World War II Timeline: 1939
Explore 21 documented milestones from 1939, across military theaters, diplomacy, society and technology.
Dated historical records
Entries below follow the dates recorded in the WWII CHRONOS archive. Each linked title opens the original historical entry, including its source reference.
- — Hewlett-Packard Founded — The beginning of one of the key manufacturers of electronic measurement and computing equipment.
- — Declaration of Independence of Carpatho-Ukraine — The Soim of Carpatho-Ukraine proclaimed independence in Khust.
- — Occupation of the Czech Lands — Germany occupies Bohemia and Moravia after the breakup of Czechoslovakia.
- — British and French Guarantees to Poland — After the expansion of German power, the British and French governments declared support for Polish independence. European diplomacy increasingly recognised the danger of another war.
- — Italian Invasion of Albania — Fascist Italy sought to strengthen its influence in the Balkans and control the strategic approaches to the Adriatic Sea. Albania was already under heavy Italian political and economic
- — RCA Demonstrates Electronic Television to the Public at the New York World's Fair — An important step from experimental television toward a mass medium.
- — Beginning of the Battles of Khalkhin Gol — A series of clashes began on the border between Mongolia and Manchukuo involving Japanese and Soviet-Mongolian forces.
- — First Funding for the Harvard Mark I — The automatic electromechanical calculator project received its initial funding.
- — The MS St. Louis Sails from Hamburg — Jewish refugees attempted to find safety across the Atlantic.
- — First Regular Transatlantic Passenger Flight by Pan American — 22 passengers and 11 crew aboard the Boeing 314 Dixie Clipper.
- — Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact — Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact with a secret protocol dividing spheres of influence.
- — First Flight of the Jet-Powered Heinkel He 178 — The German experimental Heinkel He 178 made its first flight using turbojet propulsion, an important early demonstration of a powerplant principle that would transform aviation.
- — First Full-Scale Polyethylene Plant Begins Operation — Polyethylene moves from laboratory material to industrial production.
- — German Invasion of Poland — The beginning of the Second World War in Europe; Germany attacks from the west.
- — Britain and France Declare War — The two states enter the war against Germany following the invasion of Poland.
- — First Flight of the Sikorsky VS-300 Helicopter — A key prototype for the modern single-main-rotor helicopter configuration.
- — Soviet Invasion of Poland — The Red Army enters eastern Poland in accordance with the Soviet-German division of spheres of influence.
- — Surrender of Warsaw — After Germany's attack on Poland, Warsaw came under siege. The city's defenders and civilian population endured heavy artillery fire and bombing.
- — Winter War — The Soviet Union attacks Finland; fighting continues until March 1940.
- — World's First Industrial Nylon Plant Begins Operation — In its first year, it produced enough nylon for about 64 million pairs of stockings.
- — Battle of the River Plate — British cruisers engaged the German commerce raider Admiral Graf Spee off the coast of South America.
For wider context, explore the interactive historical timeline and compare events across theaters.