What Happened in 1944

Frida Kahlo Starts Keeping a Diary

She became very depressed and in 1944 she began keeping a diary to document her emotional feelings in text and drawings. She continued to make... Read more

The African National Congress Youth League is Founded

The African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) is the youth wing of the African National Congress. Its foundation in 1944 by Anton Muziwakhe... Read more

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the Second Time

Six years have passed since we last awarded the Peace Prize, six years during which war has dominated the world. These war years, in which men have... Read more

The Cleveland Browns Are Founded

The Cleveland Browns were founded in 1944 by owner Arthur 'Mickey' McBride and head coach (and Ohio coaching legend) Paul Brown and started play in... Read more

Sajmište Nazi Concentration Camp is Destroyed by U.S. Bombers

In November 1943 SS-Standartenführer Paul Blobel, the officer in charge of Aktion 1005 (later executed for his numerous crimes against humanity)... Read more

"National Velvet" Is Released

National Velvet is a 1944 film based on the novel by Enid Bagnold, published in 1935. It stars Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp and a young Elizabeth... Read more

Maya Angelou Becomes First Black Female Streetcar Conductor

My mother said, "Yes, but do you want the job?" And I said yes, and she said, "Go get it." "Here, I'll give you money. Every day, you go down... Read more

"The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek" Is Released

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) is a satirical screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges, starring Eddie Bracken and Betty... Read more

Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha Offensive

The Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha Offensive, also known as Operation January Thunder and Neva-2 was a campaign between the Soviet Leningrad Front and the... Read more

First Assault in the Battle of Monte Cassino

The first assault was made on January 17. Near the coast, British X Corps (56th and 5th Divisions) forced a crossing of the Garigliano (followed... Read more

Main Attack of the Battle of Monte Cassino

The central thrust by U.S. 36th Division commenced three hours after sunset on January 20. The lack of time to prepare meant that the approach to... Read more

First Attack of Operation Steinbock, or 'Baby Blitz'

Operation Steinbock was a late war German operation carried out by the Luftwaffe between January and May 1944 against targets in southern England,... Read more

Initial Allied Landings at Anzio and Cassino in Operation Shingle

The landings began on January 22, 1944. Although resistance had been expected, as seen at Salerno during 1943, the initial landings were... Read more

Korsun–Shevchenkovsky Offensive

The German forces in the salient, part of 8th Army, consisted of two Corps, the 11th and 42nd. These two Corps included the 57th, 88th, 72nd, parts... Read more

Battle of Kwajalein

The Battle of Kwajalein was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought from January 31, 1944, to February 3, 1944, on Kwajalein Atoll... Read more

Mondrian Dies

Piet Mondrian died of pneumonia on February 1, 1944 and was interred in the Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. On 3 February 1944, a... Read more

Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive

The Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive was a campaign between the Soviet Leningrad Front and the German 18th Army fought for the eastern coast of Lake Peipus... Read more

Battle of Narva (1944)

The Battle of Narva was a military campaign between the German army detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front fought for the strategically... Read more

American Airlines Flight 2 Crashes, Killing 24

The DC-3 struck the Mississippi River in an angle of descent of about 20 degrees with the right wing slightly low. PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Board is... Read more

American Forces Withdraw from Cassino

On February 11, after a final unsuccessful 3 day assault on Monastery Hill and Cassino town, the Americans were withdrawn. U.S. II Corps, after two... Read more

Abbey of Monte Cassino is Pulverized by Allied Bombs

Increasingly, the opinions of certain Allied officers were fixed on the great abbey of Monte Cassino: in their view it was the abbey—and its... Read more

Main Assault Following the Destruction of the Monte Cassino Abbey

On the night of February 17 the main assault took place. The 4/6th Rajputana Rifles would take on the assault of point 593 with the depleted Sussex... Read more

Battle of Eniwetok

The Battle of Eniwetok was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought between 17 February 1944 and 23 February 1944, on Eniwetok... Read more

Kasturba Gandhi Dies at Age 74

Kasturba suffered from chronic bronchitis. Stress from the Quit India Movement's arrests and hard life at Sabarmati Ashram caused her to fall ill.... Read more

British Agents in Greece and Occupying Germans Agree to Ceasefire with the Signing of the Plaka Agreement

When the German offensive abated somewhat, General Zervas sent his EDES fighters to counterattack ELAS in the hopes of regaining ground lost in the... Read more