Pearl Harbor Attack: US Enters World War II
Japanese aircraft struck the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in two waves beginning at 7:48 a.m. on December 7, 1941. Three hundred and fifty-three planes launched from six carriers achieved complete tactical surprise. Eight battleships were sunk or damaged, 188 aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and 2,403 Americans were killed. The attack was designed to cripple the Pacific Fleet and prevent American interference with Japanese conquests in Southeast Asia. It succeeded tactically but failed strategically: the fleet's three aircraft carriers were at sea and survived, the fuel storage tanks were untouched, and the submarine base was undamaged. Roosevelt addressed Congress the next day, calling it 'a date which will live in infamy.' The vote to declare war was 82-0 in the Senate and 388-1 in the House. Domestic isolationism died overnight.
December 7, 1941
85 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on December 7
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