Atlantic Charter
Reaffirms the Atlantic Charter and a pledge against separate peace.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1942 in Great Britain
Explore 306 historical events and records for Great Britain in 1942.
Historical records for Great Britain in 1942
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 306 unique records.
306Unique records
1 of 8Page
28Named events on this page
22Named people on this page
15Places on this page
January
Atlantic Charter
Signs the Declaration by United Nations in Washington.
Conference of Washington
Declaration 26 not to conclude a separate armistice, becomes the basis for the foundation of the United Nations
Conference of Washington
Declaration 26 not to conclude a separate armistice, becomes the basis for the foundation of the United Nations. 26 Allied countries sign the United Nations Declaration following the principles of the Atlantic Charter
Peace
Britain, the USA, China & 22 Allies agree not to make a separate peace with Germany
Birth of John Edward Thaw
Birth of John Edward Thaw
Birth of Stephen William Hawking
Birth of Stephen William Hawking
Social Insurance Committee
Answers Commons questions on the committee examining social insurance and allied services.
Battle of Moulmein
Driven out of Moulmein by the Japanese & forced to withdraw across the Salween
Alliance Great Britain and allied partners not stated in source
The Alliance is confirmed, British Chiefs of Staff confirm their role
Enigma Machine
Leaves Hut 8 to become deputy to Dilly Knox in the section attacking Abwehr Enigma.
Flotilla Leader
Appointed Flotilla Leader
Flotilla Leader
Appointed Flotilla Leader
Operation Overlord
Studies plans written by the British & USA Combined-Chiefs of Staff
Siege of Tobruk
Sent by Churchill to persuade Auchinleck to capture Cyrenaica but Cripps fails
Siege of Tobruk
Rommel drives the Eighth Army back to Gazala, only 25 miles outside Tobruk
February
Central Planning Authority
Sets out proposals for central planning machinery as reconstruction responsibilities are reorganised.
Cabinet
Churchill goes on the air to rally morale & reorganises his Cabinet
Capture of Singapore
Singapore surrenders to the Japanese
Battle of Sittang
Escapes across the Sittang after an attack by the Japanese but loses heavy equipment
Supreme Commander
Appointed Supreme Commander of Allied forces in India & Burma
Supreme Commander
Appointed Supreme Commander of Allied forces in India & Burma
Operation Biting
British airborne planning supports the Bruneval radar raid.
Operation Biting
Dismantles Wurzburg radar components during the raid.
Operation Biting
Commands paratroopers in the Bruneval radar raid.
Operation Biting
Seeks intelligence on German Wurzburg radar capabilities.
Operation Biting
Combined Operations supports the Bruneval radar raid.
Birth of Brian Jones
Birth of Brian Jones, founder and multi-instrumentalist of the Rolling Stones.
Birth of Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones
Birth of Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones
Bruneval Raid
The Bruneval raid brings Wurzburg radar parts back to Britain.
Operation Biting
British paratroops seize components from a German Wurzburg radar.
Enigma Machine
Faces the loss of readable U-boat traffic when four-rotor Naval Enigma creates the Shark blackout.
Mobilization
The Eighth Army reaches Agheila but it cannot be captured from Rommel
March
Dismissal
Replaced by Lieutenant General Alexander
Agreement on Cooperate in strategic planning in the event
US and Britain agree to cooperate in strategic planning in the event the US enters the war, during the ABC-1 talks, the US agree in principal that the defeat of Germany would be the first priority in the event of a two-theatre conflict
Commander of Burma Corps
Appointed Commander of the Burma Corps
Commander of Burma Corps
Appointed Commander of the Burma Corps
Invasion of Burma
Begins to defend the Prome-Toungoo Line
Defencive Line
Establishes a defensive line from Prome to Toungoo & east to the Salween River
Birth of Neil Kinnock
Birth of Neil Kinnock
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.