Greece timeline
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Minoan Eruption of Thera
The eruption of Santorini in Greece in 1,650 B.C. was one of the largest (VEI=6) in the last 10,000 years. About 7 cubic miles (30 cubic km) of... Read more
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First Olympic Games Held in Olympia, Greece
The most widely accepted date for the inception of the Ancient Olympics is 776 BC; this is based on inscriptions, found at Olympia, of the winners... Read more
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Temple of Artemis Completed
The Temple of Artemis (Greek: Ἀρτεμίσιον, or Artemision), also known less precisely as Temple of Diana, was a Greek temple dedicated to a goddess... Read more
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Statue of Zeus at Olympia Built
The great statue of Zeus at Olympia was sculpted by the Athenian artist, Pheidias. After completing his work on the Acropolis in 438 BC, Pheidias... Read more
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Rhodes Earthquake
The Colossus only stood for 56 years before it was levelled by an earthquake in 226 BC. The force of the earthquake was such the statue snapped off... Read more
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Greek Forces Withdraw to Pindus to Fight Pitched Battle against Italian Invaders
The position of the Greek First Army, still fighting in Albania, was seriously jeopardized by the rapid advance of the XL Panzer Corps via... Read more
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Italian Forces Invade Greece
On 28 October 1940, after Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas rejected an Italian ultimatum demanding the occupation of Greek territory, Italian forces... Read more
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Greek Forces Launch Counter-offensive on Italians
Greek reserves started reaching the front in early November, while Bulgarian inactivity allowed the Greek High Command to transfer the majority of... Read more
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Battle of Cape Matapan
The Battle of Cape Matapan (Greek: Ναυμαχία του Ταίναρου) was a World War II naval battle fought from March 27 to March 29, 1941. The cape is on... Read more
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Battle of Fort Roupel
Like the Maginot Line on the Franco-German border, the Metaxas Line was outflanked by German forces specifically when the Germans invaded Greece in... Read more
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German Forces Seize Thessaloniki
On the dawn of April 6, the German armies invaded Greece, while the Luftwaffe began an intensive bombardment of Belgrade. The XL Panzer Corps—which... Read more
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Battle of Vevi (1941)
The Klidi Pass is between 100 metres (0.062 mi) and 500 metres (0.31 mi) wide, a winding defile, with steep, rocky and treeless sides up to 1,000... Read more
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Official Surrender of Greek Forces in Albania to Axis Powers
On April 20, the commander of the Greek forces in Albania, General Georgios Tsolakoglou, realized the hopelessness of the situation and offered to... Read more
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Battle of Thermopylae (1941)
The Battle of Thermopylae during World War II occurred in 1941 following the retreat from the Olympus and Servia passes. British Commonwealth... Read more
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Athens Falls to Axis Powers
Few Greeks cooperated with the Nazis and most chose either the path of passive acceptance or active resistance. Active Greek resistance started... Read more
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Germany Launches Airborne Attack on the Island of Crete
The Battle of Crete (German: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek: Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. The... Read more
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British Forces Launch Naval Attack through the Kaso Strait
Admiral Andrew Cunningham, determined that no German troop transports should reach Crete, sent Admiral King's Force C (three cruisers and four... Read more
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Allies Begin Retreat Southward Across Crete
Fighting against a constant supply of fresh enemy troops, the Allies began a series of retreats working southward across Crete. The 5th... Read more
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Evacuations of Allied Forces from Crete Begins
Over four nights, 16,000 troops were evacuated to Egypt by ships including the light cruiser HMS Ajax. The majority of these troops embarked from... Read more
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Island of Crete Surrenders to Germany
Of course, General you know that after Crete we shall never do another Airborne operation. The parachute arm is one that relies entirely on... Read more
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Germans Begin Deportations of Thessaloniki Jews
On March 15, 1943, the Germans began deporting the Jews from Thessaloniki. Every three days, freightcars crammed with an average of 2,000... Read more
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Germany Commences Weeklong Massacre of the Acqui Division (Cephalonia Massacre)
The massacre started on 21 September, and lasted for one week. After the Italian surrender, Hitler had issued an order allowing the Germans to... Read more
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Battle of Leros Begins with German Attack
The German forces assembling for Unternehmen Leopard ("Operation Leopard") under the command of Generalleutnant Müller, comprised... Read more
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British Surrender to Germany at Leros
On the morning of 16 November it became apparent to the British commander, Brigadier Tilney, that their situation was untenable and he surrendered.... Read more
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Massacre of Kalavryta
The Holocaust of Kalavryta (Greek: Ολοκαύτωμα των Καλαβρύτων), or the Massacre of Kalavryta (Σφαγή των Καλαβρύτων), refers to the extermination of... Read more