James Harold Doolittle (December 14, 1896 - September 27, 1993) was an American pilot who made a career in the USAAF and finished with the rank of general.
He was born in California on September 14, 1896. During the first world war he remained in the United States as an instructor.
He received the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1942.
He won the 1925 edition of the Schneider Cup on a Curtiss R3C-2.
In 1932, he won the Thompson Trophy at the controls of the Gee Bee R-1.
He then distinguished himself during the Second World War by setting up the bombing of Japan on April 18, 1942, which went down in history as the Doolittle Raid. Subsequently, he commanded, among others, the 12th USAAF (September 23, 1942 - March 1, 1943) and the 15th USAAF (November 1, 1943 - January 3, 1944). After World War II, he took part in the Korean War.
In the movie Pearl Harbor (2001), Doolittle is played by Alec Baldwin. The character is quite important in the story and part of the film traces the Doolittle Raid.