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Major Events of May 1941: 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 May 1941 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of May 1941: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 May 1941 Citizen Kane Premieres in New York City: Orson Welles's groundbreaking film Citizen Kane, widely considered one of the greatest movies ever made, premiered in New York City, revolutionizing cinematic storytelling and narrative techniques.
  • 02 May 1941 Citizen Kane World Premiere: Orson Welles' groundbreaking film 'Citizen Kane' had its world premiere at the Palace Theatre in New York City, a landmark moment in cinema history.
  • 03 May 1941 German Submarine Commissioning: Two German submarines, U-205 and U-451, were commissioned into the Kriegsmarine, expanding Nazi Germany's naval warfare capabilities during World War II.
  • 04 May 1941 Third Belfast Blitz Raid: During World War II, the third German air raid of the Belfast Blitz occurred overnight, continuing the sustained bombing campaign against Northern Ireland's capital city, causing significant civilian and infrastructure damage.
  • 05 May 1941 Luftwaffe Bombing of Liverpool: The German Luftwaffe commences a seven-night bombing campaign against Liverpool, causing extensive destruction and representing a significant phase of the aerial bombardment of British cities during World War II.
  • 06 May 1941 Stalin Becomes Soviet Premier: Josef Stalin officially assumes the role of Premier of the Soviet Union, consolidating his political power during the critical early years of World War II.
  • 07 May 1941 Churchill Receives Overwhelming Parliamentary Support: The British House of Commons demonstrated overwhelming confidence in Prime Minister Winston Churchill, voting 477-3 in his favor during a critical period of World War II.
  • 08 May 1941 Luftwaffe Bombing Raid on Nottingham and Derby: During World War II, the German Luftwaffe conducted a strategic bombing raid targeting the industrial cities of Nottingham and Derby, causing significant civilian and infrastructure damage.
  • 09 May 1941 Capture of U-110 and Enigma Machine: A pivotal World War II naval intelligence operation where the Royal Navy captured the German submarine U-110, securing a critical Enigma cryptography machine that would significantly aid Allied codebreaking efforts.
  • 10 May 1941 Breaking the Enigma Code: British cryptographers at Bletchley Park successfully broke the Enigma code, a pivotal moment in World War II intelligence that would significantly impact the Allied war effort.
  • 11 May 1941 Hitler-Darlan Strategic Meeting: Adolf Hitler met with Vichy Vice-Premier François Darlan at the Berghof. In a strategic negotiation, Hitler agreed to release French World War I veterans from prisoner of war camps in exchange for the Vichy government compromising its neutrality by allowing German planes to land in French Syria and facilitating supply lines for the Afrika Korps through French Tunisia.
  • 12 May 1941 Devastating Luftwaffe Bombing of London: The Luftwaffe conducts what would be its last major bombing raid on London, causing unprecedented destruction. Over 1,400 people were killed, 700 acres were set ablaze, and significant landmarks like the Houses of Parliament sustained serious damage.
  • 13 May 1941 Barbarossa Decree Signed: OKW chief Wilhelm Keitel signed the Barbarossa Decree, a critical directive that would shape the brutal German military strategy in the Eastern Front during World War II.
  • 14 May 1941 Mass Arrest of Parisian Jews During World War II: On May 14, 1941, a significant and tragic event occurred during the Nazi occupation of France: approximately 3,600 Parisian Jews were arrested in a systematic round-up targeting foreign Jewish residents. This mass arrest was part of the broader Nazi persecution and deportation of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
  • 15 May 1941 First British Jet Aircraft Takes Flight: The Gloster E.28/39 made its maiden flight, marking a significant milestone in British and Allied aviation technology during World War II. This pioneering jet aircraft represented a revolutionary leap in aerospace engineering.
  • 16 May 1941 The Blitz Concludes with Luftwaffe Attacks on Birmingham: The Blitz officially ended with intense Luftwaffe attacks on Birmingham and the West Midlands, culminating in a devastating campaign that resulted in the deaths of approximately 43,000 British civilians throughout the bombing period.
  • 17 May 1941 U.S. Forces Capture Manila's Ipo Dam: During World War II, U.S. military forces successfully captured the strategically important Ipo Dam near Manila after an intense three-day bombing campaign. The operation involved dropping over 100,000 gallons of napalm on Japanese defensive positions, demonstrating the significant aerial warfare capabilities of the U.S. military in the Pacific theater.
