1. Pearl Harbor - December 7, 1941: The Japanese launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; the U.S. suffered heavy losses of ships and planes, and entered the war.
2. Battle of Midway - June 4-7, 1942: U.S. forces destroyed four Japanese aircraft carriers and several other ships, turning the tide of the war in the Pacific in favor of the Allies.
3. Guadalcanal Campaign - August 1942 - February 1943: U.S. Marines and other Allied forces invaded the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands and engaged in a brutal six-month battle before ultimately driving out the Japanese.
4. Battle of Leyte Gulf - October 23-26, 1944: Considered the largest naval battle in history, the combined Allied fleet defeated the Japanese and secured their hold on the Philippines.
5. Battle of Iwo Jima - February 19 - March 26, 1945: U.S. Marines engaged in a month-long battle against Japanese forces on the island of Iwo Jima, resulting in significant casualties for both sides.
6. Battle of Okinawa - April 1 - June 22, 1945: Considered the bloodiest battle of the Pacific War, the U.S. and Allied forces engaged in a three-month-long battle against the Japanese on the island of Okinawa, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.
7. Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - August 6 and 9, 1945: The United States dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II.
Describe the major battles and results in the Pacific theater of World War II.
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