During the Second World War, it became a target of Japanese forces during their invasion of the Philippines, seizing it along with the whole island on the first day of the Pacific War on 8 December 1941.
dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə sˈɛkənd wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ, ɪt bɪkˌeɪm ɐ tˈɑːɹɡɪt ʌv dʒˌæpənˈiːz fˈoːɹsᵻz dˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðɛɹ ɪnvˈeɪʒən ʌvðə fˈɪlᵻpˌiːnz, sˈiːzɪŋ ɪɾ ɐlˈɔŋ wɪððə hˈoʊl ˈaɪlənd ɔnðə fˈɜːst dˈeɪ ʌvðə pɐsˈɪfɪk wˈɔːɹ ˌɔn ˈeɪt dᵻsˈɛmbɚ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi wˈʌn.