Japan attacks the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into the war.

The United States launches a bombing raid on Tokyo, led by Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle, in retaliation for the Pearl Harbor attack.

The United States Navy defeats the Japanese Navy at Midway Island, halting Japanese advances in the Pacific.

U.S. forces participate in the Allied invasion of Normandy, marking a significant turning point in the war in Europe.

The United States drops atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender.