Michael Bay's 2001 film "Pearl Harbor" depicts the 1941 attack that launched the United States into World War II. Its dramatic arc also encompasses a number of other battle sequences that more or less have basis in historical fact, though the real battles often differed considerably from the action onscreen.
Airborne Battles
Early scenes in "Pearl Harbor" depict Ben Affleck's Rafe McCawley fighting alongside the Royal Air Force over England. Battles between the British and the German air forces took place throughout the war, marked most noticeably by the Battle of Britain, which lasted from July through October 1940.
Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor took place December 7, 1941. The attack sunk nine U.S. ships, damaged 21 more and took the lives of 2,350 U.S. personnel.
Jimmy Doolittle's Raid
The finale of the film concentrates on a raid over Japan by a U.S. squadron led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle (played by Alec Baldwin). The actual raid took place April 18, 1942, and served as a vital symbolic gesture that Japan was not immune from U.S. reprisals.
Fight in China
At the film's conclusion, McCawley and his friend and rival Danny Walker (played by Josh Hartnett) are shot down over China after Doolittle's raid. This roughly corresponds to historical fact because many of the bombers who participated in the raid had to ditch their aircraft in China.
Accuracy
"Pearl Harbor" attracted a great deal of controversy for its lack of accuracy in depicting battle scenes. Historians and critics think it sensationalized the details and ignored many key facts.
Tags: Pearl Harbor, took place, 1941 attack, historical fact, Jimmy Doolittle