The Second World War began on 1 September 1939 and ended on 2 September 1945.

Key dates

  • Start of the war: Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, which is widely recognized as the beginning of the Second World War.
  • End of the war in Europe: Germany surrendered on 8 May 1945 (V-E Day), ending major fighting in Europe.
  • End of the war globally: Japan formally surrendered on 2 September 1945, bringing the entire Second World War to an end.

Simple timeline

  • 1939–1945: Overall span of the Second World War.
  • 1 September 1939: War begins with the invasion of Poland.
  • 8 May 1945: Nazi Germany surrenders in Europe.
  • 2 September 1945: Japan surrenders; war officially ends.

Quick HTML table for dates

[1][9] [7][1] [9][1][7]
Event Date
Start of Second World War 1 September 1939
End of war in Europe (V-E Day) 8 May 1945
Formal end of Second World War 2 September 1945
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.