World War II Pacific - A Day of Infamy

At 7:00 a.m. on December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked Pearl Harbor. Caught utterly by surprise, American forces were devastated in the attack. Fortunately, all three American aircraft carriers were out to sea, but the Pacific fleet was all but destroyed. Thousands of people, including civilians, were killed.

The next day, President Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Three days later, Adolph Hitler declared war on the United States.