What Happened Today In History

What Happened In Year 1944?

• January 5, 1944 – The Daily Mail becomes the first transoceanic newspaper.
• January 17, 1944 – World War II: Allied forces launch the first of four battles with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome, an effort that would ultimately take four months and cost 105,000 Allied casualties.
• January 22, 1944 – World War II: The Allies commence Operation Shingle, an assault on Anzio, Italy.
• January 25, 1944 – New Year’s Day in Chinese calendar. Start of the year of the Wood Monkey in Chinese astrology.
• February 3, 1944 – World War II: During the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, U.S. Army and Marine forces seize Kwajalein Atoll from the defending Japanese garrison.
• February 24, 1944 – Merrill’s Marauders: The Marauders begin their 1,000 mile journey through Japanese occupied Burma.
• March 9, 1944 – World War II: Japanese troops counter-attack American forces on Hill 700 in Bougainville in a battle that would last five days.
• March 10, 1944 – Greek Civil War: The Political Committee of National Liberation is established in Greece by the National Liberation Front.
• March 30, 1944 – Allied bombing raid on Nuremberg. Along the English eastern coast 795 aircraft are despatched, including 572 Lancasters, 214 Halifaxes and 9 Mosquitos. The bombers meet resistance at the coasts of Belgium and the Netherlands from German fighters. In total, 95 bombers are lost, making it the largest Bomber Command loss of World War II.
• April 1, 1944 – Navigation errors lead to an accidental American bombing of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen.
• April 22, 1944 – The 1st Air Commando Group using Sikorsky R-4 helicopters stage the first use of helicopters in combat with CSAR operations in the China-Burma-India theater.
• April 28, 1944 – World War II: Nine German S-boots attacked US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946.
• May 5, 1944 – German troops execute 216 civilians in the village of Kleisoura in Greece
• June 15, 1944 – In the Saskatchewan general election, the CCF, led by Tommy Douglas, is elected and forms the first socialist government in North America.
• July 22, 1944 – The Polish Committee of National Liberation publishes its manifesto, starting the period of Communist rule in Poland
• July 25, 1944 – World War II: Operation Spring – one of the bloodiest days for the First Canadian Army during the war: 1,500 casualties, including 500 killed.
• August 26, 1944 – World War II: Charles de Gaulle enters Paris.
• September 14, 1944 – World War II: Maastricht becomes the first Dutch city to be liberated by allied forces.
• October 5, 1944 – Suffrage is extended to women in France.
• October 20, 1944 – Liquid natural gas leaks from storage tanks in Cleveland, then explodes; the explosion and resulting fire level 30 blocks and kill 130.