Adolf Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. This event marked the beginning of the Nazi regime, which would later implement the policies leading to the Holocaust.
1933
1935
Nuremberg Laws Enacted
The Nuremberg Laws were introduced in 1935, stripping Jews of their civil rights and laying the groundwork for their systematic persecution. These laws defined who was considered Jewish and banned marriages between Jews and non-Jews.
1938
Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)
On November 9-10, 1938, a violent pogrom against Jews took place throughout Nazi Germany, known as Kristallnacht. Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues were destroyed, and thousands of Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps.
1939
Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, marking the start of World War II. This invasion led to the establishment of ghettos and concentration camps in occupied Poland, where Jews and other persecuted groups were confined.
1940
Establishment of Auschwitz Concentration Camp
Auschwitz, one of the most infamous concentration and extermination camps, was established in 1940. It became a central site for the mass murder of Jews and other victims of the Holocaust.
1941
Operation Barbarossa
The German invasion of the Soviet Union, known as Operation Barbarossa, began on June 22, 1941. This invasion led to mass shootings and the establishment of extermination camps in Eastern Europe, escalating the Holocaust.
1942
Wannsee Conference
On January 20, 1942, senior Nazi officials met at the Wannsee Conference to coordinate the implementation of the "Final Solution," the plan to systematically exterminate the Jewish population of Europe.
1943
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
In April 1943, Jewish residents of the Warsaw Ghetto staged an armed uprising against the Nazis. Although ultimately crushed, the resistance became a symbol of Jewish defiance against the Holocaust.
1944
D-Day and the Liberation of Western Europe
The Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944, marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control. As Allied forces advanced, they began to uncover and liberate concentration camps.
1945
Liberation of Concentration Camps
In 1945, Allied forces liberated several concentration camps, including Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and Dachau. The liberation revealed the full extent of the Holocaust's atrocities to the world.
1946
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials began in 1946, bringing leading Nazi officials to justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including their roles in the Holocaust.
1953
Establishment of Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, was established in Jerusalem in 1953 to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and educate future generations.
1961
Eichmann Trial
Adolf Eichmann, one of the key architects of the Holocaust, was captured by Israeli agents in 1960 and brought to trial in Jerusalem in 1961. His trial brought global attention to the Holocaust and its atrocities.
1978
Miniseries "Holocaust" Airs
The American television miniseries "Holocaust" aired in 1978, significantly raising public awareness and understanding of the Holocaust in the United States and around the world.
1993
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Opens
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum opened in Washington, D.C., in 1993, serving as a national institution for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history.
2005
International Holocaust Remembrance Day Established
The United Nations designated January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2005, commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz and honoring the memory of Holocaust victims.
