The Battles of Monte Cassino begin » Cassino, Italy; 17 January 1944:  The four battles involved the U.S., U.K., Canada, Poland, New Zealand and others against the German Army and air forces. Allied success was key in the push through the "Winter Line" (various German defenses) and finally on to overtake Rome. The battle would be very costly with Allied casualties reaching 100k, and the U.S. Fifth Army suffering 90k alone.

The first Warsaw Ghetto Uprising starts » Warsaw, Poland; 18 January 1943:  The first of the two famous uprisings by Jewish citizens and resistance fighters. The Warsaw uprising was in response to the impending transport by German authorities to the Treblinka extermination camp, also in Poland. The Treblinka toll was 850k.The Pianist, both memoir and film are based upon the true stories of both Warsaw uprisings.

US Army Pvt. James Arness lands on Anzio Beach » Anzio, western Italy; 21 January 1944:  James Arness, who made himself famous for his role as "Marshall Matt Dillon" on the hit TV series Gunsmoke, was also a veteran of the Battle of Anzio, Italy. James was the first soldier off of his landing craft because of his height (6'6") - he was the "depth finder". He would later be awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

The Battle of Anzio begins» Anzio, western Italy; 22 January 1944:  The combat actions by Allied forces at Anzio (U.S., U.K. & Canada) were implemented to flank the German defenses and fortifications at the "Winter Line". Losses from both the Allied and Axis forces were about equal, with the Allied tally at 43k. The Winter Line was ultimately defeated and Rome would be taken and secured by 5 June 1944.

Sgt. Bill Mauldin fights at Anzio » Anzio, Italy; 23 January 1944:  Sgt. Mauldin served with the U.S. Army's 45th Infantry Division which would also see action at Anzio, Italy. A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist from the United States, he was most famous for his WWII cartoons depicting American soldiers, as represented by the archetypal characters Willie and Joe, two weary infantry troopers who stoically endure the difficulties and dangers of duty in the field.

Ernie Pyle » was an American journalist who wrote as a roving correspondent for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain from 1935 until his death in combat during WWII. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1944. His articles, about the out-of-the-way places he visited and the people who lived there, were a folksy style much like a personal letter to a friend. He enjoyed a following in some 300 newspapers.

Bill Mauldin » A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist from the United States, he was most famous for his WWII cartoons depicting American soldiers, as represented by the archetypal characters Willie and Joe, two weary infantry troopers who stoically endure the difficulties and dangers of duty in the field. These cartoons were published and distributed in Stars and Stripes.

The Battle for Hürtgen Forest - November 1944 »

Christmas miracle at the 'Bulge'; 1944 » On Christmas Eve 1944, a wartime miracle played out in a small cottage deep within the Ardennes Forest during the "Battle of the Bulge". For one brief night, a few American and German soldiers put down their weapons at the behest of one brave family and created a timeless Christmas story. Fritz Vincken was 12 years old at the time as he recounts that night.

Renee LeMaire,'The Angel of Bastogne'; 1944 » The story of Renee LeMaire is among the many accounts of valor in Bastogne on Christmas Eve, 1944. Renee was a Beligian nurse who volunteered to stay and assist at the makeshift aid station of the US Army's 10th Armored Division while the fighting in Bastogne intensified. Renee's story is highlighted in episode 6, "Bastogne" in the 'Band of Brothers' series from 2001.

Dresden, Germany; 13 February 1945: The Bombing of Dresden, Germany » The highly controversial destruction of the city of Dresden has been debated for years. The British and American commanders justified the action as strategic for military and indutrial targets while others viewed it as unnecessary and potentially a war crime.