Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
Years: 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 - 1943 - 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948
Events
- February 2 - End of the Battle of Stalingrad in Russia.
- February 11 - General Eisenhower is selected to command the allied armies in Europe.
- January 11 - The United States and United Kingdom give up territorial rights in China.
- April 25 - Easter occurs on the latest possible date. Last time 1886 next time 2038.
- July 25 - In Italy the Gran Consiglio del Fascismo retires its consent to Mussolini; Mussolini is arrested and the power is given to Maresciallo d'Italia Gen. Pietro Badoglio.
- September 3 - Italy is invaded by the Allied forces during World War II
- September 8 - Maresciallo d'Italia Gen. Pietro Badoglio subscribes the armistice with Allied troops.
- December 24 - US General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the supreme Allied commander.
- December 30 - Chandra Bose raises the flag of Indian independence at Port Blair.
- Development of the Colossus computer by British to break German encryption (see History of computing).
Art, Culture & Fashion
- 1943 in film
- 1943 in literature
- 1943 in music
- Oklahoma! the musical premieres
- 1943 in sports
- 1943 in television
- December 23 - The first complete opera, Hansel and Gretel, is telecast, by WRGB in Schenectady.
- The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is formed
Births
- January 2 - Baris Manco, Turkish celebrity
- January 4 - Doris Kearns Goodwin, writer
- January 19 - Janis Joplin, blues singer
- February 11 - Ian Cameron, British brigadier
- February 25 - George Harrison, musician, member of The Beatles
- March 9 - Bobby Fischer, chess player
- March 15 - David Cronenberg, director
- May 31 - Joe Namath (Pro American Football Hall of Famer: quarterback)
- May 31 - Sharon Gless (actress)
- August 17 - Robert De Niro, United States actor
- August 30 - Jean-Claude Killy, skier
- October 2 - Franklin Rosemont, co-founder of the Surrealist Movement in the United States
- November 7 - Joni Mitchell, musician
Deaths
- January 5 - George Washington Carver, educator, activist, botanist
- March 28 - Sergei Rachmaninov, composer and pianist
- August 28 - King Boris III of Bulgaria
- Physics - Otto Stern
- Chemistry - George de Hevesy
- Medicine - Henrik Carl Peter Dam, Edward Adelbert Doisy 1939 - Gerhard Domagk
- Literature - not awarded
- Peace - not awarded