During World War II, key events in the Pacific included the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941, Midway on June 7, 1942, Guadalcanal from Aug. 7 to Feb. 9, 1943, MacArthur’s return to the Philippines from Oct. 20, 1944, to Sept. 2, 1945, the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945, and Okinawa from April 1 to June 23, 1945.