Home > World War II > Douglas MacArthur Biography

Born January 26, 1880
Little Rock, Arkansas
Died April 5, 1964
Washington, D.C.
American general; commanded the Allied forces in
the Southwest Pacific and served as civilian
administrator of occupied Japan

One of the most memorable figures of the World War II period, Douglas MacArthur was a colorful character and an excellent self-promoter whose image frequently appeared in newspapers and newsreels (news films, often shown before movies). He was always seen wearing sunglasses and smoking an oversized corncob pipe, looking fearless as he commanded the Allied forces in the Pacific. He was known as a complicated person who could be charming and modest or vain and arrogant, and he often clashed with his superiors. In fact, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945; see entry) once called MacArthur one of the "two most dangerous men in America" (the other was...