World Events · 1945
1945: End of War, Dawn of Atomic Age
The devastating turmoil of World War II comes to a dramatic end as Allied powers secure victory in Europe and Asia. Amid the ruins of global conflict and the harrowing dawn of the atomic age, world leaders forge a fragile new geopolitical order.
- January 27, 1945 | Poland
Liberation of Auschwitz
Soviet troops enter the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, discovering thousands of emaciated survivors and exposing the full horrific scale of the Holocaust to the world.
- February 4–11, 1945 | Crimea
The Yalta Conference
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin meet in the Crimea to discuss the post-war reorganization of Europe and the final defeat of Nazi Germany.
- May 8, 1945 | Global
Victory in Europe (V-E Day)
Following Adolf Hitler's suicide in his subterranean bunker, Nazi Germany unconditionally surrenders to Allied forces, marking the official end of World War II in Europe.
- June 26, 1945 | United States
Signing of the UN Charter
Delegates from 50 nations sign the foundational United Nations Charter in San Francisco, establishing an international organization dedicated to maintaining global peace and security.
- July 16, 1945 | United States
The Trinity Nuclear Test
J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project detonate the world's first nuclear weapon in the New Mexico desert, successfully initiating the weaponized nuclear era.
- August 6–9, 1945 | Japan
Atomic Bombings of Japan
The United States drops two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 100,000 people instantly and precipitating Japan's immediate surrender.
- September 2, 1945 | Japan
Formal Surrender of Japan
Japanese representatives sign the Instrument of Surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri, officially bringing World War II to a final, definitive close.
- November 20, 1945 | Germany
Start of the Nuremberg Trials
An International Military Tribunal convenes in Nuremberg to prosecute prominent Nazi leaders for war crimes, crimes against peace, and crimes against humanity.
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