Imperial Navy Attacks Pearl Harbor: US Enters WWII

On December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan), Japan's carrier strike force launched a surprise attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In two waves, 353 aircraft sank or damaged 19 ships (including 8 battleships), destroyed 188 aircraft, and killed 2,403 Americans. President Roosevelt called it 'a date which will live in infamy' and Congress declared war the next day. The attack made US participation in WWII inevitable, ultimately sealing Japan's defeat.