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Major Events of September 1940: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from September 1940 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of September 1940: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Sep 1940 George Marshall Becomes US Army Chief of Staff: General George C. Marshall was officially sworn in as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, a pivotal leadership role during the early stages of World War II. Marshall would play a crucial strategic role in organizing and preparing the US military for global conflict.
  • 02 Sep 1940 US-British Naval Base Lease Agreement: The United States and Great Britain signed a strategic defense agreement, where the US would gain leasing rights to critical naval and air bases across the Caribbean and Atlantic regions. This included strategic locations in Newfoundland, Bermuda, Bahamas, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Antigua, and British Guiana. In exchange, the United States provided Britain with fifty naval destroyers, significantly bolstering British defensive capabilities during the early stages of World War II.
  • 03 Sep 1940 The Blitz Begins: German Aerial Assault on London: The German Luftwaffe initiates a massive bombing campaign against London, marking the start of the Blitz - a sustained aerial bombardment that would terrorize British civilians and become a pivotal moment in World War II.
  • 04 Sep 1940 Hitler's Bombing Campaign Threat Against Britain: Adolf Hitler publicly declares a retaliatory strategy of bombing British cities night after night, escalating the aerial warfare in response to British bombing raids on Berlin during World War II.
  • 05 Sep 1940 The Blitz Begins: Nazi Germany Bombs London: Nazi Germany commenced its strategic bombing campaign against London, marking the start of 57 consecutive nights of aerial bombardment. This marked a critical phase of the Battle of Britain and represented a significant escalation in the air war.
  • 06 Sep 1940 Romanian Royal Transition and Political Shift: King Carol II of Romania abdicated the throne, transferring power to his son Michael. Simultaneously, General Ion Antonescu assumed leadership as the Conducător (Leader) of Romania, marking a significant political transformation during World War II.
  • 07 Sep 1940 The Blitz Begins: Black Saturday: On September 7, 1940, the German Luftwaffe launched a massive bombing campaign against London, marking the beginning of the Blitz. In this first devastating raid, 348 bombers and 617 fighters attacked the city with high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices. The day became known as Black Saturday, resulting in approximately 1,000 civilian deaths and 1,600 serious injuries, signaling a new and brutal phase of World War II.
  • 08 Sep 1940 Luftwaffe Bombing of London During the Blitz: On September 8, 1940, during the early stages of the German Luftwaffe's strategic bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, a devastating air raid struck London's Whitechapel area. A direct hit on the air-raid shelter at Peabody Estate resulted in 78 civilian casualties. In a separate but equally tragic incident, St. Thomas's Hospital was also bombed, killing 5 nurses who were providing critical medical care during the wartime emergency. This attack was part of the broader German strategy to break British morale and weaken the country's resistance during World War II.
  • 09 Sep 1940 First Remote Computer Operation: George Stibitz pioneered the first remote operation of a computer, a groundbreaking moment in the history of computing and telecommunications technology.
  • 10 Sep 1940 South Hallsville School Bombing Tragedy: During the London Blitz, the South Hallsville School in London was catastrophically destroyed by a German bomb. Local authorities had directed displaced people to shelter in the school's basement, but a delayed evacuation resulted in massive loss of life. Civilians seeking safety became victims of a tragic miscalculation, highlighting the brutal indiscriminate nature of aerial bombardment during World War II.
  • 11 Sep 1940 Churchill's First BBC Broadcast: Winston Churchill delivers his first BBC broadcast from the underground Cabinet War Rooms, a pivotal moment in wartime communication and morale-boosting efforts.
  • 12 Sep 1940 Discovery of Lascaux Cave Paintings: Four teenagers, while following their dog, accidentally discovered a remarkable prehistoric site near Lascaux, France. Their exploration revealed extraordinary cave paintings estimated to be approximately 17,000 years old, representing a significant archaeological find that would provide unprecedented insights into Paleolithic art and human cultural expression.
  • 13 Sep 1940 Italian Invasion of Egypt in World War II: On September 13, 1940, the Italian 10th Army, led by Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, launched a major offensive by crossing the Libyan frontier into Egypt. With over 200,000 troops, they advanced fifty miles into Egyptian territory and established defensive positions at Sidi Barrani, marking the beginning of the North African campaign during World War II.
  • 14 Sep 1940 Battle of Britain Day: A pivotal day in the Battle of Britain where the Luftwaffe launched a massive offensive, sending approximately 500 bombers to attack London. The Royal Air Force successfully defended British airspace, shooting down 61 German planes while losing 31, dealing a significant psychological and tactical defeat to the German air force.
