What Happened in January 1945

Historical Events

Okinawa and Iwo Jima

Jan 3 Admiral Chester Nimitz begins planning assaults on Okinawa and Iwo Jima in Japan

United States Marines raise the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi, during the Battle of Iwo Jima

Jan 3 Allies land on west coast of Burma, conquer Akyab

Churchill Visits France

Jan 3 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill visits France

Jan 3 Cato-Meridian School, New York, installs germicidal lamps in every room
Jan 3 Greek General Plastiras forms government
Jan 3 John Patrick's play "The Hasty Heart" premieres in NYC
Jan 3 US aircraft carriers attack Okinawa
Jan 4 Germans execute resistance fighters in Amsterdam
Jan 4 US jeep-aircraft carrier Ommaney Bay sinks after Japanese kamikaze attack
Jan 5 Pepe LePew debuts in Warner Bros cartoon "Odor-able Kitty"
Jan 5 Surprise attack on Liese-Aktion-office on Marnix St, Amsterdam

Lord Haw-Haw

Jan 7 Lord Haw-Haw (William Joyce) reports total German victory in the Ardennes

Fascist Politician and Nazi Propagandist William Joyce

Jan 7 The last surface engagement between Allies and Japanese in the Pacific campaign, World War II
Jan 8 "Youth for Christ" organizes
Jan 8 University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team sets an NCAA record by holding Arkansas State to 6 points in a 75-6 win

MacArthur Invades Philippines

Jan 9 US soldiers led by General Douglas MacArthur invades Philippines

Jan 10 LA Railway (with 5 streetcar lines) forced to close
Jan 10 No one is elected to baseball's Hall of Fame
Jan 12 German forces in Belgium retreat in Battle of Bulge
Jan 12 The Soviets begin a large offensive against the Nazis in Eastern Europe
Jan 12 US Task Force 38 destroys 41 Japanese ships in Battle of South China Sea

Prokofiev's 5th Symphony

Jan 13 Sergei Prokofiev's 5th Symphony premieres by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Prokofiev, in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory

Jan 14 In Greece, Communists and the British agree to a cease-fire in the struggle to control Athens (and with it Greece)
Jan 15 Every Amsterdammer gets 3 kg of sugar beets
Jan 15 Red Army frees Crakow-Plaszow concentration camp

Manhattan Project

Jan 15 The Manhattan Project's G-5 Group, headed by Physicist's Donald Kerst and Seth Neddermeyer, take their first betatron pictures of a nuclear implosion at the Los Alamos Laboratory

Hitler Moves into His Bunker

Jan 16 Adolf Hitler moves into the Fuhrerbunker, his underground bunker in Berlin, where he lives until his suicide April 30

Jan 16 Scottish 52nd land division and 1st Commando brigade-assault at Heinsberg
Jan 16 US 1st & 3rd army meet at Houffalise
Jan 17 Gilbert Dodds, record miler (4:05.3), retires to do gospel work

Auschwitz Begins Evacuation

Jan 17 Nazis begin evacuation of Auschwitz concentration camp to other camps in Austria and Germany as the Red Army advanced across Poland

Jan 17 Soviet army enters the devastated city of Warsaw and clears German resistance
Jan 17 Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews from the Nazis, arrested by Soviet secret police in Hungary
Jan 18 Soviet Armed Forces enter Kraków, Poland to push Germans out, only to eventually occupy entire country

Roosevelt's Fourth Term

Jan 20 Franklin D. Roosevelt sworn-in for an unprecedented (and never to be repeated) 4th term as US President

Jan 20 The Hungarian Provisional Government concludes an armistice with the USSR, US, and Britain, agree to pay reparations and to join the war against Germany
Jan 21 WWII: British troops land on Ramree, near coast of Burma
Jan 22 Burma highway reopens
Jan 22 Heavy US air raid on Okinawa
Jan 23 Dutch Premier Pieter Gerbrandy, exiled in London, tenders his resignation

Operation Hannibal

Jan 23 World War II: Karl Dönitz launches Operation Hannibal to evacuate German soldiers and civilians from Prussia by sea

