World Events and Discoveries in 1945 — Timeline
11 documented historical milestones concerning world events and discoveries in 1945.
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.
- — 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.
- — 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.
- — First Flight of the Vickers Viking Passenger Aircraft — One of Britain's first new passenger aircraft of the post-war era.
- — Willow Run Produces Its Final B-24 — The plant built 8,685 B-24 bombers.
- — 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.
- — UNESCO Constitution Adopted — States agree on the founding principles of an international organisation for cooperation in education, science and culture.
- — 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.