Category Archives: 1940s

British sink German battleship Bismarck off France with a loss of some 2,100 lives 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 27 1941)


Video: '092 - Sink the Bismarck! - The Pride of the Kriegsmarine's Demise - WW2 - May 30 1941' (Operation Rheinübung at 0:43)

(Tuesday, May 27, 1941, 10:39 a.m. Central European Summer Time; during the Last battle of the battleship Bismarck, part of Operation Rheinübung, part of the Battle of the Atlantic, during World War II) — British ships and planes sank the German battleship Bismarck today 400 miles west of the French port of Brest, with a loss of more than 2,100 lives, three days after the Bismarck sank the 42,100-ton battle cruiser HMS Hood with the loss of more than 1,400 lives.
Continue reading British sink German battleship Bismarck off France with a loss of some 2,100 lives 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 27 1941)

Germans sink British battle cruiser HMS Hood in Battle of the Denmark Strait 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 24 1941)


Video: '092 - Sink the Bismarck! - The Pride of the Kriegsmarine's Demise - WW2 - May 30 1941' (Operation Rheinübung at 0:43)

(Saturday, May 24, 1941, at about 6:00 a.m. local time; during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, part of Operation Rheinübung, part of the Battle of the Atlantic, during World War II) — The 42,100-ton battle cruiser Hood, pride of the British Fleet and the world’s biggest fighting vessel, was blown up today by an “unlucky hit” scored on a munitions magazine by the new German battleship Bismarck in an engagement off Greenland. Continue reading Germans sink British battle cruiser HMS Hood in Battle of the Denmark Strait 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 24 1941)

Germans sink ship sailing under American flag in tropical Atlantic 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 21 1941)

Video: 'The World At War: "On Our Way: U.S.A. (1939–1942)' (Robin Moor sunk at 13:11)

(Wednesday, May 21, 1941, 6:00 a.m. UTC; during World War II) — The SS Robin Moor, a Hog Islander steamship that sailed under the American flag, was sunk today by German submarine U-69 in the tropical Atlantic 750 miles west of the British-controlled port of Freetown, Sierra Leone, after allowing the passengers and crew to disembark.
Continue reading Germans sink ship sailing under American flag in tropical Atlantic 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 21 1941)

Battle of Crete begins as Nazi Germany launches airborne invasion of Crete 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 20 1941)


Video: 'World War II: The Battle of Crete - Full Documentary'

(Tuesday, May 20, 1941, 8:00 a.m. Central European Summer Time, during the Battle of Crete, part of the Battle of Greece and the Mediterranean theatre, during World War II) — The Battle of Crete, fought on the Greek island of Crete, began this morning when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur (“Operation Mercury”).
Continue reading Battle of Crete begins as Nazi Germany launches airborne invasion of Crete 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 20 1941)

Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland on apparent peace mission 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1941)


Video: 'Rudolf Hess - Nazi Pacifist, Traitor or Madman? - WW2 Special Episode'

(Saturday, May 10, 1941, 11:09 p.m. British Double Summer Time; during The Blitz part of the Strategic bombing campaign of World War II) — Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess, flew a Messerschmitt Bf 110 to Scotland today on what he claimed was a solo peace mission, parachuting into Eaglesham near his objective of Dungavel House after running out of fuel. Continue reading Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess parachutes into Scotland on apparent peace mission 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1941)

Germans launch last major attack on London during The Blitz 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1941)


Video: "1941 Londons May 10th Blitz L2845'

(Saturday, May 10, 1941, 11:02 p.m.-5:57 a.m. British Double Summer Time; during The Blitz part of the Strategic bombing campaign of World War II— The last major attack by German forces on London during The Blitz began tonight as the Luftwaffe flew 571 sorties and dropped 800 tonnes of bombs, causing more than 2,000 fires. Continue reading Germans launch last major attack on London during The Blitz 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (May 10 1941)

‘Citizen Kane’ premieres in New York City 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDate #OTD (May 1 1941)


Video: 'Citizen Kane' trailer

(Thursday, May 1, 1941, 8:30 p.m. EDT)Citizen Kane, an American drama film about a group of reporters who are trying to decipher the last word ever spoke by Charles Foster Kane, the millionaire newspaper tycoon, premiered tonight at the RKO Palace at 1564 Broadway (at West 47th Street) in New York City.
Continue reading ‘Citizen Kane’ premieres in New York City 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDate #OTD (May 1 1941)

Yugoslavia surrenders to Axis powers in Belgrade 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 17 1941)


Video: '086 - Yugoslavia Crushed - Battle for Greece Continues - WW2 - April 18, 1941' (Apr. 17, 1941, at 3:54)

(Thursday, April 17, 1941, 9:00 p.m. Central European Time; during the Invasion of Yugoslavia, part of the Balkans Campaign of World War II) — Eleven days after a German-led attack by Axis powers, Yugoslavia formally surrendered today as Foreign Minister Aleksandar Cincar-Markovic and General Radivoje Jankovic  signed an armistice with German and Italian representatives in Belgrade and unconditionally surrendered all Yugoslav troops.
Continue reading Yugoslavia surrenders to Axis powers in Belgrade 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Apr 17 1941)

‘Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)’ by Jimmy Dorsey peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 29 1941)

(Saturday, March 29, 1941) — “Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)” by the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra with vocalists Helen O’Connell and Bob Eberly peaked at #1 on today’s Billboard Best Sellers in Stores chart for ten consecutive weeks (March 29, April 5/12/19/26, May 3/10/17/24/31, 1941).
Continue reading ‘Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)’ by Jimmy Dorsey peaks at #1 in USA 80 years ago #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 29 1941)

Grand Coulee Dam, largest hydropower producer in U.S., begins producing energy 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 22 1941)


Video: 'Coulee Dam Opened (1941)'

(Saturday, March 22, 1941, 1:25 p.m. PST)Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington began producing electrical power for the Pacific Northwest today, two years ahead of schedule.
Continue reading Grand Coulee Dam, largest hydropower producer in U.S., begins producing energy 80 years ago this hour #OnThisDay #OTD (Mar 22 1941)