Pearl Harbor Day

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the American naval facilities at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

According to History.com, the goal of this attack, which claimed the lives of more than 2,400 Americans, was to destroy the Pacific Fleet. Though the attack crippled or destroyed roughly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes, the Pacific Fleet was not destroyed.

All of the Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carriers were elsewhere on December 7, 1941. Within a day of the attack, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan, a declaration that ultimately paved the way for the United States to enter World War II.

Each year on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Survivors, veterans, and visitors from all over the world come together to honor and remember the 2,403 service members and civilians who were killed during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

A further 1,178 people were injured in the attack, which permanently sank two U.S. Navy battleships (the USS Arizona and the USS Utah) and destroyed 188 aircraft.

On Aug. 23, 1994, the United States Congress designated Dec. 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Every year, remembrance events are held at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.