Stretching across six years, from 1939 until 1945, the second World War involved the majority of countries fighting across the globe. However, it was a single event on December 7, 1941, that would bring the United States into the conflict and change the course of history.
In his speech to Congress, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, was "a date which will live in infamy." This surprise assault on the naval station at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii led to the deaths of over 2,400 Americans and the destruction of numerous ships and aircraft.
The attacks of Pearl Harbor shocked the nation and propelled the United States into World War II. The following day, Congress officially declared war on Japan, marking the country's entrance into the global conflict.
The Continental Congress authorizes the creation of the Continental Army, and the next day, puts it under the command of George Washington. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States mobilized its military forces in preparation for the war ahead.
An indelible memory spanning 82 years within the annals of time, still leaves the impact of a lifetime. It was 7:48 a.m. Sunday morning on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, catching America off guard and forcing the nation into a war it had hoped to avoid.
On December 7, 1941, a surprise attack on the naval station at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii would officially launch the United States into World War II. The events of that day would forever be remembered as a day of infamy, galvanizing the American people and uniting the nation in a common cause.
Kitsap Sun (1942) “Some of Damage Wrought by Sub Raid on Coast.” Kitsap Sun (Bremerton, Washington), February 25, 1942, p. 1. The attacks of Pearl Harbor had far-reaching consequences, not only in terms of lives lost and infrastructure damaged, but also in the way it shaped the course of history for the United States and its role in the war.
ARCOLA, Ill. (WCIA) — More than 80 years after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, a sailor killed in the attack is being laid to rest in his hometown. The sacrifices made by those who lost their lives in the Pearl Harbor attack continue to be honored and remembered by communities across the country.
Tens of thousands of Southern New Englanders drive over the Braga Bridge each day. But how many of them know who the bridge is named after? The significance of historical events like the attack on Pearl Harbor can be found in unexpected places, reminding us of the impact they had on the nation and its people.
