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Attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese planes view, illustrating event-pearl-harbor

Photograph taken from a Japanese plane during the torpedo attack on ships moored on both sides of Ford Island shortly after the beginning of the Pearl Harbor attack. View looks about east, with the supply depot, submarine base and fuel tank farm in the right center distance. A torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center). Ot Imperial Japanese Navy. Public domain.

Historical event

Attack on Pearl Harbor

7 December 1941

Oahu, Hawaii

Japanese carrier aircraft attacked the US Pacific Fleet, bringing the United States directly into the Second World War.

Overview

Japanese carrier aircraft attacked the US Pacific Fleet, bringing the United States directly into the Second World War. Its causes, participants and consequences connect this record to the wider Second World War guide, where the event is placed in chronology rather than treated as an isolated date.

Explore Second World War

People connected to this event

Franklin D. Roosevelt1882–1945

Read the wider story

The Second World War: A Complete Overview6 min read

Sources and further reading