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Attack on Pearl Harbor
The United States naval base, Pearl Harbor, was attacked by Japanese forces on December, 7, 1941. The Japanese decided to attack Pearl Harbor after the United States threatened them with a steel and oil embargo. The attack on Pearl Harbor left twenty-one ships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet sunk or damaged. -
U.S. Declares war on Japan
On December,8, 1941, The United states declared war on Japan. Franklin.D. Roosevelt gave his famous speech and had his declaration of war approved by Congress within one hour. On both coasts, civilian defense groups were mobilized. -
Invasion of Wake Islands
The Japanese take control of Wake Islands. General Douglas MacArthur begins a withdrawal of troops from Manila to Bataan. The Japanese also bomb Rangoon, Burma. -
Executive Order 9066
Executive Order 9066 was the reloacation of Japanese Americans. They were relocated to internment camps and more than 110,000 Japanese Americans spent the remainder of the war in them. They relocated Japanese Americans because they were considered a possible threat to national security. -
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942 was the first U.S. air raid to strike the Japanese home islands during WWII.the raid significantly boosted American morale. The raid also demonstrated how vulnerable the Japanese were to an air attack. -
Battle for Midway
The Battle of Midway destroyed Japan’s naval strength when the Americans destroyed four of its aircraft carriers. Japan, unable to recover, was on the defensive after this battle. The Japanese managed to sink one U.S carrier, while the U.S sank four Japanese carriers. -
The Battle of Saipan
Saipan was a strategically significant island to the Japanese. Saipan was located in the Mariana Islands. On July 9, the U.S. flag was raised in victory over Saipan. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima was a small island controlled by the Japanese. The United States knew how important Iwo Jima was and how it would help them bomb Japan. The island was guarded by 23,000 Japanese army and navy troops. On March 16th the island was declared secure by U.S forces. -
Battle of Okinawa
The island of Okinawa was stocked with weapons and Japanese air bases. The battle for it began on April 1st and ended June 2nd, 1945. It was the first defense in the Japanese islands with 100,000 Japanese soldiers and 2,000 kamikaze planes to protect it. It was the largest land-and water campaign, and it was also the last big campaign of the Pacific War. -
Atomic Bomb dropped on Hiroshima
The United States drops an Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima. It was used as a speedy end to WWII. Four days later, Japan surrenders.
