Pearl Harbor Day commemorates the unprovoked attack in 1941 of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii by Japanese forces. The attack marked the US entry into World War II. The attack took place on Sunday morning at 7:55 AM. It lasted just over an hour. The harbor was the homeport for the US Pacific fleet. Most of the ships in the harbor were damaged or destroyed. 2,400 Americans were killed and nearly 1,200 wounded. The greatest tragedy was the loss of the Battleship USS Arizona with its crew of nearly 1,200 men.

Up until that time the US had been officially neutral in World War II. The US, however, supported Great Britain with moral and economic aid. The day after the attack, US president Franklin Roosevelt asked congress for a declaration of war. The speech he gave became one of his most famous:

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941, a date that will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval forces of the Empire of Japan."

The US Congress officially declared war on December 8, 1941. The slogan "Remember Pearl Harbor!" soon became a rallying cry for US troops.

Pearl Harbor Day is not an official holiday in the US, but is considered a historical observance. On Pearl Harbor Day, special memorial services are held at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

Other historic observances associated with Word War II include D Day, V-E Day, and V-J Day.

Note: This holiday is one of Calendar Mine's over 500 built-in observances.

See Also

Holiday Catalogue

American (USA) Observances