Historical Figure
Douglas MacArthur
1880–1964
American general (1880–1964)
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Key Dates
Birth
1880 January 26, 1880 →Biography
Douglas MacArthur was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army. He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of staff of the United States Army from 1930 to 1935; as Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area, from 1942 to 1945; as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers overseeing the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951; and as head of the United Nations Command in the Korean War from 1950 to 1951. MacArthur was nominated for the Medal of Honor three times, and awarded it for his WWII service in the Philippines. He is one of only five people to hold the rank of General of the Army, and the only person to hold the rank of Field Marshal in the Philippine Army.
Timeline
World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders General Douglas MacArthur out of the Philippines as the Japanese victory becomes inevitable.
February 22 →World War II: General Douglas MacArthur, at Terowie, South Australia, makes his famous speech regarding the fall of the Philippines, in which he says: "I came out of Bataan and I shall return".
March 20 →World War II: The Admiralty Islands are invaded in Operation Brewer led by American General Douglas MacArthur.
February 29 →The Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Douglas MacArthur lands at Atsugi Air Force Base.
August 30 →General Douglas MacArthur establishes the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo to try Japanese war criminals.
January 19 →Korean War: President Harry Truman relieves General Douglas MacArthur of overall command in Korea.
April 11 →The United States Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees begin their closed door hearings into the dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur by U.S. President Harry Truman.
May 3 →More from the Victorian Era
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