This timeline was originally prepared by the Heritage Division of PCDSPO as part of he interactive web project World War II in the Philippines which sought to provide the structure by which we unify the people’s stories, in search of a history we can truly call our own. With this, we can finally see the intersections of the past and of what is before is now. We only make familiar what should have been familiar to us in the first place.
| Start Date | End Date | Headline | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | 1945 | World War II in the Philippines | An interactive timeline of the events in the Philippines during World War II |
| 12/2/1941 | A Japanese reconnaissance aircraft is spotted over Clark Airfield. | ||
| 12/8/1941 | Executive Secretary Jorge B. Vargas informs President Manuel L. Quezon of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the declaration of war by the United States against the Axis Powers. | President Quezon is staying in their private residence along Legarda Road in Baguio, recovering from an illness. | |
| 12/8/1941 | Japanese aircraft attack Camp John Hay, Baguio at 8:30 a.m. | ||
| 12/8/1941 | Japanese aircraft attack Tuguegarao at 9:30 a.m. | ||
| 12/8/1941 | Japanese planes attack Clark Field. | ||
| 12/8/1941 | Japanese planes attack airfield in Iba, Zambales at 12:30 p.m. | ||
| 12/8/1941 | Japanese planes attack Fort McKinley. | ||
| 12/8/1941 | Japanese soldiers arrive in Batan Island at dawn. | ||
| 12/8/1941 | Japanese aircraft attack Tarlac at 12:35 p.m. | ||
| 12/8/1941 | Japanese aircraft attack Davao at 12:45 p.m. | ||
| 12/9/1941 | Cavite Navy Yard is bombarded at 11:00 a.m. | From the diary of Gen. Basilio Valdes, December 9, 1941. See the full entry here. | |
| 12/10/1941 | Japanese Air Force launches heavy attacks on Cavite Navy Yard at 11:45 a.m. | ||
| 12/10/1941 | Japanese Air Force launches heavy attacks on Nichols Airfield (present-day Villamor Air Base) at 12:00 p.m. | ||
| 12/10/1941 | Japanese forces land in Aparri at dawn. | Tanaka Detachment lands in Aparri, Cagayan. | |
| 12/10/1941 | Japanese forces land at Pandan, near Vigan at 5:13 a.m. | Kanno Detachment lands to capture Vigan, Ilocos Norte. | |
| 12/10/1941 | Nichols Field bombed for the second time. | ||
| 12/10/1941 | Cavite Naval base is bombed. | The incident results in 500 casualties, the destruction of the submarines Sealion and Pillsbury, and damage to the minesweeper USS Bittern. | |
| 12/18/1941 | United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) inducts all units of the Philippine Army; reservists called to the colors | ||
| 12/22/1941 | Three Japanese convoys drop anchor at Lingayen Gulf. | ||
| 12/22/1941 | Tanaka Detachment enters San Fernando, La Union. | ||
| 12/22/1941 | Japanese units arrive at 5:00 a.m. in Agoo, La Union. | ||
| 12/22/1941 | Japanese units arrive at 5:15 a.m. in Aringay, La Union. | ||
| 12/22/1941 | Bauang, La Union occupied by the Japanese at about 7:00 a.m. | ||
| 12/23/1941 | Clash in Northern Luzon | USAFFE forces fights artillery duel with Japanese Imperial Army troops around noon. The Japanese Imperial Army occupies town at 7:00 p.m. USAFFE troops are driven out by the Japanese Imperial Army that night. | |
| 12/23/1941 | Japanese troops take possession of the town of Sison, Pangasinan. | ||
| 12/24/1941 | Japanese troops land in Atimonan, Quezon. | ||
| 12/24/1941 | Commonwealth government is transferred to Corregidor. | Under E.O. 396, the Department of Justice is abolished and its functions are transferred to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The War Cabinet is formed through a reorganization of the government by virtue of the emegency powers vested in President Quezon by the National Assembly. | |
| 12/24/1941 | Japanese troops land in Mauban, Tayabas (now Quezon province) at dawn. | ||
| 12/25/1941 | Japanese unit from Binalonan encounters a USAFFE unit, which retreats to Asingan River. | ||
| 12/26/1941 | Manila was declared an Open City. | In an effort to spare further damage to the city and its civilians, Manila is declared an open city by Field Marshal Douglas MacArthur. All military installations were ordered removed. |
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| 12/27/1941 | Japanese forces bomb Manila Bay. | The Japanese forces bomb the Port Area. From the diary of Gen. Basilio Valdes, December 28, 1941. See the full entry here. | |
| 12/27/1941 | Intramuros is bombed. | Japanese air raid in which the Intendencia, Santo Domingo Church, and the DMHM Building beside Letran are hit. | |
| 12/27/1941 | Japanese bombing runs. | Japanese bombers killed 43, wounded 150, and destroyed P5-million worth of buildings in an attempt to bomb four inter-island vessels. | |
| 12/29/1941 | The Japanese bombs Corregidor Island. | ||
| 12/29/1941 | Retreating USAFFE troops of the South Luzon Force arrive at Santiago, Los Baños, and Alabang in the evening. | ||
| 12/29/1941 | Japanese troops occupy Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. | ||
| 12/29/1941 | Japanese troops arrive in Bongabon, Central Luzon. | ||
