World War II

Historical eventJuly 51944

World War II

Second World War: Canadian troops defeated the last German counterattacks against Carpiquet, Normandy, France.

Everything on July 5Original source
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In context

When
Wednesday, July 5 194482 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: 1939-09-01 – 1945-09-02.

Place: Russia, Japan.

Type: world war and historical period.

Deaths reported: 73000000.

What came before

Background Main article: Causes of World War II Aftermath of World War I The League of Nations assembly, held in Geneva , Switzerland (1930) World War I radically altered the European political map. The most prominent nations of the Central Powers each lost territory in their respective peace treaties at the conclusion of the conflict. New nation-states were created out of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian , Ottoman , and Russian Empires . [ 1 ] To prevent a future world war,

Catalyst / how it started

Linked causes: Treaty of Versailles, causes of World War II, Adolf Hitler, and Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

Who was involved

Involved: Axis Powers, Allies of World War II, Nazi Germany, Australia, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Egypt, and Mexico.

Timeline

Follows: World War I.

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,

July 5 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1944World War II
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  3. 2006United Nations Security Council
  4. 2006North Korea
  5. 2009Staffordshire Hoard
  6. 2009July 2009 Ürümqi riots
  7. 2012The Shard
  8. 2016Juno (spacecraft)
  9. 2022Sajid Javid
  10. 2023Ariane 5
  11. 2024Keir Starmer

Also in 1944

  • September 15World War IIWorld War II: American and Australian forces landed on the Japanese-occupied island of Morotai.
  • October 20World War IIWorld War II: Fulfilling a promise he made two years previously, General Douglas MacArthur landed on Leyte to begin the recapture of the…
  • May 25WehrmachtThe Wehrmacht and their collaborationist allies launched Operation Rösselsprung, a failed attempt to assassinate the Yugoslav Partisan le…
  • June 14World War IISecond World War: The British Army abandoned its attempt to capture the German-occupied city of Caen.
  • November 27RAF Fauld explosionBetween 3,500 and 4,000 tonnes of ordnance exploded at the RAF Fauld underground munitions storage depot in the largest non-nuclear explo…
  • September 3DiaryHolocaust: Diarist Anne Frank and her family are placed on the last transport train from the Westerbork transit camp to the Auschwitz con…
  • November 5World War IIWorld War II: Allied forces began a military campaign on Japanese-occupied Singapore.
  • June 17IcelandIceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.

Everything we record for 1944 →

Sources

Cite this page

“World War II”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/world-war-ii-1944-july-5, accessed October 28, 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?

July 5 1944 — 82 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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