Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor is a United States naval base in Hawaii. On December 7, 1941, the navy of Japan launched a surprise attack on the base. The attack pulled the United States into World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it "a date which will live in infamy."

Pearl Harbor sits on the island of Oahu. In 1941, much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet was anchored there. Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers were lined up in the calm water. Hundreds of planes sat parked on nearby airfields. The harbor felt safe. Hawaii was thousands of miles from any enemy.

Japan and the United States were not friends in 1941. Japan was at war in Asia and wanted control of more land and oil. The United States had cut off oil sales to Japan to try to stop the fighting. Japan's leaders decided to strike first. They hoped a sudden blow would knock out the U.S. fleet before America could fight back.

Six Japanese aircraft carriers sailed quietly across the Pacific. Just before 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning, 353 Japanese planes roared over Pearl Harbor. Most American sailors were still eating breakfast. Bombs and torpedoes ripped into the ships. The battleship USS Arizona exploded when a bomb hit its ammunition. It sank in nine minutes, taking 1,177 sailors with it.

The attack lasted less than two hours. By the time it ended, more than 2,400 Americans were dead. Eight battleships were sunk or badly damaged. Almost 200 planes were destroyed. Japan lost only 29 planes and a few small submarines.

The next day, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Congress agreed within an hour. A few days later, Germany and Italy, who were Japan's allies, declared war on the United States. America was now fighting in World War II on two sides of the planet.

Japan's surprise attack worked at first, but it failed in the long run. Three U.S. aircraft carriers were out at sea that morning and were not hit. The fuel tanks and repair shops at Pearl Harbor were also missed. Within months, America rebuilt and struck back hard. Less than four years later, Japan surrendered.

Today, Pearl Harbor is still an active navy base. The rusted hull of the USS Arizona rests under a white memorial that visitors reach by boat. The names of every sailor lost on the ship are carved on a marble wall inside.