World War II Timeline: 1945
Explore 39 documented milestones from 1945, 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.
- — Vistula–Oder Offensive — Soviet forces begin a broad offensive on the road to Berlin.
- — Renault Nationalised — The state restructures one of France's major automobile manufacturers after the occupation.
- — First K-25 Production Cell Becomes Operational — The full arrangement had 54 main production units; all were operating by 15 August 1945.
- — Liberation of Auschwitz — The Red Army enters the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp complex.
- — Yalta Conference — The leaders of the Soviet Union, the United States and Britain discuss the end of the war and post-war Europe.
- — Hanford Sends Its First Shipment of Plutonium to Los Alamos — The new industrial cycle from reactor production to chemical separation is now functioning in practice.
- — Bombing of Dresden — British and American aircraft carry out mass air raids on the German city of Dresden.
- — Battle of Iwo Jima — American forces land on the Japanese island.
- — Crossing of the Rhine at Remagen — American forces capture a bridge across the Rhine.
- — Firebombing of Tokyo — During the night of 9–10 March, American bombers carry out a devastating incendiary attack on Tokyo.
- — Battle of Okinawa — American landings on Okinawa begin a prolonged battle.
- — Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt — The US president dies during the final campaigns of the Second World War.
- — Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation — Soviet forces begin the final offensive on the capital of Nazi Germany.
- — Meeting on the Elbe — American and Soviet troops meet near Torgau.
- — San Francisco Conference Opens — Delegates begin discussing the Charter of the United Nations.
- — Suicide of Adolf Hitler — Adolf Hitler dies in Berlin as the Nazi regime collapses.
- — German Surrender Signed at Reims — By spring 1945, German forces were losing control across Europe. The leadership of the Third Reich could no longer continue the war on two fronts.
- — German Surrender Takes Effect — The act of unconditional surrender takes effect on 8 May in Central European time, corresponding to 9 May in Moscow time.
- — Battle of Okinawa Ends — Organised Japanese resistance on Okinawa comes to an end.
- — First Flight of the Vickers Viking Passenger Aircraft — One of Britain's first new passenger aircraft of the post-war era.
- — UN Charter Signed — Delegates at the San Francisco Conference sign the Charter of the United Nations.
- — Willow Run Produces Its Final B-24 — The plant built 8,685 B-24 bombers.
- — Trinity Nuclear Test — The United States conducts the world's first detonation of a nuclear device in New Mexico.
- — Potsdam Conference — The Allied leaders discuss the post-war settlement.
- — Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima — The United States drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city, killing large numbers of civilians.
- — Soviet Union Enters the War against Japan — The Soviet Union declares war on Japan; the offensive in Manchuria begins on 9 August.
- — Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki — A second American atomic bomb strikes the Japanese city.
- — Japan Agrees to Surrender — In August 1945, Japan faced the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet entry into the war in the Far East.
- — Japan Announces Surrender — The Emperor of Japan informs the population that the surrender terms have been accepted.
- — Indonesian Declaration of Independence — Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaim Indonesian independence after Japan's surrender.
- — Formal Surrender of Japan — The surrender instrument is signed aboard USS Missouri, bringing the Second World War to a formal end.
- — ZEEP Reactor Reaches Criticality for the First Time — The first nuclear reactor outside the United States to achieve a self-sustaining chain reaction.
- — Rolls-Royce Trent Makes Its First Flight as an Early Turboprop Engine — A key early milestone in turboprop transport aviation.
- — First Flight of the de Havilland Dove — A symbol of aircraft factories shifting toward post-war civil production.
- — UN Charter Enters into Force — The Charter of the United Nations, signed in San Francisco on 26 June 1945, enters into force on 24 October, marking the formal beginning of the United Nations.
- — United Nations Formally Established — The Charter of the United Nations enters into force.
- — UNESCO Constitution Adopted — States agree on the founding principles of an international organisation for cooperation in education, science and culture.
- — Nuremberg Trials Begin — The International Military Tribunal opens proceedings against major Nazi leaders.
- — Series Production of Volkswagen Resumes at Wolfsburg — 55 cars were produced by the end of 1945.
For wider context, explore the interactive historical timeline and compare events across theaters.