7 interesting facts about the attack on Pearl Harbor

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Thursday, December 07, 2023

The battleship USS ARIZONA sinks after being hit by a Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. | The U.S. National Archives/Handout via Reuters

On Dec. 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a coordinated attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, which resulted in the deaths of more than 2,400 Americans.

The attack had come in response to failed diplomatic talks aimed at addressing American concerns over the expansionist policies of the Japanese, which led to the U.S. entering World War II on the side of the Allies (United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France and China) against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan.

The anniversary of the attack is a solemn occasion, with Dec. 7 being officially designated National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day by an act of Congress in 1994.

Here are seven interesting facts about the attack on Pearl Harbor. They include multiple warnings about the oncoming assault, the assault being part of a larger offensive, and the fighter pilot who led the attack later converting to Christianity.