As a result of the Spanish-American War, Guam was ceded to the US by Spain in 1898.
Guam was captured by the Japanese in 1941, and retaken by the US three years later. During World War II the Battle of Guam started on July 21, 1944 with an American troop landing and ended on August 10 in an Allied victory.
The military installations on the island are some of the most strategically important US bases in the Pacific; when Navy and Air Force bases in the Philippines were closed after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, most of the forces stationed there were relocated to Guam.
See also : Guam