1939What were the casualties of the Second World War?
Canada’s entry into the Second World War began on 10 September 1939, marking its commitment to the Allied cause. By 1945, more than 45,000 Canadians had made the ultimate sacrifice, part of an estimated 70 million lives lost worldwide during the conflict. The National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., dedicated on 29 May 2004 by President George W. Bush, stands as a testament to the 16 million Americans who served and the 400,000 who died. Built at a cost of $182 million nearly six decades after the war ended, it remains one of the most significant tributes to those who shaped history.