World War II

Historical eventDecember 101941

World War II

Second World War: The Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse were sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo bombers east of Malaya.

Everything on December 10Original source

In context

When
Wednesday, December 10 194185 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1940s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1941.

What happened

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many engaging in total war on an unprecedented scale. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the deaths of 60 to 75 million people, a majority of whom were civilians. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan,

December 10 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1941World War II
  2. 1996Constitution of South Africa
  3. 1999Helen Clark
  4. 2005Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145
  5. 2014Ziad Abu Ein
  6. 2015Rojava Revolution
  7. 20162016 Beşiktaş bombings
  8. 2017Islamic State
  9. 2019Ostrava hospital shooting
  10. 2021Tornado outbreak of December 10–11, 2021
  11. 2021Edwardsville Amazon warehouse collapse

Also in 1941

  • September 11Des Moines, IowaIn Des Moines, Iowa, American aviator Charles Lindbergh delivered an antisemitic speech (reporting pictured) accusing Jews of controlling…
  • November 17World War IIWorld War II: Hjalmar Siilasvuo ordered Finnish forces to halt their assault against Soviet forces near Salla, concluding Operation Arcti…
  • January 3World War IISecond World War: As part of Operation Compass, Australian and United Kingdom forces attacked Italian forces at the Battle of Bardia in E…
  • August 14Dominion of NewfoundlandAfter a secret meeting in Newfoundland, British prime minister Winston Churchill and U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt (both pictured)…
  • September 3Deportation of Soviet Germans (1941–1942)The mass expulsion of Soviet Germans from the Volga German ASSR began.
  • July 31The HolocaustThe Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring authorised SS officer Reinhard Heydrich to handle preparations for th…
  • June 8World War IIWorld War II: The Allies commenced the Syria–Lebanon campaign against Vichy French possessions in the Levant.
  • May 1Citizen KaneCitizen Kane, a widely acclaimed film by actor and director Orson Welles, premiered.

Everything we record for 1941 →

Sources

Cite this page

“World War II”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/world-war-ii-1941-december-10, accessed October 26, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did World War II happen?

December 10 1941 — 85 years ago, on a Wednesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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