Ceremonies Around the U.S.A. Mark Pearl Harbor Day

This December 7, 1941, photo from The National Archives shows the USS West Virginia burning after the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The 74th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor will be commemorated today, Monday with ceremonies, a parade and a host of other events from Washington, D.C., to the site of the attack in Hawaii that drew the United States into World War II. Pearl Harbor Day honours the 2,400 people who died when the Japanese attacked the base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, which brought a war being fought largely in Europe to U.S. soil. Flags will be flown at half-staff at government locations to honor those who died, and many homes across the country will display the American flag.
On this date in 1941, Japanese forces attack the home base of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii - prompting America under President Franklin D. Roosevelt to enter World War II. (Dec. 7)