at 32:59)

(Thursday, January 27, 1944; part of the Eastern Front of World War II) — The 872-day siege of Leningrad, a prolonged military blockade undertaken by the Axis powers against the Soviet city of Leningrad (present-day Saint Petersburg) on the Eastern Front of World War II, ended today when the Soviet Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive expelled German forces from the southern outskirts of the city. Continue reading 872-day siege of Leningrad ends as German forces are pushed away from city 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 27 1944)

Allied forces begin landing at Anzio, Italy during World War II 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 22 1944)


Video: 'The World at War HD (1080p) - Ep. 13 - Tough Old Gut: Italy (November 1942 – June 1944)' (Jan. 22, 1944, at 31:37)

(Saturday, January 22, 1944, 2:00 a.m. Central European Time; part of the Winter Line and the battle for Rome of the Italian Campaign of World War II) — Operation Shingle, the landings at Anzio, began early this morning with an Allied amphibious landing in the region of Anzio and Nettuno, with the objective of outflanking German forces at the Winter Line and setting up a drive on Rome. Continue reading Allied forces begin landing at Anzio, Italy during World War II 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Jan 22 1944)

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt names Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe during WWII 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 24 1943)


Video: 'December 24, 1943 - Franklin Roosevelt Addresses Congress About Allied Conferences'

(Christmas Eve, Friday, December 24, 1943, 3 p.m. EWT; during World War II) — U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced this afternoon that U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower had been appointed supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe as part of Operation Overlord, which would launch the invasion of German-occupied western Europe in the coming year. Continue reading U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt names Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe during WWII 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 24 1943)

German infantry division murders 693 civilians in Massacre of Kalavryta 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 13 1943)


Video: 'Kalavryta in Greece: City of widows | Focus on Europe'

(Monday, December 13, 1943, around 9:00 a.m. Central European Time; part of the War crimes of the Wehrmacht during World War II) — The German 117th Jäger Division today carried out the Kalavryta massacre, the near-extermination of the male population and the total destruction of the town of Kalavryta, in Axis-occupied Greece, in retaliation for the earlier killing of German troops. Continue reading German infantry division murders 693 civilians in Massacre of Kalavryta 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 13 1943)

Rock music icon Jim Morrison born in Melbourne, Florida 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 8 1943)


Video: 'Jim Morrison - Singer & Songwriter for Rock Group The Doors | Mini Bio | BIO'

(Wednesday, December 8, 1943) — Singer-songwriter and poet James Douglas “Jim” Morrison, best remembered as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the Los Angeles rock band The Doors, was born today in Melbourne, Florida, where his parents were stationed at the Naval Air Station Melbourne during World War II. Continue reading Rock music icon Jim Morrison born in Melbourne, Florida 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Dec 8 1943)

‘Paper Doll’ by The Mills Brothers peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 6 1943)

(Saturday, November 6, 1943) — “Paper Doll” by The Mills Brothers peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard National List of Best Selling Retail Records chart for the first of 12 consecutive weeks (Nov. 6/13/20/27, Dec. 4/11/18/25, 1943, Jan. 1/8/15/22, 1944). Continue reading ‘Paper Doll’ by The Mills Brothers peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 6 1943)

‘Pistol Packin’ Mama’ by Al Dexter peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 30 1943)

(Saturday, October 30, 1943) — “Pistol Packin’ Mama” by Al Dexter and his Troopers peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard National List of Best Selling Retail Records chart for one week. Continue reading ‘Pistol Packin’ Mama’ by Al Dexter peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 30 1943)

300 prisoners escape Nazi extermination camp at Sobibor in German-occupied Poland 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 14 1943)


Video: 'CENSORED: The Great Escape from Death Camp Sobibór - October 16, 1943 - War Against Humanity 082' (Sobibór uprising at 6:39)

(Thursday, October 14, 1943, 4:00 p.m. Central European Time; during The Holocaust and World War II) — Members of the underground, led by Polish-Jewish prisoner Leon Feldhendler and Soviet-Jewish POW Alexander Pechersky, launched the Sobibór uprising today, covertly killing eleven SS officers and a number of guards at the Sobibór extermination camp in German-occupied Poland. Continue reading 300 prisoners escape Nazi extermination camp at Sobibor in German-occupied Poland 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 14 1943)