Because it was the final year of the Second World War, 1945 will be remembered as a watershed moment in history. Adolf Hitler gave his final broadcast over the radio in January, after escaping to his Berlin bunker. The infamous Waffen-SS also started the evacuation of Auschwitz, one of the most heinous concentration camps set up by the Nazis during their brief Third Reich. In February 1945, with the war’s conclusion in sight, the Yalta Conference was conducted. President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Premier Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union represented the remaining three “big powers” of the Allies. The conference’s goal was to establish postwar arrangements in order to preserve peace amongst the victorious Allies after the war with Germany ended.
Two prominent heads of state passed away in this year. Adolf Hitler committed suicide in Berlin in April, as his adversaries closed in on him. In April, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away. President Franklin D. Roosevelt died of a stroke at his personal getaway in Warm Springs, Georgia, after winning four presidential elections. Vice President Harry S. Truman was sworn in as President following Roosevelt’s death.
The unconditional surrender of Germany to the Allies in May 1945 marked the end of the European war. “Victory in Europe Day” was commemorated on the day the Germans surrendered. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, however, maintained the war in the Pacific theatre. In September, Japan formally surrendered, and the Allies commemorated the day as Victory over Japan Day. The United Nations was created in October, which was the year’s final big international event.
Continue reading to discover more about the events of 1945.
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![]() (January 25, 1945) |
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(January 30, 1945) |
![]() (February 04, 1945) |
![]() (February 06, 1945) |
![]() (February 16, 1945) |
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(February 19, 1945) |
![]() (February 23, 1945) |
![]() (March 16, 1945) |
![]() (March 22, 1945) |
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(March 24, 1945) |
![]() (March 30, 1945) |
![]() (April 28, 1945) |
![]() (May 07, 1945) |
![]() (June 21, 1945) |
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(July 16, 1945) |
![]() (July 29, 1945) |
![]() (August 06, 1945) |
![]() (August 09, 1945) |
![]() (August 15, 1945) |
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(August 17, 1945) |
![]() (August 17, 1945) |
![]() (October 21, 1945) |
![]() (October 24, 1945) At 4:50 p.m. EST, the United Nations Charter went into effect, with the Soviet Union joining the list of signatories, bringing the total number of signatories to 29. photo source: wikipedia.org |
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