Midway Island

Midway Island is a coral atoll, approximately six miles in diameter, which actually consists of several individual islands. The two principal islands are Eastern Island and Sand Island. Midway was the site of the first United States naval victory against Japan in World War II, and is now a wildlife sanctuary. In 2006, President George W. Bush designated the northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a national monument. Midway Island was included as part of the designation.

Fast Facts:

1. Derived name as they are halfway between North America and Asia
2. Discovered: July 5, 1859
3. Location: Latitude 28º 12' N, Longitude 177º 22' W
4. About 1300 miles west of Hawaii
5. Time Zone: UTC-11

Battle of Midway

Since the early 20th century, Midway was an important refueling stop for American planes and ships crossing the Pacific Ocean. After the beginning of World War II, the United States recognized that Midway would be important in the event of war breaking out in the Pacific. After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, Midway became more strategically important than ever before. The Japanese attacked the island on June 4, 1942, seeking to sink American aircraft carriers that were capable of coordinating bombing runs on the Japanese mainland. However, the Japanese attack failed in its objective, and four Japanese carriers were sunk in the battle, leaving the mainland relatively defenseless. The battle is typically seen as the turning point in the War in the Pacific, as after that, the United States was able to engage in a gradual island-hopping campaign until they reached Okinawa in 1945.

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