The 100 Days

On the May 10th 1940, Winston Churchill became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom — and Germany launched its offensive against France and the Low Countries. British troops were evacuated from Dunkirk by June 4th, Churchill delivered the “Finest Hour” speech on June 18th, and in mid-July the Battle of Britain commenced.

On June 6th 1944, the largest amphibious invasion in military history began to target the France's Normandy coast. The 100 days that follow would see the end of Nazi dominance in Western Europe as the allies swept through the country liberating towns and cities as they went, including Paris on August 25th. Although the gains were striking, not all within Allied command agreed on the best strategy to win the war.

In July 1956, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal, prompting a response from Israel, Great Britain and France. By the end of the crisis Britain and France had assembled impressive invasion fleets in the Mediterranean, issued an ultimatum and by the 100th day military action was engaged from Sinai to the Canal. The incident remains one of the great follies of modern history from which the British and French were obliged to timidly withdraw, their posture as global powers diminished.

In 1968, 100 days began and ended with tragedy. On April 4th civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated. As MLK’s assassin seeks to change his identity and his appearance, political activity takes a new turn as presidential primary campaigning crisscrosses the country. Within weeks, Robert Kennedy is assassinated in California.

On November 9th, 1989, the most solid symbol of the Cold War for nearly 30 years, the Berlin Wall, was knocked down. The removal of a feature that once divided a city now represents the beginning of the end for the Soviet Union itself. Explore the days and actions that surrounded this key geopolitical event.

On January 17th, 1991, the UN Security Council passed resolution 678, giving Iraq an ultimatum to leave Kuwait following their invasion a year before. During these 100 days, the largest international coalition since World War II was formed to force Iraq out. Operation Desert Shield would become Desert Storm and a war costing US $61 billion dollars would be over in a matter of weeks, but the consequences are still felt today.