On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Navy launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack led to the deaths of over 2,400 Americans, destroyed or damaged much of the U.S. Pacific fleet, and pushed the United States into World War II. The bombing prompted the U.S. to declare war on Japan, entering the conflict that would reshape global politics for the next several years. Pearl Harbor remains a defining moment in U.S. military history.