Final answer:
Pearl Harbor, a U.S. military base in Hawaii, was attacked by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. This surprise attack resulted in significant damage to the U.S. fleet and caused the loss of numerous lives. As a response, the U.S. declared war on Japan the following day.
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer to your question is: A: December 7, 1941. Pearl Harbor, a U.S. military base in Hawaii, was attacked by Japanese fighter planes on December 7, 1941.
Without any forewarning, two waves of attacks were launched by the Japanese forces from six aircraft carriers. Around 353 bombers, fighters, and torpedo planes targeted the fleet in the harbor, which was unprepared for the strike. All eight battleships present in the harbor were hit, with four of them being sunk. Several cruisers and destroyers suffered damage, and around two hundred aircraft were destroyed on the ground. In this surprise attack, approximately two thousand four hundred servicemen were killed, and another one thousand one hundred were wounded.
The strike is seen as part of a larger campaign by Japan to gain territory in the Pacific, and was followed by attacks on Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Guam, Wake Island, and the Philippines. The very next day, on December 8, 1941, Congress took action and unanimously declared war on Japan.
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