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Battle of Midway
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Battle of Midway Infographic map providing context for the Battle of Midway, June 3-6, 1942. It shows the Midway Atoll with Sand Island and Eastern Island, highlighting runways, roads, reefs, and key structures. Distance lines illustrate the location of Midway between Japan and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. A comparison of land areas is included for Japan, Hawaii, and Midway. Text summarizes the battle's significance in World War II and its impact on Japanese expansion in the Pacific.
The Battle of Midway: A turning point in World War II
Midway Islands Midway Islands Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Map showing the maximum territorial expansion of Japanese military forces in 1942 during World War II. The area of expansion is marked with red diagonal lines, covering large portions of East and Southeast Asia, the western Pacific, and islands reaching toward India and Australia. Japan's postwar territory is shaded in solid red. Key locations such as Pearl Harbor, Midway, Guam, the Philippines, and the Dutch East Indies are labeled, with country boundaries depicted as they were in 1942. Infographic comparing Japanese and United States naval forces at the Battle of Midway in June 1942, with illustrated ship silhouettes, force counts, and a central map showing fleet movements in the Pacific. Yamamoto Isoroku Chester W. Nimitz
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Battle of Midway
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Battle of Midway: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • Michael Ray
    Michael Ray is an assistant managing editor who has worked at Britannica since 2003. In addition to leading the Geography and History team, he oversees coverage of European history and military affairs. He earned a B.A. in history from Michigan State University in 1995.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Add new Web site: World History Encyclopedia - Battle of Midway: Japan's First Naval Defeat in WWII. Nov 13, 2026
Anniversary information added. Jun 04, 2026
Add new Web site: BBC - Witness History - The battle of Midway. Jan 17, 2026
Add new Web site: Warfare History Network - The Battle of Midway: Turning the Tide in the South Pacific. Dec 01, 2025
Add new Web site: National Museum of the Pacific War - The Battle of Midway. Oct 11, 2025
Add new Web site: Imperial War Museums - Why Japan lost the Battle of Midway. Jul 31, 2025
Add new Web site: Columbia International Affairs Online - The Battle of Midway (PDF). Apr 21, 2025
Add new Web site: PBS - The Battle of Midway. Feb 10, 2025
Add new Web site: U.S. Naval Institute - Five Fateful Minutes at Midway. Dec 20, 2024
Add new Web site: National Museum of World War II Aviation - Battle of Midway: American Intelligence, SBDs - and Luck - Made the Difference. Oct 21, 2024
Add new Web site: Air and Space Forces Magazine - The Battle of Midway. Sep 09, 2024
Add new Web site: Naval History and Heritage Command - Battle of Midway. Mar 29, 2024
Adjusted media location. Sep 07, 2023
Added inline media. Aug 31, 2023
Adjusted inline art location Aug 31, 2023
Add new Web site: National Security Agency | Central Security Service - The Battle of Midway. May 16, 2023
Media added. Mar 10, 2023
Add new Web site: The National WWII Museum - Battle of Midway. Jan 05, 2023
Add new Web site: Weapons and Warfare - Midway: ?A Victory of Intelligence? Aug 25, 2022
Media added. Dec 28, 2020
Media added. Nov 25, 2020
Infographics added. Aug 27, 2020
Article thoroughly revised. Nov 06, 2019
Revised location of Japanese invasion fleet. Feb 21, 2017
Media added. Jan 03, 2017
Clarified disposition of Yamamoto's fleet. Jan 03, 2017
Add new Web site: The National WWII Museum - The Battle of Midway. Jul 26, 2016
Add new Web site: The History Learning Site - Battle of Midway. Jan 14, 2014
Added several images of the Battle of Midway. Aug 29, 2012
Article revised and media added. Oct 22, 2008
Added new Web site: British Broadcasting Corporation - The Battle of Midway. Oct 30, 2007
Article revised and updated. Aug 23, 2007
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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