  • 18 May 1941 German Naval Operation Rheinübung Launched: The German Navy initiated Operation Rheinübung, a strategic naval mission aimed at disrupting Allied maritime supply lines to Great Britain by intercepting and blocking shipping routes in the Atlantic Ocean.
  • 19 May 1941 Sorge's Unheeded Warning to Stalin: Soviet NKGB agent Richard Sorge, stationed in Japan, sent a critical intelligence report to Josef Stalin, warning that nine German armies comprising 150 divisions were preparing to launch a massive invasion of the Soviet Union. Despite the detailed intelligence, Stalin dismissed the warning, which would later prove catastrophically incorrect.
  • 20 May 1941 Operation Mercury: German Invasion of Crete: In a daring early morning airborne assault, German gliders and 7th Airborne Division paratroopers launched Operation Mercury, targeting principal airports on the island of Crete. The operation was strategically designed to secure airfields for subsequent troop transport of the 5th Division. However, the invasion was fraught with challenges, with numerous gliders crashing and many paratroopers being shot down during their descent.
  • 21 May 1941 SS Robin Moor Sunk by German U-boat: During World War II, the freighter SS Robin Moor was sunk by a German U-boat approximately 950 miles off the coast of Brazil. This incident marked the first United States merchant ship deliberately destroyed by a German submarine during the conflict, signaling an escalation of naval warfare in the Atlantic.
  • 22 May 1941 Hannah Arendt Arrives in the United States: Renowned philosopher Hannah Arendt, her husband Heinrich Blucher, and other refugees fleeing Nazi persecution arrived at Ellis Island aboard the SS Guine, symbolizing the intellectual exodus from Europe during the Holocaust.
  • 23 May 1941 Anti-Jewish Riots in Gabès, Tunisia: A severe outbreak of anti-Jewish violence erupted in Gabès, Tunisia, under Vichy French control. Triggered by news of the Arab uprising's defeat in Iraq, the riots lasted three days and represented the escalating antisemitic tensions during World War II.
  • 24 May 1941 Sinking of HMS Hood by Bismarck: During World War II, in the North Atlantic, the German battleship Bismarck engaged and sank the HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy. The devastating attack resulted in the loss of 1,416 lives, with only three crew members surviving the catastrophic naval battle.
  • 25 May 1941 Ted Williams Batting Achievement: Ted Williams, a legendary baseball player for the Boston Red Sox, achieved a remarkable milestone by raising his batting average over .400 for the first time in the 1941 season. This was an extraordinary feat in baseball history, as maintaining a batting average above .400 is extremely rare.
  • 26 May 1941 Sinking of the Bismarck: In a significant World War II naval engagement, the German battleship Bismarck is sunk in the North Atlantic, resulting in the loss of approximately 2,300 German sailors.
  • 27 May 1941 Sinking of the Bismarck: The German battleship Bismarck was decisively sunk by a British naval force in the North Atlantic, representing a critical moment in World War II naval warfare. The British Royal Navy's successful operation eliminated one of Nazi Germany's most formidable naval assets.
  • 28 May 1941 British Army Evacuates Crete: British and Commonwealth forces began a strategic withdrawal from the island of Crete during World War II, as German forces advanced and overwhelmed Allied defensive positions. This evacuation marked a significant moment in the Mediterranean theater of the war, highlighting the challenges faced by Allied troops against German military operations.
  • 29 May 1941 Pro-Axis Iraqi Leadership Escapes Baghdad: On May 29, 1941, pro-Axis Iraqi leader Rashid Ali al-Gaylani and his supporters, including the influential Amin al-Husseini, fled Iraq as British troops approached Baghdad. This escape marked the collapse of their political and military resistance against British forces, significantly altering the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East during World War II.
  • 30 May 1941 Hitler's Genocidal War Conference: Hitler held a conference with his generals, explicitly stating that the upcoming war with Russia would be a race war, with SS Einsatzgruppen tasked to exterminate communist commissars and Jews, revealing the premeditated genocidal intent of the Nazi regime.
  • 31 May 1941 Nazi Discrimination in Netherlands: German occupiers implement racist policies by forbidding Jews access to beaches and swimming pools, further escalating systematic persecution.