Category Archives: 1940s

Jewish diarist Anne Frank, 15, arrives at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 3 1944)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'Anne Frank in Bergen-Belsen and her death' (Nov. 1-3, 1944, at 1:10)

(Friday, November 3, 1944; part of The Holocaust during World War II) — The first of three evacuation trains carrying Jewish women from the Auschwitz II-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in Nazi-occupied Poland arrived today at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany. Continue reading Jewish diarist Anne Frank, 15, arrives at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 3 1944) →

Jewish diarist Anne Frank, 15, deported from Auschwitz II-Birkenau to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northeast Germany 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 1 1944)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'Anne Frank in Bergen-Belsen and her death' (Nov. 1-2, 1944, at 1:10)

(The night of Wednesday-Thursday, November 1-2, 1944; part of The Holocaust during World War II) — The second of three evacuation trains carrying Jewish women left the Auschwitz II–Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in Nazi-occupied Poland today for the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany, with 15-year-old diarist Anne Frank and her older sister, Margot, 18, probably among them. Continue reading Jewish diarist Anne Frank, 15, deported from Auschwitz II-Birkenau to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northeast Germany 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Nov 1 1944) →

Battle of Leyte Gulf begins in the Philippines: Largest naval conflict of WWII underway 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 23 1944)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'The Last Battleship vs. Battleship Battle Ever'

(Monday, October 23, 1944, 5:24 a.m. Japan Standard Time; during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II) — The largest naval battle of World War II began this morning as the U.S. submarine USS Darter launched six torpedoes, striking the Japanese heavy cruiser Atago in the waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar, and Luzon. Continue reading Battle of Leyte Gulf begins in the Philippines: Largest naval conflict of WWII underway 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 23 1944) →

‘I’ll Walk Alone’ by Dinah Shore peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 14 1944)

1940s, Movies 1940s, Popular Music 1940s

(Saturday, October 14, 1944) — “I’ll Walk Alone” by Dinah Shore peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard Best Selling Retail Records chart for four non-consecutive weeks (Oct. 14, Nov. 4/11/18, 1944). Continue reading ‘I’ll Walk Alone’ by Dinah Shore peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 14 1944) →

‘You Always Hurt the One You Love’ by The Mills Brothers peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 7 1944)

1940s, Popular Music 1940s

(Saturday, October 7, 1944) — “You Always Hurt the One You Love” by The Mills Brothers peaked at #1 today’s Billboard Best Selling Retail Records chart for five non-consecutive weeks (Oct. 7/21/28, Nov. 25, Dec. 2, 1944). Continue reading ‘You Always Hurt the One You Love’ by The Mills Brothers peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 7 1944) →

German troops crush two-month-old Warsaw Uprising after 250,000 deaths 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 2 1944)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'Warsaw Rising: The Forgotten Soldiers of World War II'

(Monday, October 2, 1944, 8:00 p.m. Central Euroopean Summer Time; during the Warsaw Uprising, part of Operation Tempest on the Eastern Front of World War II) — German troops today crushed the two-month-old Warsaw Uprising, a major World War II operation by the Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from German occupation during which nearly a quarter of a million people were killed. Continue reading German troops crush two-month-old Warsaw Uprising after 250,000 deaths 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Oct 2 1944) →

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt opens campaign for fourth term with hilarious ‘Fala’ speech 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 23 1944)

1940s, U.S. Presidents, World War II


Video: 'FDR Fala Campaign Speech 1944'

(Saturday, September 23, 1944, 9:31 p.m. EWT; during the 1944 United States presidential election campaign, held during World War II) — U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt opened his campaign for a fourth term tonight, derisively defending Fala, his black Scottie dog, against a Republican political attack. Continue reading U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt opens campaign for fourth term with hilarious ‘Fala’ speech 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 23 1944) →

Allied paratroopers launch Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in Holland 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 17 1944)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'Operation Market Garden: The Allies' Disastrous Attempt To End The War Early'

(Sunday, September 17, 1944, 12:30 p.m. Central European Summer Time; during Operation Market Garden, part of the Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine on the Western Front during the Second World War) — In a bold maneuver to outflank German defenses, thousands of Allied airborne troops landed behind enemy lines in the Netherlands today, following a massive bombing campaign by American and British heavy bombers. Continue reading Allied paratroopers launch Operation Market Garden, landing behind German lines in Holland 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 17 1944) →

First German V-2 rocket strikes British soil, killing three in London during World War II 80 years ago hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 8 1944)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'The V2 rocket was pointless, and here's why 2"'

(Friday, September 8, 1944, 6:40:52 p.m. British Double Summer Time; during World War II) — A V-2 rocket, the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile, struck Chiswick in west London today, demolishing eleven houses and killing three people. Continue reading First German V-2 rocket strikes British soil, killing three in London during World War II 80 years ago hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 8 1944) →

Anne Frank’s arrival at Auschwitz: A harrowing account of survival and separation 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 6 1944)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank - English Subtitles' (Auschwitz arrival at 31:07)

(Wednesday, September 6, 1944, approximately 2:00 a.m. Central European Summer Time; part of The Holocaust during World War II) — Following a two-and-a-half day journey crammed into a packed cattle car with little water or fresh air and no facilities except for a bucket, Jewish diarist Anne Frank, 15, was among 1,019 Jews ordered to disembark from their cattle cars early this morning upon arrival at the Auschwitz II-Birkenau extermination camp in German-occupied Poland. Continue reading Anne Frank’s arrival at Auschwitz: A harrowing account of survival and separation 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Sep 6 1944) →