The Imperial Japanese navy launches a surprise attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. The attack, which took place during diplomatic talks between Japanese and American officials, killed over 2400 American soldiers and civilians and led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to demand an immediate declaration of war.
American novelist Willa Cather is born outside Winchester, Virginia. Cather, who moved to Nebraska when she was nine, is best known for her novels about American frontier life, including My Antonia and O Pioneers!
