1942
1/21 - Allied positions in Lae and Salamaua come under Japanese air attack
1/23 - Japanese invade areas around New Guinea including New Britain, New Ireland, Dutch Borneo and the Solomon Islands,              making New Guinea dangerously exposed
1/24 - Australian forces evacuated from Lae and Salamaua
1/26 - Japan takes Rabaul
2/3   - Japanese aircraft attack Port Moresby
2/20 - Japanese planes intercept U.S. Navy task force en route to Rabaul. American ships forced to turn back, but heavy losses             delay Japanese operations against New Guinea
3/7  - Japanese forces land at Lae and Salamaua
3/10 - Port of Finschhafen taken by Japanese
4/1   - Japanese forces begin landing on Dutch New Guinea
4/18 - General Douglas MacArthur assumes position as supreme commander of southwest Pacific area
5/4-5/8 - Battle of the Coral Sea
6/4-6/6 - Battle of Midway
7/22-7/23 - Japanese land at Buna
7/29 - Kokoda captured by Japanese
8/19 - Australian 7th Division arrives at Port Moresby
9/15 - First American infantrymen arrive in New Guinea
9/25 - Australian forces push Japanese back along Kokoda trail
11/2 - Australian troops take Kokoda
11/6 - MacArthur arrives at Port Moresby
11/24 - Australian troops turned back in effort to take Buna
12/9 - Australian forces capture Gona


1943
1/19 - Japanese forces land at Wewak
3/2-3/5 - Battle of the Bismarck Sea
6/30 - Operation Cartwheel begins
7/17 - Allied forces push toward Salamaua in effort to secure Huon Peninsula
9/4 - Australian and U.S. forces begin attacking Lae
9/14 - Australian 5th Division occupies Salamaua, Japanese brgin pulling out of Lae
9/16 - Lae occupied by Allied forces
10/2 - Finschhafen captured by Australians
11/12 - Japanese aircraft withdraw from Rabaul


1944
1/15 - Australians reach Sio
2/10 - Huon Peninsula occupied by Australian forces
4/3 - U.S. bombers attack Hollandia
4/22 - U.S. Army amphibious forces land near Hollandia
4/26 - U.S. troops gain control of airfields at Hollandia