By Paul M. Sparrow, Director, FDR Library. It was the worst day of his presidency, the worst day of his life – and the worst military defeat in American history. President Franklin Roosevelt’s beloved Navy lay in smoking ruins in Pearl Harbor, as the Japanese Empire launched well-coordinated attacks across a 4,000 mile front. The Nazis … Continue reading Day of Infamy
By Paul Sparrow, Director, FDR Library. One day before the 74th anniversary of President Roosevelt’s historic address to Congress in response to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor it is important to examine the true meaning of the speech, and how it came to be. It is rare when a presidential speech transcends the political … Continue reading The True Story Behind the Most Important Speech of the 20th Century
Pearl Harbor Prisoner Petition, December 8, 1941 The "unprovoked and dastardly attack" by Japan on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, brought an immediate unity of purpose to the nation. Thousands of letters flooded into the White House after the attack, and especially after FDR delivered his War Message to Congress (the "date which will … Continue reading Found in the Archives
The Roosevelt Library will present several free holiday-related programs in the first few weeks of December. In commemoration of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum will host an author talk and book signing with Stanley Weintraub, author of PEARL HARBOR CHRISTMAS: A WORLD AT WAR, DECEMBER 1941. The … Continue reading Public Programs News and Events
What was President Franklin Roosevelt doing on December 7, 1941, before he learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor? Which advisers did he summon when he realized that America was on the brink of war? Most Americans know where the President was on December 8th, but where was he on December 6th . . … Continue reading Franklin D. Roosevelt Day by Day
"Remember Pearl Harbor" Weathervane (MO 2005.377) Tomorrow, December 7, marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the early morning hours of that December Sunday in 1941, Japan unleashed a devastating surprise attack on American military installations in the Pacific. The worst blow came at Hawaii, site of the giant Pearl Harbor … Continue reading From the Museum
December 8, 1941 "WASHINGTON, Sunday—I was going out in the hall to say goodbye to our cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Adams, and their children, after luncheon, and, as I stepped out of my room, I knew something had happened. All the secretaries were there, two telephones were in use, the senior military aides were … Continue reading Eleanor Roosevelt – My Day: December 8-14
December 8, 1941: FDR addresses Congress asking for an acknowledgement of a state of war against Japan. He declares December 7th “a date which will live in infamy.”
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