Category Archives: 1940s

Lübeck becomes first German city to be heavily bombed during World War II 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 28 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: '136 - The Carpet Bombing of Germany begins - WW2 - April 3, 1942' (Mar. 28, 1942, at 1:07)

(Saturday, March 28, 1942, 11:18 p.m.-Palm Sunday, March 29, 1942, 2:58 a.m. Central European Summer Time; during the Bombing of Lübeck in World War II) — Lübeck became the first German city to be attacked in substantial numbers tonight when the Royal Air Force created a firestorm that caused severe damage to the historic centre, with bombs destroying three of the main churches and large parts of the built-up area. Continue reading Lübeck becomes first German city to be heavily bombed during World War II 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 28 1942) →

British naval forces raid Nazi-occupied French port of St. Nazaire 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 28 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'The Legendary Commando Raid At St. Nazaire | The Greatest Raid Of All Time | Timeline'

(Saturday, March 28, 1942, 1:22 a.m. Central European Summer Time; during the St Nazaire Raid, part of North West Europe Campaign of World War II) — British naval forces staged a successful raid today on the heavily defended Normandie dry dock at St Nazaire in German-occupied France in Operation Chariot, destroying the only dry dock on the Atlantic coast capable of repairing the German battleship Tirpitz. Continue reading British naval forces raid Nazi-occupied French port of St. Nazaire 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 28 1942) →

First mass transport of Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp departs Poprad railway station in northern Slovakia 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 25 #1942)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: '1942: Auschwitz'

(Wednesday, March 25, 1942, 8:20 p.m. Central European Summer Time; during the First mass transport of Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp, part of The Holocaust and World War II) — The first mass transport of Jews to the Auschwitz concentration camp departed today from the Poprad railway station in the Slovak Republic, in the Slovak State, arriving at its destination the following afternoon, March 26, 1942. Continue reading First mass transport of Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp departs Poprad railway station in northern Slovakia 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 25 #1942) →

First Japanese-Americans evacuated during World War II arrive at internment camp in Manzanar, California 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 23 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'Japanese Internment during WW II'

(Monday, March 23, 1942, during the Internment of Japanese Americans) — The first Japanese-Americans evacuated by the U.S. Army during World War II arrived today at the internment camp in Manzanar, California; men and women who had volunteered to help build the camp. Continue reading First Japanese-Americans evacuated during World War II arrive at internment camp in Manzanar, California 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 23 1942) →

Belzec extermination camp becomes operational in German-occupied Poland 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 17 1942)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'Belzec Memorial and Museum Dedication'

(Sunday, March 17, 1942; during The Holocaust, part of World War II) — Belzec, a Nazi German extermination camp built by the SS for the purpose of implementing the secretive Operation Reinhard, the plan to murder all Polish Jews, a key part of the “Final Solution” which entailed the murder of some 6 million Jews in The Holocaust, became operational today. Continue reading Belzec extermination camp becomes operational in German-occupied Poland 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 17 1942) →

‘Moonlight Cocktail’ by Glenn Miller peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 28 1942)

1940s, Popular Music 1940s

(Saturday, February 28, 1942) — “Moonlight Cocktail” by Glenn Miller (with vocals by Ray Eberle and The Modernaires) peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for the first of 10 consecutive weeks (Feb. 28, Mar. 7/14/21/28, Apr. 4/11/18/25, May 2, 1942). Continue reading ‘Moonlight Cocktail’ by Glenn Miller peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 28 1942) →

Imperial Japanese Navy decisively wins Battle of the Java Sea 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 27 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'Last Stand in the East Indies - Battle of the Java Sea 1942 Animated'

(Friday, February 27, 1942, 4:16 p.m. Western Indonesian Time; during the Pacific campaign of World War II) — Allied navies suffered a disastrous defeat at the hand of the Imperial Japanese Navy today in the Battle of the Java Sea, the largest naval battle since the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Continue reading Imperial Japanese Navy decisively wins Battle of the Java Sea 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 27 1942) →

Nearly 800 Jewish refugees killed when Soviet sub torpedoes MV Struma in Black Sea 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 24 1942)

1940s, The Holocaust, World War II


Video: 'The Struma- A Never Ending Sadness'

(Tuesday, February 24, 1942, morning Eastern European Time; during the Struma disaster, part of The Holocaust and World War II) — The MV Struma, a charter ship attempting to carry nearly 800 Jewish refugees from Axis-allied Romania to Mandatory Palestine, was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine today in the Black Sea; all but one of the refugees perished. Continue reading Nearly 800 Jewish refugees killed when Soviet sub torpedoes MV Struma in Black Sea 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 24 1942) →

Japanese sub fires on California oil refinery in first shelling of U.S. mainland during World War II 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 23 1942)

1940s, World War II


Video: 'California Attacked: The Shelling of Ellwood Beach - Decades TV Network'

(Monday, February 23, 1942, approximately 7:15 p.m. PWT; during the Bombardment of Ellwood in the American Theater of World War II) — The first shelling of the U.S. mainland during World War II occurred today as Japanese submarine I-17 surfaced off the coast of California and fired 25 shells at an oil refinery near Santa Barbara. Continue reading Japanese sub fires on California oil refinery in first shelling of U.S. mainland during World War II 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 23 1942) →

President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorizes relocation and internment of Japanese Americans 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 19 1942)

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


Video: 'Executive Order 9066: A Shameful Moment In WW2 America | Silent Sacrifice Part 1 | Timeline

(Thursday, February 19, 1942; during the internment of Japanese Americans, part of World War II) — President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 today, authorizing the secretary of war to prescribe certain areas as military zones and clearing the way for about 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, most of whom lived on the Pacific Coast, to be forcibly relocated and incarcerated in concentration camps in the western interior of the country. Continue reading President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorizes relocation and internment of Japanese Americans 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Feb 19 1942) →