Naval Commander and Nazi leader Karl Dönitz

Jan 24 Scottish 52nd Lowland division occupies Heinsberg
Jan 25 Grand Rapids, Michigan, becomes 1st US city to fluoridate its water
Jan 25 Japanese occupiers of Batavia arrest Indo-European youths
Jan 25 NY Yankees sold by Ruppert estate to construction magnate Del Webb and partners Dan Topping and Larry MacPhail for $2.8 million
Jan 25 West Africa 82nd division occupies Myohaung, Burma
Jan 27 Nazi occupiers forbid food transport to West (The Netherlands)
Jan 27 S Romberg, H&D Fields' musical premieres in NYC
Jan 27 Soviet troops liberate Auschwitz and Birkenau Concentration Camps in Poland - now commemorated as International Holocaust Remembrance Day [1]
Jan 27 Wally van Hall, Dutch banker and resistance leader, arrested
Jan 28 Dutch airplanes dump pamphlets on Java
Jan 28 General "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell and truck convoy reopen Burma Road to China
Jan 28 Swedish ships bring food to starving Netherlands
Jan 30 American Rangers and Filipino resistance fighters liberate over 500 Allied POWs from Japanese at Cabanatuan
Jan 30 German passenger ship Wilhelm Gustloff torpedoed off Danzig by a Soviet submarine - killing about 9,000 people, the world's greatest maritime disaster
Jan 31 Soviet troops reach the Oder River, less that 50 miles from Berlin
Jan 31 US 4th Infantry division occupies Elcherrath

Events in 1945

Famous Birthdays

Jan 1 Gail Zappa (née Sloatman), American business secretary and wife of musician and composer Frank Zappa, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2015)
Jan 1 Glen Loates, Canadian artist and painter of wildlife and landscapes, born in Toronto, Ontario
Jan 1 Jacky Ickx, Belgian auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1969, 75-77, 81-82; 8 x F1 wins; Dakar Rally 1983; Bathurst 1000 1977), born in Brussels, Belgium
Jan 1 Peter Duncan, Australian politician (Member of Parliament, 1984-96; Minister for Employment and Education, 1988-90), born in Melbourne, Australia)
Jan 2 Slobodan Praljak, Bosnian Croat general and war criminal, born in Čapljina, Independent State of Croatia (d. 2017)
Jan 3 Stephen Stills, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Buffalo Springfield - "For What It's Worth"; Crosby, Stills & Nash - "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes"), born in Dallas, Texas
Jan 4 JayDee Maness, American pedal steel guitar player (Desert Rose Band - "Love Reunited"), born in Loma Linda, California
Jan 4 Richard R. Schrock, American chemist, Nobel laureate
Jan 4 Vesa-Matti Loiri, Finnish entertainer
Jan 5 Roger Spottiswoode, Canadian-British film director, born in Ottawa, Canada
Jan 5 Sam Wyche, American NFL coach (Cincinnati Bengals 1984-91; Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1992-95; introduced no-huddle offence), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 2020)
Jan 6 Allen Appel, American novelist, born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Jan 6 Barry John, Welsh rugby union fly-half (25 Tests Wales, 5 British & Irish Lions; Cefneithin RFC, Llanelli RFC, Cardiff RFC, Barbarian FC), born in Cefneithin, Wales (d. 2024)
Jan 6 Barry Lopez, American author (Of Wolves & Men), born in Port Chester, New York
Jan 6 Pepé Le Pew, Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Chuck Jones and Michael Maltese (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debuts in "Odor-able Kitty"
Jan 7 Dave Cousins [Hindson], English rock singer-songwriter (Strawbs - "Part of the Union"), born in Hounslow, England

Jan 7 Dick Marty, Swiss politician and prosecutor, born in Sorengo, Switzerland
Jan 7 Raila Odinga, Kenyan politician, Prime Minister of Kenya (2008-2013), born in Maseno, Kenya
Jan 7 Tom Reed, American college football coach (Miami University, North Carolina State University), born in Zebulon, North Carolina (d. 2022)
Jan 7 Tony Conigliaro, American baseball outfielder (Boston Red Sox), born in Revere, Massachusetts (d. 1990)
Jan 9 Frank Biondi, American businessman (HBO), born in New York City
Jan 9 John Doman, American actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jan 10 Colonel DeBeers [Edward Wiskoski], American professional wrestler, born in Saint Joseph, Missouri
Jan 10 Gunther von Hagens [Gunther Gerhard Liebchen], German anatomist who invented the plastination technique for preserving tissue specimens, born in Alt-Skalden, Nazi Germany

