Because Imperial Japan is heavily implied to exist in the world of Cars, as well as World War II, and we also have confirmation that Hawaii exists, this also implies that the Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 has occurred in the world of Cars.
In Planes (2013), Skipper recalls his time in the Jolly Wrenches and an encounter with an enemy fleet, which is heavily implied to be Imperial Japan. Not only does this scene imply that Imperial Japan historically existed in the Cars universe, but also that WWII occurred.