-
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise air raid on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, severely damaging American battleships and aircraft, which prompted the U.S. to declare war on Japan the next day.
-
Bataan Death March: After U.S. and Filipino forces in the Philippines surrendered in April 1942, the 75,000 prisoners of war were forced by Japanese forces to endure a brutal 65-mile march with little food or water and severe abuse, resulting in thousands of deaths.
-
This was the first American air operation to strike the Japanese homeland, launched on April 18, 1942, by 16 B-25 bombers from the USS Hornet; while causing minimal physical damage, it had a major psychological effect on both nations, boosting Allied morale and shaking Japanese confidence.
-
Fought on June 4-7, 1942, this major naval battle saw the U.S. Pacific Fleet decisively defeat the Japanese Navy, sinking four of their aircraft carriers; this victory is considered a major turning point in the Pacific War as it blunted Japan's offensive capabilities.
-
The Battle of Guadalcanal, starting in August 1942, was the first major U.S. ground offensive of the war and a hard-fought campaign that lasted six months, marking the start of the Allied "island-hopping" strategy aimed at pushing back Japanese expansion
-
The invasion of Leyte in the Philippines began in October 1944 and was accompanied by the massive Battle of Leyte Gulf, which essentially destroyed the Imperial Japanese Navy as an offensive force and paved the way for the recapture of the Philippines.
-
A costly victory for the U.S. in February-March 1945, the amphibious invasion of Iwo Jima was one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history and demonstrated the Japanese military's resolve to fight to the last man.
-
The Battle of Okinawa (April-June 1945) was the last major battle of World War II and the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific theater, resulting in massive casualties on both sides and securing a key staging area for a potential invasion of Japan.
-
In August 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing unprecedented destruction and forcing Japan to accept unconditional surrender
-
Following the atomic bombings and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, with the formal signing taking place aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II.