On Dec. 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese navy launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The raid, which claimed some 2,400 American lives, prompted the United States to declare war against Japan the next day.
1 of 19
American ships clustered together
This picture, taken by a Japanese photographer, shows how American ships are clustered together before the surprise Japanese aerial attack on Pearl Harbor.