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The War in Europe started in earnest on 1st September 1939 when the Nazis invaded Poland.

September 1st - Germany invades Poland.
September 3rd - Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declare war on Germany.
September 10th - Canada declares war on Germany.

Those are the official dates, granted. Officially, the US didn't declare war on Japan until Dec 8, 1945. But I would submit to you that we were at war with them when the first bomb dropped on Dec 7, official declaration or not.

Similarly, the war with Japan officially ended when the surrender ceremony was held on the deck of the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. However, after the use of Fat Man on Nagasaki on Aug 9, the war was for all intents and purposes over.

I can toss dates around with the very best of them. I've been studying WW2 for over 15 years and could probably name most of the important dates from memory. My point is that when the war actually started and when it officially started aren't necessarily the same.

You might want to add a date to your list - the Russian invasion of Poland, September 17, 1939. (Not to be confused with the Soviet invasion of Poland, February 14, 1919.

September 10th - Canada declares war on Germany.

February 2nd, 1945 - Ecuador declares war on Germany