On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II. The attack, carried out at dawn by Japanese fighter planes launched from aircraft carriers, was a then relatively new form of naval warfare that shocked the American public.

Pearl Harbor, Americans were told by their leaders, was an unprovoked, surprise attack on the part of Japan. Shock quickly gave way to anger and a desire for revenge, while the words "Pearl Harbor" would remain deeply imbedded in the American consciousness long after the war as a symbol of treachery on the part of foreign nations and as an example of fighting for a just cause.

A bird’s-eye view of U.S. vessels in Pearl Harbor during the attack.
A bird’s-eye view of U.S. vessels in Pearl Harbor during the attack. | KYODO