Today in World War II History—May 19, 1942 POSTED: Friday, May 19, 2017 by Sarah Sundin US poster honoring Lt. Col. James Doolittle, WWII 75 Years Ago—May 19, 1942: Lt. Col. James Doolittle receives Medal of Honor, revealing who led the US air raid on Tokyo. New York City discontinues night baseball games for the duration.