World War II – Battle of Midway

June 4, 1942

The Battle of Midway begins. It would be Japan’s first major defeat of the war. The United States scored a major defeat against the attacking Japanese fleet near Midway Atoll, inflicting severe damage to the Japanese. All four of Japan’s large aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser were sunk, while the U.S. only lost the carrier USS Yorktown and a destroyer. This is considered a major turning point in the war.