Attack on Pearl Harbor Facts for Kids

USS Arizona Sinking After the Attack on Pearl Harbor
  • Battle Name: The Attack on Pearl Harbor
  • Battle Start Date: December 7th, 1941 at 7:48 am HST
  • Battle End Date: December 7th, 1941 just after 9:00 am HST
  • Battle Belligerents: United States and the Empire of Japan
  • Battle Winner: The Empire of Japan
  • Military Death Toll: 2,339 fatalities
  • Civilian Death Toll: 68 fatalities

18 Pearl Harbor Attack Facts for Kids

  1. The attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii was a preemptive surprise military attack by the Empire of Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941.
  2. The attack on Pearl Harbor was fought by the United States of America and the Empire of Japan.
  3. The attack on Pearl Harbor lasted a little over an hour.
  4. The attack on Pearl Harbor started at 7:48 am HST and ended a little after 9:00 am HST.
  5. American citizens didn’t learn about the attack on Pearl Harbor until 2:25 pm EST.
  6. The Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor with the hopes of keeping the United States of America Navy from interfering with its military plans in Southeast Asia, buy time for them to increase their naval strength and demoralize American civilians.
  7. The Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor with 350 aircraft in two separate waves, a third wave was called off for several reasons. The failure to launch a third strike with the aim of destroying American dry dock, storage and maintenance facilities allowed the United States to recovery quickly from the attack.
  8. The Imperial Japanese Admiral Chūichi Nagumo decided against a third attack wave due to the increased success of United States anti-aircraft guns during the second wave, the unknown locations of the US aircraft carriers and the large amount of time it would take to setup their planes for a third attack.
  9. The attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in 2,403 deaths and 1,143 wounded Americans.
  10. The attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in 55 deaths of Japanese airmen and 9 Japanese submariners.
  11. The Empire of Japan was able to sink four battleships and damage an additional four battleships.
  12. The Empire of Japan was able to damage three cruisers, three destroyers and three other types of ships.
  13. The Empire of Japan was able to destroy 188 aircrafts and damaged an additional 159 aircrafts.
  14. The United States of America was able to shoot down 29 Japanese aircraft and damage an additional 75 aircrafts.
  15. The day after the attack the United States officially declared war on the Empire of Japan and entered World War 2.
  16. United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a famous speech known as the Infamy Speech in front of a Joint Session of Congress. The same speech gave rise to the famous quote from Roosevelt “a date which will live in infamy.”
  17. The attack on Pearl Harbor was considered a war crime since the attack happened without a formal declaration of war between the United States of America and the Empire of Japan.
  18. One of the objectives of the attack on Pearl Harbor was to demoralize Americans and keep them out of the Pacific Theater and World War 2. Ultimately, after the attack a Gallup Poll revealed that 97% of the American population approved with the declaration of war against the Empire of Japan.

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