Rod Stewart (79 years old)

Jan 10 British singer ("Maggie Maey"; "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy"; "Downtown Train"), and model railroad designer, born in London, England

Jan 10 Spider Sabich, American alpine skier (Olympics 1968; shot by actress Claudine Longet), born in Sacramento, California (d. 1976)
Jan 11 Christine Kaufmann, Austrian-born actress (Town Without Pity, Red Lips), born in Lendolf (d. 2017)
Jan 11 Samdech Preah Sanghareach Bour Kry, Supreme Patriarch of the Cambodian Dhammayutt Order
Jan 12 Maggie Bell, Scottish rock vocalist, born in Glasgow, Scotland
Jan 13 [Eileen] Joy[ce] Chant [Rutter], UK, sci-fi author (High Kings)
Jan 14 Einar Hakonarson, Icelandic painter, born in Reykjavik, Iceland
Jan 14 Maina Gielgud, British ballet dancer and administrator, born in London, England
Jan 14 Vonetta McGee, American actress, born in San Francisco, California, (d. 2010)
Jan 15 Princess Michael of Kent, British royal, born in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
Jan 15 Vince Foster, American lawyer, born in Hope, Arkansas (d. 1993)
Jan 15 William R. Higgins, USMC colonel, born in Danville, Kentucky (d. 1990)
Jan 16 Kabir Bedi, Pakistani actor (Thief of Baghdad, Terminal Entry), born in Lahore, Pakistan
Jan 16 Wim Suurbier, Dutch soccer right back (60 caps; Ajax 392 games) and manager (LA Heat, TB Rowdies), born in Eindhoven, Netherlands (d. 2020)
Jan 17 Ivan Karabits, Ukrainian composer, conductor, and educator, born in Yalta, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine (d. 2002)
Jan 17 Javed Akhtar, Indian lyricist, poet and scriptwriter, born in Gwalior, India
Jan 17 William Hart, American soul singer and songwriter (4 Gents; Delfonics - "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)"; "La-La Means I Love You"), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2022)
Jan 19 Charles Amirkhanian, American composer, born in Fresno, California
Jan 19 Vadim Abdrashitov, director (Fox Hunt, Parade of Planets)
Jan 20 Christopher Martin-Jenkins, British cricket journalist and broadcaster (President MCC; BBC Radio), born in Peterborough, England (d. 2013)
Jan 20 Eric Stewart, English rock singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer (10cc - "I'm Not in Love"), born in Droylsden, United Kingdom
Jan 21 Arthur Beetson, Australian rugby league front rower (29 Tests; Balmain, Easts, Parramatta; RL "Immortal") and coach (2 Tests Australia, 16 games Queensland), born in Roma, Australia (d. 2011)
Jan 21 Chris Britton, British rock guitarist (Troggs - "Wild Thing"; "Love Is All Around"), born in Watford, England
Jan 21 Martin Shaw, British actor (The Chief; Inspector George Gently), born in Birmingham, England
Jan 22 Michael Cristofer, actor/writer (Little Drummer Girl)
Jan 23 Mike Harris, Canadian lawyer and politician (Premier of Ontario, 1995-2002), born in Toronto, Ontario
Jan 24 D. Todd Christofferson, American LDS apostle, born in American Fork, Utah
Jan 24 John Garamendi, American politician, born in Camp Blanding Joint Training Center, Florida
Jan 25 Leigh Taylor-Young, American actress (Peyton Place, Alice B Toklas), born in Washington, D.C.
Jan 26 (Jacqueline) "Jacki" Ray, American model and actress (In Like Flint; Magnum, P.I.), born in Burbank, CAlifornia
Jan 26 Ashley Hutchings, British folk-rock bassist, vocalist, songwriter, and record producer (Fairport Convention. 1967-69; Steeleye Span, 1969-72; Albion Band), born in Southgate, London, England
Jan 26 Barbara Kruger, American conceptual artist, born in Newark, New Jersey
Jan 26 Jacqueline du Pré, British concert cellist, born in Oxford, England (d. 1987)
Jan 26 Marti Caine [Lynne Stringer], British comedienne, singer and television host, born in Sheffield, England (d. 1995)
Jan 27 Harold Cardinal, Cree political leader, indigenous rights advocate, writer, lawyer, and educator, born in High Point, Alberta (d. 2005) [1]
Jan 27 Mairead Corrigan-Maguire, North Irish peace activist (Nobel 1976)
Jan 28 José Luis Perales, Spanish pop singer-songwriter ("Quisiera Decir tu Nombre" / I Would Like to Say Your Name), born in Castejón, Spain
Jan 28 Nick Raynsford, British MP
Jan 28 Robert Wyatt, English progressive rock musician (Soft Machine), born in Bristol, England

