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Pearl Harbor
Near Honolulu Hawaii at 7:55 a.m. on Sunday December 7th, 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese. Pearl Harbor was a U.S. Naval base bombed so that the Japanese armed forces could spread across the South Pacific. They used hundreds of fighter planes, and they also used torpedoes.
www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor -
Battle of Wake Island
The Battle of Wake Island began because of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. It started on December 8th, 1941, and ended on December 23rd, 1941. It was fought on the atoll formed by Wake Island. Both Japan's and the United States' naval, air, and land branches were fighting. It ended with the United States surrendering to the Empire of Japan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wake_Island -
Declaration of War
On December 8th, 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt and The United States declared war on Japan. They declared war on Japan in response of Japan's surprise attack the day before. They had to fight back so Japan could not control the South Pacific. FDR gave a speech in the capitol building, he was reassuring American citizens, and he was declaring war.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-united-states-declares-war-on-japan -
Manila and US Naval base at Cavite captured by the Japanese
On January 2nd, 1942, the Japanese invaded the US Naval base in the Manila-Cavite area. Japan destroyed all industrial and supply facilities, including oil. The Japanese wanted to use the occupied base for craft and construction of small wooden vessels for coastal shipping. Japan bombed and rehabilitated the base for their own.
http://www.ibiblio.org/pha/comms/1942-01.html -
First Japanese Warship sunk by a U.S. Submarine
The USS Gudgeon sunk the I-73 on January 27th, 1942. It was the first US sub to patrol that close to enemy shores. It fired 3 torpedoes and successfully sank the Japanese's I-73. This sub was on war patrol in the Japanese home islands.
http://www.nww2m.com/2012/01/first-japanese-warship-sunk/ -
Yorktown and Enterprise conduct air raids on Japanese bases in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands
Yorktown and Enterprise were US aircraft carriers. On February 1st, 1942, they conducted air raids on Japanese bases in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. The US was losing the Pacific, and these raids help lift the morale spirit of the US Navy, and the American public. Also, the US received valuable experience in aircraft carrier operations. They would need this experience later in the war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshalls%E2%80%93Gilberts_raids -
First Japanese attack on US mainland
On February 23, 1942, the Japanese submarine I-17 went into a channel near Ellwood Oil Field. The sub lobbed 16 shells onto the shore before fleeing. The Japanese wanted to cause a panic attack on US mainland. It caused such a panic that American artillery was discharged over Los Angeles for several hours due to the mistaken belief that the Japanese were invading.
http://www.history.com/news/history-lists/5-attacks-on-u-s-soil-during-world-war-ii -
VJ Day
September 2, 1945 was Japan’s formal surrender and it took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. President Harry S. Truman announced VJ Day in the great news that Japan has finally surrendered, and the US had won the hard fought battle. They surrendered because of the Nagasaki bombing, Japan had no other choice.
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/v-j-day
