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Attack on Pearl Harbor
Surprise military strike on US Pacific fleet stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii by IJN. -
Period: to
WWII
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Battle of Wake Island
This naval and air battle began almost immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack and is seen by many historians as a continuation of the Pearl Harbor attack, due to the fact that Wake Island was the site of a US Naval base. This battle was won by the Japanese and the IJN held this island up until the end of the war. -
War Rationing in the US Begins
Rationing of materials such as gasoline, nylon, and rubber, to provide more for the war effort. -
Battle of Bataan
Most intense battle in Japan's takeover in South Asia. Resulted in the largest surrender in American history. -
Executive Order 9066 Signed
Order allowing the Secretary of War to deport Japanese Americans to internment camps. Result of war hysteria against the Japanese people. -
Bataan Death March
The forced transfer of POWs by the Imperial Japanese Army to the US at Camp O'Donnell. About 11000 soldiers, combined Filipino and American, died before they reached their destination. This was later judged as a Japanese war crime. -
The Doolittle Raid
An air raid conducted on Tokyo and many other cities on the Japanese mainland. Provided an important boost to American morale and dealt a serious blow to Japanese morale. -
Women's Army Corps (WAC) Founded
Women's auxillary unit of the US Army. While these women did not see any combat, they did perform a lot of crucial combat support jobs, such as air traffic control and teletype operation. -
Battle of Midway
American codebreakers discovered a Japanese ambush waiting for the pacific fleet at Midway Island. The Pacific fleet, commanded by FADM Nimitz, ambushed the Japanese ambushers and dealt irreparable damage to the Japanese fleet. Seen as the turning point of WWII in the Pacific Campaign. -
Office of Strategic Services Formed
Designed to strengthen American war intelligence. -
Guadalcanal Campaign (Operation Watchtower) Begins
First major offensive against the Empire of the Rising Sun (Empire of Japan) -
Operation Torch Begins
British-American invasion of French North Africa. Mainly conducted to reduce pressure on Soviet forces by the Axis forces. -
Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) Formed
Paramilitary organisation of female combat pilots who flew for the Army Air Forces during WWII. -
Battle of Monte Cassino
Costly battle of the Italian Campaign. Enabled the Allies to push onto Rome after 123 days of fighting. -
Battle of Anzio
First allied amphibious invasion of Europe, and the biggest until the Normandy invasion in June. -
Invasion of Normandy
The largest amphibious invasion to ever take place. Almost all of the Allied powers took part, but the biggest three were the US, Great Britain, and Canada. -
Battle of Peleliu
Battle between the 1st Marine Divison of the USMC and the 14th Infantry Division of the IJA. Resulted in the highest casualty count of the entire Pacific campaign. -
Battle of Hürtgen Forest
The longest battle on German ground. -
The Battle of the Bulge Begins
Surprise German offensive that caught the Allied forces completely off guard. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle over control of the island of Iwo Jima and it's three air strips. This was a very important strategic victory due to the close proximity of the Japanese mainland to the island. -
Operation Varsity
The largest Airborne operation conducted on one location on one day. -
Battle of Okinawa
Largest amphibious assault in the Pacific campaign of WWII, The Allies were planning to use Okinawa as a stage to launch the final blow against Japan to the Japanese mainland. -
Operation Paperclip
A program in which the OSS brought over 1500 German scientists, technicians, and engineers from Germany to the US to work on secret projects, weapons, and give intelligence on secret Nazi weapons. -
Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The first and only use of nuclear weapons during wartime in history. This event led to the immediate unconditional surrender of the Japanese and was authorised by President Harry Truman to spare any more US military casualties. -
Cold War Begins
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First Successful Soviet Nuclear Weapon Detonation
