On this day in 1944, Allied forces land in the Hollandia area of New Guinea. The Japanese occupiers, only 15,000 in number, many of whom were on administrative duty, fight for more than three months against ludicrous odds at great cost: When the battle for the northern coast of New Guinea was finally won by the Allies, 12,811 Japanese were dead, compared with 527 Americans.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- The first Earth Day, 1970
- American Revolution
- John Paul Jones leads American raid on Whitehaven, England, 1778
- Automotive
- Rolls-Royce co-founder dies, 1933
- Civil War
- Union raid cuts Mississippi telegraph wires, 1863
- Cold War
- McCarthy Army hearings begin, 1954
- Crime
- Seduction is made illegal, 1886
- An FBI agent is killed in a gangster raid, 1934
- Disaster
- Sewers explode in Guadalajara, 1992
- General Interest
- Germans introduce poison gas, 1915
- Fujimori orders assault on Japanese ambassador's home, 1997
- Hollywood
- Jack Nicholson born, 1937
- Literary
- Ellen Glasgow, Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, is born, 1873
- Music
- The Blues Brothers make their world premiere on Saturday Night Live, 1978
- Old West
- The Oklahoma land rush begins, 1889
- Presidential
- Former President Richard Nixon dies, 1994
- Sports
- Pat Tillman killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan, 2004
- Vietnam War
- South Vietnamese have increased combat capabilities, 1968
- Antiwar demonstrations held, 1972
- World War I
- Second Battle of Ypres begins, 1915
- World War II
- Americans launch Operation Persecution in the Pacific, 1944
- Hitler admits defeat, 1945
Apr 22, 1944:
Americans launch Operation Persecution in the Pacific
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This Week in History, Apr 22 - Apr 28
- Apr 22, 1944
- Americans launch Operation Persecution in the Pacific
- Apr 22, 1945
- Hitler admits defeat
- Apr 23, 1942
- Germans begin "Baedeker Raids" on England
- Apr 24, 1876
- Erich Raeder, commander in chief of the German navy, is born on this day
- Apr 24, 1940
- Britain begins its evacuation of Greece in Operation Demon
- Apr 25, 1945
- Americans and Russians link up, cut Germany in two
- Apr 26, 1894
- Rudolf Hess is born
- Apr 27, 1941
- German forces enter Athens
- Apr 28, 1945
- Mussolini is executed
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