<Li> Wilhelm Keitel signing the German Instrument of Surrender </Li> <Li> Soviet troops in the Battle of Stalingrad </Li> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Td> 1 September 1939--2 September 1945 (1939 - 09 - 01--1945 - 09 - 02) (6 years and 1 day) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Location </Th> <Td> Europe, Pacific, Atlantic, South - East Asia, China, Middle East, Mediterranean, North Africa and Horn of Africa, briefly North and South America </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Result </Th> <Td> <P> Allied victory </P> <Ul> <Li> Collapse of Nazi Germany </Li> <Li> Fall of Japanese and Italian Empires </Li> <Li> Dissolution of the League of Nations </Li> <Li> Creation of the United Nations </Li> <Li> Emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers </Li> <Li> Beginning of the Cold War (more ...) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> </Tr> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Td> 1 September 1939--2 September 1945 (1939 - 09 - 01--1945 - 09 - 02) (6 years and 1 day) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Location </Th> <Td> Europe, Pacific, Atlantic, South - East Asia, China, Middle East, Mediterranean, North Africa and Horn of Africa, briefly North and South America </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Result </Th> <Td> <P> Allied victory </P> <Ul> <Li> Collapse of Nazi Germany </Li> <Li> Fall of Japanese and Italian Empires </Li> <Li> Dissolution of the League of Nations </Li> <Li> Creation of the United Nations </Li> <Li> Emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers </Li> <Li> Beginning of the Cold War (more ...) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When did the second world war take place