Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II upon the death of her father King George VI, assuming command of the British Armed Forces and the military forces of the Commonwealth at the height of the Cold War.
France formally allied with the United States, committing military forces to the American Revolution. French military support, troops, warships, and funding, would prove decisive in the American victory.
Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, the first significant Union victory in the Western Theater and the beginning of Grant's rise to supreme command.
The Empire of Japan severed diplomatic relations with Imperial Russia over competing claims in Manchuria and Korea, setting the stage for the surprise naval attack on Port Arthur two days later.
Ronald Wilson Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois. The future 40th President would serve in the Army Air Forces during WWII and later oversee the largest peacetime military buildup in American history.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed commander of all Allied forces in the North African Theater, the position that would prepare him for supreme command of the D-Day invasion.
Over 200 Soviet bombers attacked Helsinki in the heaviest aerial bombardment of the Finnish capital during the Continuation War, dropping hundreds of tons of ordnance in an attempt to force Finland out of its alliance with Germany.
Soviet forces under Marshal Konev crossed the Oder River at Brzeg, establishing bridgeheads on the western bank just 60 miles from Berlin as the Vistula-Oder Offensive reached its climax.
Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II upon the death of her father King George VI, assuming command of the British Armed Forces and the military forces of the Commonwealth at the height of the Cold War.
U.S.-led coalition forces and Iraqi Army units intensified operations to liberate western Mosul from ISIS, the culminating battle in the campaign to destroy the Islamic State's self-declared caliphate.
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Captain
The 40th President who served in the Army Air Forces during WWII making training films. As president, he oversaw the largest peacetime military buildup in history, contributing to the end of the Cold War.
Lieutenant Colonel
Revolutionary War officer and third Vice President of the United States, infamous for killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel. He served with distinction at the Battle of Quebec and Monmouth.
King of the United Kingdom who rallied his nation through World War II alongside Churchill. Despite a severe stammer, he became a symbol of British resilience through his wartime radio broadcasts.
10 military events occurred on February 6, spanning multiple centuries. Key events include: Queen Elizabeth II Ascends to the Throne, Commander of the World's Largest Military (1952), France and the United States Sign the Treaty of Alliance (1778), Battle of Fort Henry, First Major Union Victory in the West (1862), Operation End Sweep, U.S. Navy Begins Clearing Mines from Haiphong Harbor (1973), Red Army Crosses the Oder River, 60 Miles from Berlin (1945).
The most significant military event on February 6 is Queen Elizabeth II Ascends to the Throne, Commander of the World's Largest Military (1952). Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II upon the death of her father King George VI, assuming command of the British Armed Forces and the military forces of the Commonwealth at the height of the Cold War.
Notable military figures born on February 6 include Ronald Reagan (1911–2004), Aaron Burr (1756–1836).
Events on February 6 span the Cold War, the Colonial & Revolutionary era, the Civil War, World War II, the Interwar Period, the Modern Era, covering 10 events across 4 centuries of military history.
Events on February 6 involve 6 branches of the U.S. and allied armed forces, reflecting the global scope of military operations throughout history.
Explore military history from the day you were born.
June 6
The Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history.
December 7
Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, bringing America into World War II.
September 11
The deadliest terrorist attack in history transforms U.S. national security.
August 6
The first atomic bomb is dropped on a city, ushering in the nuclear age.
May 8
Nazi Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending World War II in Europe.
November 11
Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and honors all who served.
June 4
The turning point of the Pacific War as the U.S. Navy destroys four Japanese carriers.
July 4
The Declaration of Independence is adopted, sparking the American Revolution.
The FIM-92 Stinger helped win the Cold War by turning Afghan mujahideen into a credible anti-aircraft threat. By 2023, the United States almost ran out of them, because Raytheon stopped making them for 13 years, and the first 10 months of Ukraine support burned through the remaining stockpile.
These weapons were built to fight a war that everyone prayed would never happen. The Minuteman III has been on alert since 1970. The Typhoon-class carried enough nuclear warheads to destroy a continent. The Davy Crockett could be fired by three soldiers. Most of them have been waiting for 40 years. Here are 10 Cold War weapons built exclusively for World War III.
The MiG-31 was designed to catch the SR-71 Blackbird. It is still the fastest fighter in any air force. The Foxhound's Zaslon phased-array radar, the first ever installed in a fighter, can track 10 targets and engage 4 simultaneously at ranges exceeding 200 miles. Here is why Russia still flies a 1980s interceptor, and why the MiG-31BM carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic missile has changed what the aircraft means to modern warfare.
Nineteen armies on four continents chose the Leopard 2. No other Western tank comes close to this export record, and the reasons go far beyond German engineering.