| 12/30/1941 | Newly elected officials were expected to take office, after the formal proclamation by the National Assembly, which would give way to the bicameral Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Quezon and Osmena are inaugurated for a second term as President and Vice President, respectively. The terms of all officials lapsed on this date. President Quezon and Vice President Osmena took their oath of office in Corregidor; however, the Commonwealth government officials in the capital city of Manila were unable to because of the looming Japanese occupation. | The Second Commonwealth Presidential Inauguration is held at Corregidor. Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos administers the oath of office to President Manuel L. Quezon and Vice President Sergio Osmeña. | |
| 1/1/1942 | Last American tank crosses Calumpit Bridge, 2:30 a.m. | ||
| 1/1/1942 | Calumpit Bridge destroyed at 6:15 a.m. to stop the advancing Japanese troops from the north. | ||
| 1/1/1942 | Japanese Imperial Army troops arrive in Banbam, 9:00 a.m. | ||
| 1/2/1942 | Advance guard of the Japanese army of occupation arrives in Parañaque. | ||
| 1/2/1942 | Japanese forces enter and occupy the City of Manila. | ||
| 1/2/1942 | The radio station "The Voice of Freedom" is born. | Field Marshal MacArthur orders Major General Richard Marshall to set up a complete broadcasting station in Corregidor. When Maj. Carlos P. Romulo, former Manila editor, turned up on Corregidor, the radio equipment was ready to use. MacArthur himself named it "The Voice of Freedom" and made Romulo and others to make it as the mouthpiece of the President and the Field Marshal. | |
| 1/3/1942 | The Japanese High Command establishes the Japanese Military Administration in the Philippines | ||
| 1/5/1942 | Bataan echelon of headquarters is established on Bataan under Major General Richard J. Marshall. | ||
| 1/7/1942 | Battle of Bataan commences. | The Battle for Bataan lasted from the early part of January 1942 to the eventual fall on April 9, 1942. Japanese invasion forces launched numerous attacks against the garrisoned USAFFE soldiers but were pushed back until the eventual surrender of the USAFFE forces in Bataan. | |
| 1/10/1942 | Japanese troops occupy Olongapo. | ||
| 1/22/1942 | Field Marshal MacArthur orders withdrawal of the entire Mauban-Abucay line southward to final defense position on Bataan, behind Pilar-Bagac road; withdrawal started after nightfall on the 23rd and completed by daylight on the 26th. | ||
| 2/18/1942 | USS Trout submarine evacuates the Philippine Treasury to San Francisco, U.S.A. | ||
| 2/20/1942 | The Commonwealth War Cabinet leaves Corregidor for Visayas, then Mindanao, and from Mindanao departs for Australia on March 26, 1942 | ||
| 2/20/1942 | The First Family leaves Corregidor. | President Manuel L. Quezon, his family, and war cabinet leave Corregidor. | |
| 3/11/1942 | Field Marshal Douglas MacArthur and his family leave Corregidor for Australia at 7:30 p.m. | ||
| 3/22/1942 | USAFFE is abolished and is replaced by USFIP. | The United Stated Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) becomes the United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) when General Jonathan Wainwright assumed command of all the Filipino and American forces in the Philippines formerly held by Field Marshal MacArthur. | |
| 3/22/1942 | General Moore takes General Wainwright on an inspection tour of Corregidor's defenses. | ||
| 3/29/1942 | Hukbalahap (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon) is formed. | Concepcion, Tarlac: officially, Hukbong Laban sa Hapones. Listen to the Huk song, Sulong Gerilyero. |
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| 4/8/1942 | A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hits Mindoro in the evening. | The earthquake caused injuries, death, and millions worth of damage. | |
| 4/8/1942 | Gen. Wainwright sends Cols. Galbraith and Irwin to Bataan to confer with General Kin, and orders Col. Romulo to leave. | ||
| 4/9/1942 | General Wainwright learns at 6:00 a.m. of General King's decision to surrender Bataan forces | ||
| 4/9/1942 | Bataan, the last holdout of United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) in Luzon falls to the Japanese. | ||
| 4/9/1942 | Fall of Bataan | ||
| 4/9/1942 | Fall of Bataan | ||
| 4/9/1942 | Bataan Death March | ||
| 4/10/1942 | Wainwright issues proclamation to his besieged forces on Corregidor: "Corregidor can and will be held." | ||
| 4/15/1942 | The Bataan Death March ends. | All the surviving captives reached Capas, Tarlac. | |
| 5/5/1942 | Japanese from Bataan make amphibious landing on Corregidor. | ||
| 5/6/1942 | General Wainwright makes decision to surrender at noon. Conference with Homma at 5 PM at Cabcaben. Homma refuses to accept Wainwright's surrender unless it includes all forces in the Philippines. Wainwright is forced to return to Corregidor and to surrender all forces in the Philippines. | ||
| 5/6/1942 | Corregidor unconditionally surrenders to the Japanese forces. | The island fortress of Corregidor, called "The Rock," falls to the Japanese thus, ending formal resistance in the country against the Japanese. |