May 1940
Rufolf Hoss arrives in Oswiecim to build a new concentration camp - Auschwitz.
June 14th, 1940
First transport of Polish political prisoners arrives at Auschwitz.
July 28th, 1941
Five hundred seventy-five sick inmates at Auschwitz are selected for gassing. They are sent to Germany to die, as there is nowhere to kill them without a disturbance at the camp.
August 14th, 1941
Heinrich Himmler realizes his men of the Einstazgruppen are becoming psychologically damaged due to killing women and children. He contemplates other killing method.
September 3rd, 1941
First gassing experiments using Zyklon B take place.
October - November, 1941
Blueprints of the Birkenau camp extensions are altered to exclude basic living space. About 10,000 Soviet prisoners are shipped in to build it.
January 20th, 1942
Wannsee Conference establishes the Final Solution of the Jewish Question.
January 25th, 1942
Himmler informs Richard Gluecks, Inspector of Concentration Camps, that 150,000 Jews would be deported to Auschwitz for labor purposes.
February 15th, 1942
Transport of Jews from Beuthen in Upper Silesia arrives at Auschwitz I - they are killed immediately with Zyklon B gas.
Spring of 1942
Large-scale gassing of Silesian Jews occurs at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
June 20th, 1942
Four prisoners, including Kazimierz Piechowski escapes from Auschwitz, dressed as SS soldiers.
January 1st through March 31st, 1943
About 105,000 Jews are deported to Auschwitz.
January 29th, 1943
Reich Central Office for Security orders all Gypsies in Germany, Austria, Moravia, and Protectorate of Bohemia to be deported to Auschwitz.
February 26th, 1943
First transport of Gypsies arrives. They are housed in Section B-IIe of Auschwitz-Birkenau, which becomes known as they Gypsy family camp.
March 1943
Crematoria at Auschwitz-Birkenau begin to operate.
April 1st, 1943 - March 1944
Approximately 160,000 Jews are deported to Auschwitz.
May 1943
Arrival of Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz as camp physician. Experimentation begins.
May 2nd, 1944
First two transports of Hungarian Jews arrives.
July 6th, 1944
Deportation of Hungarian Jews is stopped by Regent Miklos Horthy.
August 2nd, 1944
Camp authorities murder the remaining Gypsies (about 3,000) in the camp.
April 1944 to November 1944
About 585,000 Jews deported to Auschwitz.
October 7th, 1944
Sonderkommando, or "special detachment" prisoners, were ordered to move bodies from the gas chambers and operate the crematorium. The prisoners successfully blow up Crematorium IV and kill a few guards. Female prisoners had smuggled gunpowder from factories to some of the Sonderkommando. The SS quickly put down the revolt and kill the prisoners who are members of the Sonderkommando.
November 25th, 1944
Himmler calls for the destruction of the Auschwitz-Birkenau gas chambers and crematoria. They destroy evidence of mass killings and force prisoners to dismantle and blow up the structures.
January 6th, 1945
SS officers hang four women who smuggled gunpowder to the Sonderkommando.
January 12th, 1945
Soviets advance past German defenses and take Warsaw; they advance towards Krakow and Oswiecim.
January 18th - 27th, 1945
Auschwitz prisoners are forced to evacuate to the west. Prisoners of Auschwitz were forced to march northwest to Gleiwitz; others were sent west to Loslau. Those who fell behind were shot. Many died from starvation, exhaustion, and exposure. (See History of Auschwitz for in depth description)
Rufolf Hoss arrives in Oswiecim to build a new concentration camp - Auschwitz.
June 14th, 1940
First transport of Polish political prisoners arrives at Auschwitz.
July 28th, 1941
Five hundred seventy-five sick inmates at Auschwitz are selected for gassing. They are sent to Germany to die, as there is nowhere to kill them without a disturbance at the camp.
August 14th, 1941
Heinrich Himmler realizes his men of the Einstazgruppen are becoming psychologically damaged due to killing women and children. He contemplates other killing method.
September 3rd, 1941
First gassing experiments using Zyklon B take place.
October - November, 1941
Blueprints of the Birkenau camp extensions are altered to exclude basic living space. About 10,000 Soviet prisoners are shipped in to build it.
January 20th, 1942
Wannsee Conference establishes the Final Solution of the Jewish Question.
January 25th, 1942
Himmler informs Richard Gluecks, Inspector of Concentration Camps, that 150,000 Jews would be deported to Auschwitz for labor purposes.
February 15th, 1942
Transport of Jews from Beuthen in Upper Silesia arrives at Auschwitz I - they are killed immediately with Zyklon B gas.
Spring of 1942
Large-scale gassing of Silesian Jews occurs at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
June 20th, 1942
Four prisoners, including Kazimierz Piechowski escapes from Auschwitz, dressed as SS soldiers.
January 1st through March 31st, 1943
About 105,000 Jews are deported to Auschwitz.
January 29th, 1943
Reich Central Office for Security orders all Gypsies in Germany, Austria, Moravia, and Protectorate of Bohemia to be deported to Auschwitz.
February 26th, 1943
First transport of Gypsies arrives. They are housed in Section B-IIe of Auschwitz-Birkenau, which becomes known as they Gypsy family camp.
March 1943
Crematoria at Auschwitz-Birkenau begin to operate.
April 1st, 1943 - March 1944
Approximately 160,000 Jews are deported to Auschwitz.
May 1943
Arrival of Dr. Josef Mengele at Auschwitz as camp physician. Experimentation begins.
May 2nd, 1944
First two transports of Hungarian Jews arrives.
July 6th, 1944
Deportation of Hungarian Jews is stopped by Regent Miklos Horthy.
August 2nd, 1944
Camp authorities murder the remaining Gypsies (about 3,000) in the camp.
April 1944 to November 1944
About 585,000 Jews deported to Auschwitz.
October 7th, 1944
Sonderkommando, or "special detachment" prisoners, were ordered to move bodies from the gas chambers and operate the crematorium. The prisoners successfully blow up Crematorium IV and kill a few guards. Female prisoners had smuggled gunpowder from factories to some of the Sonderkommando. The SS quickly put down the revolt and kill the prisoners who are members of the Sonderkommando.
November 25th, 1944
Himmler calls for the destruction of the Auschwitz-Birkenau gas chambers and crematoria. They destroy evidence of mass killings and force prisoners to dismantle and blow up the structures.
January 6th, 1945
SS officers hang four women who smuggled gunpowder to the Sonderkommando.
January 12th, 1945
Soviets advance past German defenses and take Warsaw; they advance towards Krakow and Oswiecim.
January 18th - 27th, 1945
Auschwitz prisoners are forced to evacuate to the west. Prisoners of Auschwitz were forced to march northwest to Gleiwitz; others were sent west to Loslau. Those who fell behind were shot. Many died from starvation, exhaustion, and exposure. (See History of Auschwitz for in depth description)
January 27th, 1945
Red Army liberates Auschwitz-Birkenau and its remaining 7,000 prisoners.
Red Army liberates Auschwitz-Birkenau and its remaining 7,000 prisoners.
All information was gathered from BBC and USHMM.