This article lists events that occurred during

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

Incumbents

Nikolai Karotamm Nikolai Karotamm (October 23, 1901 – September 21, 1969) was an Estonian communist politician. He was a member of the Communist Party of Estonia. In 1925, he emigrated to the Netherlands, where in 1926, he joined the Communist Party of the Net ...

- First Secretary of the Communist Party of Estonia

Events

* Otto Tief was captured by Soviet forces;

Jüri Uluots Jüri Uluots (13 January 1890 – 9 January 1945) was an Estonian prime minister, journalist, prominent attorney and distinguished Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Tartu. Early life Uluots was born in Kirbla Paris ...

and members of the Tief government escaped to Sweden. *30 January – '' Battle of Narva'': The first Soviet units crossed Estonian border. *24 February – '' Battle of Narva'': Estonian volunteers launched a counterattack at

Narva river The river Narva ( et, Narva jõgi; russian: Нарва), formerly also Narova flows north into the Baltic Sea and is the largest Estonian river by discharge. A similar length of land far to the south, together with it and a much longer interme ...

. *6 March – World War II: Soviet Army planes attack

Narva Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru county, at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia international border. With 54 ...

in Estonia, destroying almost the entire old town. *9 March – World War II: Soviet Army planes attack

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...

, Estonia. *26 July – '' Battle of Narva'': The Soviets captured

. *29 July – ''

Battle of Tannenberg Line The Battle of Tannenberg Line (german: Die Schlacht um die Tannenbergstellung; russian: Битва за линию «Танненберг») or the Battle of the Blue Hills ( et, Sinimägede lahing) was a military engagement between the Germ ...

'': The Estonian and German counterattack stopped Soviet advance towards Tallinn. *26 August – The Soviets captured most of Tartu, what became frontline city for almost a month. *September – although German troops were expelled from Estonia, the local anti-Soviet movement (so called

Forest Brothers The Guerrilla war in the Baltic states was an armed struggle which was waged by the Latvian, Lithuanian, and Estonian partisans, called the Forest Brothers (also: the "Brothers of the Wood" and the "Forest Friars"; et, metsavennad, lv, mež ...

) organized small-scaled armed resistance against Soviet regime. *18 September –

, prime minister in capacity of president of Estonia, asks Otto Tief to form a government on the eve of the withdrawal of German forces; official gazette published proclaiming the Tief government. *20 September – Otto Tief attempts to organise the defence of

against the arrival of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

two days later. *22 September – The Soviets captured

. *19 December – The entire territory of Estonia was captured by the

Births

*26 January –

Helle-Reet Helenurm Helle-Reet Helenurm (26 January 1944 – 23 February 2003) was an Estonian actress whose career began in 1968 in theatre. She also performed as a radio, television, and film actress until her death, aged 59, of cancer. Early life and education ...

, actress (died 2003) *3 July – Viiu Härm, actress *10 October –

Lii Tedre Lii Tedre (born Lii Mander; 10 October 1944) is an Estonian stage, television, and film actress. Tedre began her career with an engagement at the Endla Theatre in 1968, before leaving in 2010 to become a freelance actress. Early life and educatio ...

, actress

Deaths

August 26 Events Pre-1600 * 683 – Yazid I's army kills 11,000 people of Medina including notable Sahabas in Battle of al-Harrah. *1071 – The Seljuq Turks defeat the Byzantine army at the Battle of Manzikert, and soon gain control of most ...

Hans Leesment, Estonian general (b.

1873 Events January–March * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defe ...

) *

November 22 Events Pre-1600 * 498 – After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Palace, while Laurentius is elected Pope in Santa Maria Maggiore. * 845 – The first duke of Brittany, Nominoe, defeats the Fra ...

Johan Pitka, Estonian entrepreneur, sea captain and admiral (b.

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

)

References

{{Year in Europe, 1944 1940s in Estonia

Years of the 20th century in Estonia