What Happened in 1942

Zhao Shangzhi, Commander of the Northeast Anti-Japan United Army, Captured by Japanese Military Police

As of September 1938, the number of insurgents had dwindled to an estimated 10,000 combatants as a result of years of fighting and privation. The... Read more

Battle of Palembang

The Battle of Palembang was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It occurred near Palembang, on Sumatra, on 13–15 February 1942. The... Read more

Alexandra Hospital Massacre

At about 1.00pm on 14 February Japanese soldiers advanced towards the Alexandra Barracks Hospital. A British lieutenant, acting as an envoy with a... Read more

Singapore Falls to Japanese Occupation

By the morning of Chinese New Year, 15 February, the Japanese had broken through the last line of defence and the Allies were running out of food... Read more

Battle of Badung Strait

The Battle of Badung Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the night of 19–20 February 1942 in Badung Strait... Read more

Japanese Forces Invade Portuguese Timor

During the night of 19–20 February, 1,500 troops from the Imperial Japanese Army's 228th Regimental Group, 38th Division, XVI Army, under the... Read more

The Battle of Los Angeles

During the night of 24/25 February 1942, unidentified objects caused a succession of alerts in southern California. On the 24th, a warning issued... Read more

14th Academy Awards

The 14th Academy Awards may be most infamous, in retrospect, as the year in which Citizen Kane (consistently regarded as one of the greatest films... Read more

Battle of the Java Sea

The Battle of the Java Sea was a major naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Allied navies suffered a disastrous defeat at the hand... Read more

Battle of Sunda Strait

The Battle of Sunda Strait was a naval battle which occurred during World War II. On the night of February 28 – March 1, 1942, the United States... Read more

Battle of Java (1942)

The Battle of Java (Invasion of Java, Operation J) was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It occurred on the island of Java, between... Read more

Belzec Extermination Camp Begins Operation

Belzec, Polish spelling Bełżec [ˈbɛu̯ʐɛt​͡s], was the first of the Nazi German extermination camps created for implementing Operation Reinhard... Read more

Battle of Tachiao

Battle of Tachiao March 18 - 19, 1942, was the first clash in the Battle of Yunnan-Burma Road in the Burma Campaign of World War II and Second... Read more

Battle of Oktwin

On March 20, the 143rd Regiment plus cavalry units attacked the positions of the Chinese Cavalry Regiment north of River彪关, driving the Chinese... Read more

Aretha Franklin is Born

Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although... Read more

The Cripps' Mission

Upon his arrival in India, Cripps held talks with Indian leaders. There is some confusion over what Cripps had been authorised to offer India's... Read more

St. Nazaire Raid (Operation Chariot)

The St. Nazaire Raid (also called Operation Chariot) was a successful British seaborne attack on the heavily defended docks of St. Nazaire in... Read more

Stanford Beats Dartmouth in NCAA Men's Basketball Championship

The 1942 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of... Read more

Imperial Japanese Navy Begins Sustained Attacks on Allied Forces in the Indian Ocean

Following the destruction of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command forces in the battles around Java in February and March, the Japanese... Read more

Japanese Forces Gain Control of Island of Borneo

The Battle of Borneo was a successful campaign by Japanese Imperial forces for control of Borneo island and concentrated mainly with the... Read more

Jackie Robinson inducted into US Army

After being drafted, Robinson was assigned to a segregated Army cavalry unit in Fort Riley, Kansas. Having the requisite qualifications, Robinson... Read more

Easter Sunday Raid

With Japan's entry into the war, and especially after the fall of Singapore, Ceylon became a front-line British base against the Japanese. Admiral... Read more

Byron Nelson wins the 9th Masters Tournament

The 1942 Masters was the last one before play was suspended due to World War II, so the champion in 1942 held his title until the tournament... Read more

Japanese Attack Allied Harbor at Trincomalee

On 9 April 1942 the Japanese attacked the harbor at Trincomalee at 07:00. The British again had warning of the attack, and Hermes and her escorts... Read more

Battle of Yenangyaung

It was now essential to deny the oil fields at Yenangyaung to the Japanese some 100 miles north of Prome. The allied lines of defence were planned... Read more