Pearl Harbor, a US naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, was bombed by the Japanese on December 7th, 1941. More than 2,400 Americans died in the aerial attack, including civilians. An additional estimated 1,000 people were wounded. A day after the attack, the President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, declared war on Japan. Nearly 20 American naval vessels were destroyed, as well as 8 battleships and an estimated 300 airplanes.