Historical eventMay 221939

Pact of Steel

Germany and Italy signed the Pact of Steel, a military and political alliance.

Everything on May 22Original source

In context

When
Monday, May 22 193987 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1930s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1939.

What happened

Germany and Italy signed the Pact of Steel, a military and political alliance.

May 22 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1939Pact of Steel
  2. 2012Tokyo Skytree
  3. 2013Fusilier
  4. 2014May 2014 Ürümqi attack
  5. 2014Prayut Chan-o-cha
  6. 2015Republic of Ireland
  7. 2017Ariana Grande
  8. 2017Donald Trump
  9. 2020Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303
  10. 2021Gansu ultramarathon disaster
  11. 20262026 Liushenyu coal mine explosion

Also in 1939

  • September 9World War IIWorld War II: About 3,000 Polish Army troops began a nearly month-long defence of the Hel Peninsula during the German invasion of Poland.
  • September 17World War IISecond World War: The Royal Navy lost its first warship in the war when German submarine U-29 torpedoed and sank HMS Courageous.
  • October 20Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII (pictured) published his first encyclical, Summi Pontificatus, which critiqued ideologies such as racism, cultural superior…
  • October 14World War IISecond World War: The German submarine U-47 torpedoed and sank the Royal Navy battleship HMS Royal Oak while the latter was anchored at S…
  • December 22All-India Muslim LeagueMembers of the All-India Muslim League observed a "Day of Deliverance" to celebrate the resignations of members of the Indian National Co…
  • January 7Marguerite PereyFrench physicist Marguerite Perey identified francium, the last element to be discovered in nature rather than by synthesis.
  • November 26Red ArmyThe Soviet Red Army shelled the village of Mainila and then claimed that the fire originated from Finland, giving them a casus belli to l…
  • January 14Queen Maud LandNorway claimed Queen Maud Land, a 2.7-million km2 (1.0-million sq mi) region of Antarctica, as a dependent territory.

Everything we record for 1939 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Pact of Steel”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/pact-of-steel-1939-may-22, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Pact of Steel happen?

May 22 1939 — 87 years ago, on a Monday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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