Remembering Pearl Harbor
Each year, we acknowledge the work done and sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform. On this date, our country remembers and reflects on the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. The National Archives and Records Administration is proud to serve veterans and their families, especially through our work at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. In addition to veterans’ records, our holdings include historical materials, such as photographs, video footage, and military records, which chronicle the military’s history and battles.
Videos
Historic Videos
- December 7th (short version)
- Japanese Planes Bomb Pearl Harbor
- News Flash Describing the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor (audio only)
- President Franklin Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” Speech (audio only)
- Recovery of Japanese Midget Submarine Off Pearl Harbor
- Pearl Harbor Deck Logs and Witnesses
- Digitizing Records from Pearl Harbor
National Archives Videos
- Pearl Harbor Deck Logs and Witnesses
- Online screening of December 7th and other historic films
- Countdown to Pearl Harbor: Twelve Days to the Attack (author lecture)
- Pearl Harbor: From Infamy to Greatness (author lecture)
- Our Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor (author lecture)
- Digitizing Records from Pearl Harbor (Know Your Records lecture)
Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941: left to right, USS West Virginia, USS Tennessee, and USS Arizona. View in National Archives Catalog
Myth Masquerading as History
An FDR scholar checks the historical record and refutes assertions that the President misled the public about the coming of war.
Day of Infamy Speech
President Roosevelt delivers the "Day of Infamy" speech to a joint session of Congress on December 8, 1941. When Roosevelt delivered the speech, most of his on-the-spot changes involved word order.
Education Updates: Pearl Harbor Primary Sources & Teaching Activities
Education Updates: Responding to Pearl Harbor
Education Updates: Suspending the Right of Due Process: Japanese-American Relocation During World War II
Forward with Roosevelt: Day of Infamy
Forward with Roosevelt: The True Story Behind the Most Important Speech of the 20th Century
Forward with Roosevelt: Eleanor Roosevelt – My Day: December 8-14
Forward with Roosevelt: Found in the Archives: Pearl Harbor Prisoner Petition, December 8, 1941
Legislative Archives: Featured Document - Day of Infamy Address
Pieces of History: Remembering Pearl Harbor: the Ni’ihau Incident
Pieces of History: The National Archives' Response to Pearl Harbor
Pieces of History: Remembering “a date which will live in infamy”
Pieces of History: Gerald Ford, President and Veteran
Pieces of History: Crafting the Day of Infamy Speech
Text Message: Remembering Pearl Harbor
Text Message: Prologue to Pearl Harbor: The Spy Flight that Wasn’t, Part I and Part 2
Text Message: The Curse of Hindsight: December 7, 1941
The Unwritten Record: Visualizing Pearl Harbor 75 Years Later
The Unwritten Record: It’s No Citizen Kane: Legendary Cinematographer Gregg Toland Directs December 7th
The Unwritten Record: How a Booklet of General Plans Helped Save 32 Trapped Sailors After the Attack on Pearl Harbor
DocsTeach
Primary sources related to Pearl Harbor on DocsTeach
Blog posts
Education Updates: Pearl Harbor Primary Sources & Teaching Activities
Education Updates: Responding to Pearl Harbor
Education Updates: Suspending the Right of Due Process: Japanese-American Relocation During World War II