Seventy-four years ago today, a sneak attack on the United States military base at Pearl Harbor changed the course of American history and spurred our country to formally declare war against Japan.

The attack started when 353 Japanese bombers and fighter planes launched a surprise assault on the base and attacked eight U.S. Navy battleships, sending local servicemen scrambling. Four of those battleships sank. In total, 88 U.S. aircraft were destroyed, 2,403 Americans killed and 1,178 others were wounded on this tragic day.

Three of the sunken ships were later raised and returned to service. Wreckage of the USS Arizona was left untouched at the bottom of the harbor to serve as a memorial for the 1,177 officers who died on board. The hulking battleship still leaks up to nine quarts of fuel into the ocean everyday.

The attack shocked the nation and singlehandedly prompted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Congress to enter World War II. Beforehand, the United States held off from getting directly involved in the war due to divided public opinion. The attack, a Japanese admiral said at the time, “awakened the sleeping giant” and united the country.

In his famous Pearl Harbor address, Roosevelt called Dec. 7 a “date that will live in infamy.” A mere hour after he made his speech, Congress made his declaration of war official.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE

Today, Americans observe the anniversary of this battle as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Visitors can pay homage to the thousands who lost their lives 74 years ago by visiting the USS Arizona Memorial or the USS Missouri museum ship.

Veterans of the Dec. 7 attack have the option to be laid to rest at Pearl Harbor. One such veteran was Navy Lt. Cmdr. Joe Langdell, who was the USS Arizona’s oldest surviving officer when he died at age 100 in February. Today his ashes will be officially interred on the ship with full military burial honors.