  • 15 Sep 1940 Battle of Britain Day: Decisive Air Battle: On September 15, 1940, the German Luftwaffe launched its largest and most concentrated attack against London, hoping to draw out the Royal Air Force (RAF) into a decisive battle. Approximately 1,500 aircraft participated in intense air battles lasting until dusk. RAF Fighter Command successfully repelled the German raids, with Luftwaffe formations dispersed by cloud cover and failing to inflict severe damage on London. This pivotal engagement led Hitler to postpone Operation Sea Lion (the planned invasion of Britain). After being defeated in daylight, the Luftwaffe shifted to night bombing campaigns, known as the Blitz, which continued until May 1941.
  • 16 Sep 1940 First Peacetime Draft in US History: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, establishing the first peacetime draft in United States history. This landmark legislation required men aged 20-36 to register for potential military service, significantly expanding the nation's military preparedness in the lead-up to World War II.
  • 17 Sep 1940 Hitler Postpones Invasion of Britain: Adolf Hitler officially orders the indefinite postponement of Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Great Britain. The invasion fleet and troops are instructed to disperse from the invasion staging areas, effectively ending the immediate threat of a German land invasion.
  • 18 Sep 1940 Sinking of the City of Benares: The British passenger ship *City of Benares* was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean by the German submarine *U-48*, resulting in significant loss of life and highlighting the brutal nature of naval warfare during World War II.
  • 19 Sep 1940 Witold Pilecki's Heroic Mission in Auschwitz: During World War II, Polish resistance fighter Witold Pilecki voluntarily allowed himself to be captured and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp. His extraordinary mission was to gather critical intelligence about Nazi atrocities, document the camp's conditions, and establish a resistance movement from within the camp. Pilecki's brave and unprecedented intelligence-gathering effort provided the Allies with some of the first detailed reports about the Holocaust and the systematic murder occurring in Nazi concentration camps.
  • 20 Sep 1940 Breaking the Japanese Purple Code: Genevieve Grotjan, a brilliant cryptanalyst working for the U.S. Army Signal Intelligence Service, successfully completed the decryption of the Japanese diplomatic communication code known as Purple. This breakthrough was a critical intelligence achievement during World War II, enabling American cryptographers to intercept and understand Japanese diplomatic communications, which provided crucial strategic insights for the United States military and diplomatic efforts.
  • 21 Sep 1940 London Underground Officially Approved as Air-Raid Shelter: The British government formally sanctioned the use of the London Underground as an official air-raid shelter during the Blitz, a practice that had already been informally adopted by civilians seeking protection from German bombing raids. This decision provided critical safety infrastructure for London's population during the intense aerial bombardments of World War II.
  • 22 Sep 1940 RAF Bombing of Berlin: On September 22, 1940, the Royal Air Force (RAF) conducted a bombing raid on Berlin, escalating the aerial warfare during the early stages of World War II. This raid was part of the British strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany and represented a significant psychological and military challenge to the German war effort.
  • 23 Sep 1940 Intense German Air Raids on London: During the Battle of Britain, German aircraft conducted a significant air raid on London, causing extensive damage and casualties. The aerial engagement resulted in the loss of eleven British aircraft and three pilots, with eight pilots wounded. The Luftwaffe suffered sixteen aircraft and fourteen airmen losses, highlighting the intense aerial combat of this period.
  • 24 Sep 1940 Luftwaffe's Major Bombing of London: During World War II, the German Luftwaffe launched a massive aerial assault on London, with Air Fleet commanders Albert Kesselring and Hugo Sperrle coordinating day and night bombing raids. These strategic attacks caused extensive damage to the city's infrastructure and civilian areas, marking a critical phase of the Battle of Britain.
  • 25 Sep 1940 Ribbentrop Discusses Potential Axis Expansion: German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop alerted the German embassy in the Soviet Union about potential Japanese involvement in the Axis alliance, signaling growing diplomatic coordination among Axis powers.
  • 26 Sep 1940 Japanese Invasion of French Indo-China: Japanese military forces launched a strategic invasion of French Indo-China (modern-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), marking a significant expansion of Japanese territorial ambitions in Southeast Asia during World War II.
  • 27 Sep 1940 Axis Powers Form Strategic Alliance: Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan formalized a 10-year military and strategic alliance, signaling their intent to coordinate military efforts during World War II.
  • 28 Sep 1940 Belgium Surrenders to Nazi Germany: King Leopold III of Belgium officially surrenders to Nazi Germany and is subsequently interned, marking a significant moment in the early stages of World War II.
  • 29 Sep 1940 First African American Merchant Ship Captain Launches Vessel: The Booker T. Washington becomes the first US Merchant ship commanded by an African American captain, Hugh Mulzac, marking a significant milestone in maritime and civil rights history.
  • 30 Sep 1940 Battle of Britain: Significant Luftwaffe Losses: During the Battle of Britain, 47 German aircraft were shot down over English airspace, representing a substantial blow to the German Luftwaffe's strategic bombing campaign against the United Kingdom.