Military in History
Browse 24 historical moments currently tagged military in the DayFacts collection. Entries are grouped by their recorded year, not by importance.
📅 18th Century(3)
Paul Revere born
American silversmith and patriot Paul Revere is born in Boston, Massachusetts. He later becomes famous for his midnight ride.
Washington crosses the Delaware
General George Washington leads the Continental Army across the Delaware River for a surprise attack on Hessian forces at Trenton.
Battle of Princeton boosts the American Revolution
George Washington's army defeats British forces at Princeton, strengthening the Patriot cause during a critical phase of the Revolutionary War.
📅 19th Century(2)
📅 20th Century(17)
First case of 1918 flu pandemic reported
The first confirmed case of the Spanish flu is reported at Fort Riley, Kansas. The pandemic eventually kills 50–100 million people.
Rosa Luxemburg dies
German revolutionary socialist Rosa Luxemburg is killed in Berlin during the Spartacist uprising.
Kristallnacht
A series of coordinated attacks against Jewish people and property across Nazi Germany and Austria, marking an escalation of persecution.
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Imperial Japanese Navy launches a surprise military strike on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Pearl Harbor casualties
Over 2,400 Americans are killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, propelling the US into World War II.
D-Day: Normandy Landings
Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion in history on the beaches of Normandy, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany.
20 July plot to assassinate Hitler
A group of German officers attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb at the Wolf's Lair. Hitler survives.
V-E Day: Victory in Europe
Nazi Germany unconditionally surrenders to the Allied forces, ending World War II in Europe.
Atomic bombing of Hiroshima
The United States drops the atomic bomb 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima, Japan, killing an estimated 80,000 people instantly.
Thousands die in Hiroshima
An estimated 80,000 people die instantly from the atomic bombing, with tens of thousands more dying from radiation in the following months.
NATO is founded
Twelve countries sign the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C., creating the NATO military alliance.
Cuban Revolution succeeds
Fidel Castro's forces overthrow the Batista regime in Cuba, beginning a new era of communist rule in the Western Hemisphere.
Charles de Gaulle dies
Former French President Charles de Gaulle dies at age 79 in Colombey-les-Deux-Églises.
Chilean coup d'état
General Augusto Pinochet leads a military coup against President Salvador Allende in Chile, who dies during the siege.
Salvador Allende dies
Chilean President Salvador Allende dies during the military coup led by Augusto Pinochet.
Vietnamese forces capture Phnom Penh
Vietnamese troops and Cambodian rebels seize Phnom Penh, toppling the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.
Battle of Mogadishu shocks global audiences
Fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia, results in heavy casualties and becomes one of the defining military incidents of the 1990s.
📅 21th Century(2)
September 11 attacks
Terrorists hijack four commercial airplanes, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon.
Slobodan Milošević dies
Former President of Serbia and Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević dies in his cell at The Hague during his war crimes trial.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Which military entries are included in the collection?
- Examples currently tagged military include: Paul Revere born (1735), Washington crosses the Delaware (1776), Battle of Princeton boosts the American Revolution (1777).
- How many military events are in the timeline?
- The current DayFacts collection includes 24 historical entries tagged military.