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Definition: Pearl Harbor from Collins English Dictionary

n

1 an almost landlocked inlet of the Pacific on the S coast of the island of Oahu, Hawaii: site of a US naval base attacked by the Japanese in 1941, resulting in the US entry into World War II

Pearl Harbor

From Encyclopedia of American Studies
Few moments stand out in the American memory as does the attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor during World War II. In 1941 the United States stood poised to seize its destiny, one that many politicians and historians believed would define the twentieth century as the American century. The attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor left the United States little choice but to leap onto the international stage of warfare and retribution. President Franklin D. Roosevelt believed the Japanese would consider a cutoff of oil supply a reason for attack; instead he instituted an embargo on scrap iron and other goods. But after Japanese troops occupied French Indochina in July 1941, all trade was frozen. Roosevelt urged his diplomats to string out negotiations with Japan until the Philippines had been fortified. It was no surprise to the United States, however, that Japanese patience was waning. Operation MAGIC, a naval intelligence operation, had deciphered the Japanese message sent on…
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Full text Article Pearl Harbor

From The Great American History Fact-Finder
Pearl Harbor The sinking of the U.S.S. Arizona at...
Natural harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, best known as the site of an important U.S. naval base. On December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor was the target of a surprise air attack by the Japanese. The U.S. casualties were heavy, with eighteen ships sunk or badly damaged, about two hundred planes…
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Full text Article Pearl Harbor

From Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable
The American naval base at this harbour on Oahu Island, Hawaii, was the object of a surprise air attack by the Japanese on 7 December 1941. Much of the US Pacific Fleet was damaged or destroyed, including the USS Arizona , which sank with the loss of more than 1100 men. Overall casualties totalled…
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Full text Article Pearl Harbor

From Encyclopedia of American Studies
Pearl Harbor Bombing, USS Downes and USS Cassin....
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Full text Article Pearl Harbor

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
land-locked harbor, on the southern coast of Oahu island, Hawaii, W of Honolulu; one of the largest and best natural harbors in the E Pacific Ocean. In the vicinity are many U.S. military installations, including the chief U.S. Pacific naval base, Hickam Air Force Base, Pearl Harbor Naval Air…
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Full text Article Pearl Harbor

From The Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments
Located on the island of O’ahu and to the west of Honolulu, Hawaii , Pearl Harbor is a major US naval base and headquarters of the US Pacific fleet. The Japanese attack on the US fleet based in Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 resulted in the entry of the USA into WWII. While significant casualties…
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Full text Article Pearl Harbor

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
US Pacific naval base on Oahu island, Hawaii, USA, the scene of a Japanese aerial attack on 7 December 1941, which brought the USA into World War II. The attack took place while Japanese envoys were holding so-called peace talks in Washington. More than 2,000 members of the US armed forces were…
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Full text Article PEARL Harbor

From The Encyclopedia of Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories
On December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft attacked the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, inflicting catastrophic losses on anchored ships of the Pacific fleet. That “day of infamy” propelled the United States into World War II against japan and GERMANY while the country demanded answers…
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Full text Article PEARL HARBOR

From Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence
The surprise attack by Japanese aircraft and midget submarines on the U.S. Navy's anchorage in Oahu, Hawaii, on Sunday, 6 December 1941, led to the entry of the United States into World War II. The intelligence failure that allowed the Japanese carrier battle fleet to steam toward the Hawaiian…
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On December 7, 1941, Japan launched an attack on...
1941 Japan's surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941, resulted in one of the most costly defeats in American history. Over 2,000 American military and civilian personnel were killed as a result of the attack, and all eight of the U.S. …
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Full text Article PEARL HARBOR, ATTACK ON

From The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Military and Diplomatic History
The Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. Navy's base at Pearl Harbor and on Oahu in the Hawaiian Islands on Sunday morning, 7 December 1941, destroyed much of the American Pacific Fleet and brought the United States into World War II. What President Franklin D. Roosevelt called a “date which will…
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