Attack on Pearl Harbor: December 7th, 1941
On December 7th, 1941, the United States was dealt a large surprise. At the United States' naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the base in two shocking waves of bombing. The Japanese strike was ordered as a way to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from getting in the way of the Japanese Empire's military actions. The first wave attacked at 7:53 in the morning, and the second wave came at 8:55 AM. By 9:55, the attack was over, and although it lasted only two hours, by the time the Japanese began their journey back, the entire harbor was in a state of chaos. The destruction was devastating. More than 3,500 were dead or wounded, 350 planes were destroyed and 8 battleships were crippled or completely ruined. The very next day, December 8th, President Roosevelt gave a speech where he said that the attack on Pearl Harbor would be, "a day which will live in infamy," and the United States declared war on Japan. Consequently, the other Axis Powers, Germany and Italy, declared war on the United States, involving the United States in the war. The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a turning point for America, and led to the United States' immediate involvement in World War II.