USS Arizona Memorial
The white memorial resting above the sunken battleship and its 1,177 crew.
★ Pearl Harbor History
The History of Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941, a surprise attack on Oahu pulled the United States into World War II. This is the full story, from the morning of the attack to the ships and memorials you can still walk today.
December 7, 1941
How the Morning Unfolded
The raid lasted under two hours. In that time two waves of Japanese aircraft struck Battleship Row and the airfields across Oahu, leaving much of the U.S. Pacific Fleet burning in the harbor.
- 6:10 AMJapanese carriers launch the first attack wave about 230 miles north of Oahu.
- 7:02 AMArmy radar at Opana Point detects the incoming planes, but the warning is dismissed.
- 7:48 AMThe first bombs and torpedoes strike Battleship Row and the island’s airfields.
- 8:06 AMA bomb sets off the USS Arizona’s magazine. She sinks in minutes; 1,177 are lost.
- 8:10 AMTorpedoes capsize the USS Oklahoma with hundreds of men still aboard.
- 8:54 AMA second wave arrives, targeting surviving ships and repair facilities.
- ~10:00 AMThe attack ends. 2,403 Americans are dead and 19 ships are sunk or damaged.
- Dec 8President Roosevelt’s “day of infamy” speech. The United States enters World War II.
2,403
Americans killed
1,177
lost on the Arizona
19
ships sunk or damaged
353
attacking aircraft
Go deeper
The Stories Behind Pearl Harbor
Three short reads that cover the attack, the ship at the heart of it, and the battleship where the war finally ended.
The Attack · 6 min
The Attack on Pearl Harbor: December 7, 1941
In under two hours on a quiet Sunday morning, a surprise air raid on the U.S. Pacific Fleet changed the course of the twentieth century. Here is how December 7, 1941 unfolded.
Read the story →
USS Arizona · 5 min
The USS Arizona and Its Memorial
No ship is more closely tied to Pearl Harbor than the USS Arizona. Here is her story, and what it means to stand above her today.
Read the story →
USS Missouri · 5 min
The USS Missouri and the End of World War II
If the Arizona marks where the war began for America, the Missouri marks where it ended. Today the two ships sit only a short distance apart at Pearl Harbor.
Read the story →See it for yourself
The Ships and Sites You Can Visit
Pearl Harbor is not only history on a page. Four major sites sit within the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, and most can be seen in a single day.
Battleship Missouri Memorial
The “Mighty Mo,” where Japan formally surrendered to end World War II.
Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
Restored aircraft and bullet-scarred hangars from the day of the attack.
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum
A WWII submarine you can walk through, plus the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum.
Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
The free National Park Service center and the launch point for the Arizona.
Why it still matters
More Than a Date in a Textbook
More than 80 years on, Pearl Harbor remains one of the most visited historic sites in the United States. Part of that is the scale of what happened here, and part of it is the quiet of standing above the Arizona with the names of the lost just a few feet away.
It is also a place of bookends. The war reached America at Pearl Harbor and was formally ended a short distance away, aboard the USS Missouri. Few places let you stand between the beginning and the end of a global conflict in a single morning.
Pearl Harbor History FAQs
What happened at Pearl Harbor?
On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Oahu. The raid killed 2,403 Americans, sank or damaged 19 ships, and brought the United States into World War II.
Where is Pearl Harbor?
Pearl Harbor is on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, about 30 minutes west of Waikiki. It is still an active U.S. Navy base and home to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.
Can you visit Pearl Harbor today?
Yes. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial is open to visitors, including the USS Arizona Memorial, the Battleship Missouri, the Aviation Museum, and the Bowfin Submarine Museum. Many sites can be seen in a single day.
How long do you need at Pearl Harbor?
Plan on anywhere from two hours for the Arizona Memorial and visitor center to a full day if you want to see all four main sites.