Donna Caponi (79 years old)

Jan 29 American golfer (PGA C'ship 1979, 81; US Open 1969, 70; 24 x LPGA Tour wins), born in Detroit, Michigan

Tom Selleck (79 years old)

Jan 29 American actor (Lance-Rockford Files, Magnum PI), born in Detroit, Michigan

Jan 30 Michael Dorris, American novelist and scholar, born in Louisville, Kentucky (d. 1997)
Jan 30 Robert Wittinger, Austrian-born German composer, born in Knittelfeld, Austria
Jan 31 Brenda Hale, Baroness Hale of Richmond, British judge, 1st woman to head UK Supreme Court, born in Leeds, England
Jan 31 Noah Creshevsky, American electroacoustic composer, born in Rochester, New York (d. 2020)

Born in 1945

Famous Weddings

Barbara Bush & George H. W. Bush

Jan 6 Future 41st US President George H. W. Bush (20) weds Barbara Pierce (19) at the First Presbyterian Church in Rye, New York

Gloria Swanson

Jan 29 Actress Gloria Swanson (45) weds William N. Davey

Famous Deaths

Jan 1 Vit Nejedly, Czech composer, dies at the front during WWII at 33
Jan 2 Bertram Home Ramsay, English naval officer (Admiral who oversaw Dunkirk evacuations and Normandy landings), dies during a plane crash in France at 61
Jan 3 Edgar Cayce, American psychic (b. 1877)
Jan 3 Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, Polish writer (Lenin: God of the Godless), dies at 68
Jan 3 Théodore "Fyodor" Akimenko, Ukrainian composer, dies at 68
Jan 6 Edith Frank, mother of Holocaust diarist Anne Frank, dies from starvation at the age of 44
Jan 6 Vladimir Vernadsky, Russian mineralogist (b. 1863)
Jan 8 Jac[obus] P. Thijsse, Dutch biologist and educator (Omgang met planten), dies at 79
Jan 8 Karl Krafft, Swiss astrologer who was manipulated by the Nazi regime, dies of typhus fever enroute to Buchenwald concentration camp at 44
Jan 9 Jüri Uluots, Estonian Prime Minister (b. 1890)
Jan 10 Rudolf Borchardt, writer, dies at 67
Jan 11 Ada Negri, Italian poet and author (Il Libro di Mara, only woman admitted to Academy of Italy), dies at 74
Jan 14 Sándor Vándor, Hungarian Jewish composer, murdered in the Holocaust at 43 [1]
Jan 16 Dennis Donnini, British rifleman (Victoria Cross), dies in battle at 19
Jan 18 Frits van Hall, Dutch sculptor (Monument Indië-Nederland (originally known as Van Heutsz monument), 1935), WWII resistance fighter, executed by the Nazis at 45
Jan 19 Ernest-Bernard Allo, French Dominican theologist, dies at 71

Jan 21 Rash Behari Bose, Indian revolutionary leader against the British Raj in India, dies at 58
Jan 22 Alfred Wolfenstein, German writer, dies at 61
Jan 22 Arthur Symons, Welsh poet and critic (co-founder Savoy magazine), dies at 79
Jan 22 Carlo Felice Boghen, composer, dies a day before 76th birthday
Jan 22 Else Lasker-Schuler, German-born poet (b. 1869)
Jan 22 Johan Eykman, theologist (World Church), dies at 52
Jan 23 Helmuth James von Moltke, German jurist who opposed Nazi (July 20th Plot), executed at 37
Jan 27 Antal Szerb, Hungarian author and historian, dies at 43
Jan 27 Gideon Klein, Moravian pianist and composer, dies in a Nazi labor camp at 26 (date approximate)
Jan 30 Gottlieb Haberlandt, Austrian botanist, dies at 90
Jan 30 William Busch, British composer, dies at 43
Jan 31 Eddie Slovik, 1st American executed for desertion since Civil War at 25

On This Day