Wake Island Timeline of Events

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Wake Island

Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...

Timeline of Events

1899

1.17.1899

The United States takes possession of Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean.

1941

12.12.1941

World War II: USMC F4F "Wildcats" sink the first 4 major Japanese ships off Wake Island.

12.23.1941

World War II: The Japanese Imperial Army occupies Wake Island.

1945

9.7.1945

Japanese forces on Wake Island, which they had held since December of 1941, surrender to U.S. Marines.