Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, observed on December 7th, honors the more than 2,400 American service members and civilians killed during the surprise Japanese military attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941, an assault that propelled the United States into World War II. The attack, launched without formal declaration of war, involved hundreds of Japanese aircraft striking American battleships, aircraft, and installations over roughly two hours, sinking or damaging numerous vessels including the USS Arizona, whose sunken hull still entombs many of the sailors killed that day and now serves as the centerpiece of a national memorial. President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously described December 7, 1941 as "a date which will live in infamy" in his address to Congress the following day, requesting and receiving a formal declaration of war against Japan that brought the United States fully into the global conflict already raging in Europe and Asia. The attack fundamentally transformed American public opinion, which had been significantly divided over the question of entering the war, unifying the nation behind the war effort in ways that would shape American society, industry, and international standing for decades afterward. Congress formally established December 7th as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in 1994, directing that the American flag be flown at half-staff in honor of those who died. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is observed through memorial ceremonies, flag lowering, and moments of silence honoring the victims of the attack.