Towards the end of World War II, Operation Market Garden was an attempted allied invasion into the industrial heartland of Germany’s Ruhr Valley. Anti-aircraft defenses, bad weather, communication difficulties and more would cause the operation to fail, possibly extending the war’s duration by six months.

The battle of Iwo Jima was an allied invasion of the island a mere 750 miles from mainland Japan, but secret fortifications left American troops overwhelmed by Japanese defenses. Despite heavy casualties, Americans finally captured both airfields and would hoist the American flag at the summit, captured in the iconic photograph.

The Siege of Vicksburg was a 40-day holdout between Confederate troops led by General Pemberton and the Union Army led by Maj General Grant.

The Battle of Chancellorsville showcased General Robert E. Lee’s strategic prowess with a Confederate army less than half the size of his Union opponents. The battle saw multiple flanks and ambushes, before the Union Army retreated in defeat.

In the nearly eleven-month Battle of Gallipoli, some 480,000 Allied troops fought, witnessing 250,000 casualties, including 46,000 deaths, making it one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War One.

Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor took months of planning and practice before 8:00 AM on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, when Japanese warplanes filled the sky over Honolulu, Hawaii, wreaking havoc on the American’s idle and unsuspecting Pacific Fleet.

Alexander the Great was born into royalty in Macedonia, educated by Aristotle, and would ascend to the Macedonian throne after his father was assassinated, building one of the largest empires of his time.