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Bombing of Pearl Harbor
On December 7, Japan launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, with no explicit warning. This lead eight American battleships out of action, 188 American aircraft destroyed, and 2,403 innocent American citizens dead. -
US, China and Britain Declare war on Japan
The United States, Britain, and China declare war on Japan. -
Battle of Singapore
Allied forces in Singapore attempted to resist the Japanese, but were forced to surrender. About 130,000 Indian, British, Australian and Dutch personnel became prisoners of war. -
Battle of Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea, was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy and naval and air forces from the United States and Australia, -
Battle of Midway
Thanks in part to major advances in code breaking, the United States was able to preempt and counter Japan’s planned ambush of its few remaining aircraft carriers, inflicting permanent damage on the Japanese Navy. -
The Battle of Guadalcanal
With Japanese troops stationed in this section of the Solomon Islands, U.S. marines launched a surprise attack and took control of an air base under construction. -
Battle of Tarawa
In the Battle of Tarawa the 18,000 U.S. Marines sent to tiny Betio were expected to easily secure it; however, problems quickly arose. Low tides prevented some U.S. landing crafts from clearing the coral reefs that ringed the island. -
Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Leyte was the amphibious invasion of the Gulf of Leyte in the Philippines by American forces and Filipino guerrillas. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was a major battle in which the United States Marine Corps landed on and eventually captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It is considered one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific war. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Marine and Army forces against the Imperial Japanese Army. -
Surrender of Japan
The Japanese surrender on board the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay on early Sunday morning. Aboard the new 45,000-ton battleship U.S.S. Missouri and before representatives of nine Allied nations, the Japanese signed their surrender.
