USS Arizona Burning After Attack on Pearl Harbor, 1941, National Archives
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On December 7, 1941, two years after the beginning of World War II, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor in an attempt to cripple the Pacific Fleet. The attack killed more than 2,000 soldiers and destroyed more than 20 naval vessels. Pearl Harbor shifted public opinion from support for isolationism to strong support for involvement in the World War. The next day, Congress voted to declare war on Japan, and quickly declared war on Italy and Germany as well.
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