On May 10, 1940, Germany launches its offensive against France and the Low Countries; by June 4 British troops are evacuated from Dunkirk and by mid-July the Battle of Britain begins.

On June 6, 1944, the largest amphibious invasion in military history commences on the coast of Normandy in France; the 100 days that followed would see the end of Nazi dominance in Western Europe.

Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announces the nationalization of the Suez Canal; Britain and France show their displeasure at what they see as a threat to their countries' economies.

A 100 day span in 1968 starts and ends with tragedy with the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy.

At the end of the summer of 1989, protests throughout East Germany escalate, eventually leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The largest international coalition since World War II is formed in 1991 to force Iraq out of Kuwait; Operation Desert Shield becomes Desert Storm, and a war costing the U.S. $61 billion is over in a matter of weeks.