James Harold Doolittle or Jimmy Doolittle was an American General, aviator and pioneer who set many records in aviation history. He is best remembered for carrying out the famous Doolittle Raids during World War II. His father was a gold prospector who moved to Alaska during the gold rush. The family followed him there and young Jimmy spent his childhood years in Western Alaska. While there, he learned boxing and became extremely good at it. He along with his mother returned to Los Angeles after spending eight years in Alaska. After completing his schooling in Los Angeles, Doolittle went on to study at the University of California and later at MIT. He enlisted in the army during the First World War, but did not get a chance to participate in active combat during that time. Instead, he remained in the United States as a flight instructor. As a pilot, Doolittle set many records, including completing a transcontinental flight in a single day. He became a major figure in aviation even before the Second World War. When the retaliation to the Pearl Harbor attack was being planned, it was felt that Doolittle who had come to be known as an “absolutely fearless” person” should be the person to lead it. The Doolittle Raids changed the course of the war between the USA and Japan. After the war, he continued to serve the army in various roles. He was promoted to a full four-star general in 1985.