What Happened in 1941

"The Maltese Falcon" Is Released

The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 American Warner Bros. film based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett. Written and directed by John... Read more

German Forces Arrive at the Mozhaisk Defense Line

By October 13, 1941, the Wehrmacht had arrived at the Mozhaisk defense line, a hastily constructed double set of fortifications protecting Moscow... Read more

The Lend-Lease Bill Is Passed

The Senate passed the $5.98 billion supplemental Lend-Lease bill on October 23, 1941, bringing the United States one step closer to direct... Read more

"How Green Was My Valley" Is Released

How Green Was My Valley is a 1941 American drama film directed by John Ford. The film was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, written by Philip Dunne,... Read more

German Forces Begin Siege of Sevastopol

A rapid thrust was launched towards Sevastopol on 30 October 1941 which commenced the Defence of Sevastopol (Russian: оборона Севастополя),... Read more

Stalin Orders Traditional Military Parade Amidst German Invasion to Strengthen Soviet Morale

November 7, 1941, saw the most unusual military parade in the nation's history. The Second World War was raging on. Right from Red Square in... Read more

The Road of Life Begins Operation

The Road of Life (Russian: Доро́га жи́зни, doroga zhizni) was the ice road transport route across the frozen Lake Ladoga, which provided the only... Read more

Battle of Rostov (1941)

Rostov was assigned as the objective to the 11th Army now commanded by General von Schobert, however he died in a crash on the same day after... Read more

Sajmište Nazi Concentration Camp is Established in the Independent State of Croatia

Sajmište concentration camp (Serbian Cyrillic: Концентрациони логор Сајмиште) was a Nazi concentration camp, located in the Independent State of... Read more

"Ball Of Fire" Is Released

Ball of Fire (also known as The Professor and the Burlesque Queen) is a 1941 comedy film about a group of professors laboring for years to write an... Read more

Soviet Union Launches Counteroffensive Against Germany

Although the Wehrmacht's offensive had been stopped, German intelligence estimated that Soviet forces had no more reserves left and thus would be... Read more

Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl... Read more

Chełmno Extermination Camp Begins Operation

Chełmno extermination camp (German name Kulmhof) was an extermination camp of Nazi Germany that was situated 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Łódź, near... Read more

Adolf Hitler Implements the Nacht und Nebel Directive

Nacht und Nebel (German for "Night and Fog") was a directive (German: Erlass) of Adolf Hitler on 7 December 1941 signed and implemented by Armed... Read more

First Battle of Guam

The First Battle of Guam, was an engagement during the Pacific War in World War II, and took place on December 8, 1941 on Guam in the Mariana... Read more

Japanese Forces Invade Malaya

Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, commanding officer of the British Forces in the Far East, fearing that the Japanese Fleet was trying to... Read more

Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers "a date that will live in infamy" speech, committing the US to WWII

Text of Speech Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately... Read more

Al Capone's Armored Cadillac Used as Franklin D. Roosevelt's Limousine

I hope Mr. Capone won’t mind. Read more

Battle of Wake Island

Wake Island was an American outpost in the central Pacific. Wake is a coral atoll, made up of three islands. Wake Island itself is the largest,... Read more

Bruce Smith Wins Heisman Trophy

The handsome Minnesota halfback, who received his Heisman Trophy two days after Pearl Harbor, was voted the best college player in the All-Star... Read more

Hitler and Mussolini Declare War on the United States

Ultimately, it was Hitler and Mussolini’s declaration of war against the US on 11 December 1941, that overcame American opposition to a crusade... Read more

Battle of Jitra

The Battle of Jitra was a major engagement fought between the invading Japanese and Allied forces in Malaya. The battle lasted from 11 to 13... Read more

Third Battle of Changsha

With 120,000 soldiers organized in four divisions, the Japanese attempted a third attack on the Chinese city of Changsha. 300,000 men defended the... Read more

Banjo Eyes Opens

Banjo Eyes is a musical based on the play Three Men on a Horse by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott. It has a book by Joseph Quinlan and Izzy... Read more

Winston Churchill Addresses A Joint Meeting Of The United States Congress

The date was December 26, 1941. Outside the U.S. Capitol Building, platoons of soldiers and police stood at high alert. Shortly after noon, British... Read more