On the morning of Dec7th 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. More than 2,400 Americans were killed 21 ships had either been sunk or damaged and more than 188 US aircraft were destroyed, The attack so outraged the Americans that the US abandoned it's policy of isolationism and declared war on Japan the following day,offically bringing the United States into World War 2. Graham.
Apart from Pearl Harbor, December 7th 1941 was the day the 13th Battalion, the King's Regiment, boarded the troopship Oronsay, unaware they were bound for India and ultimately Wingate's arms.
Some archive and interviews here: Witness - Pearl Harbour - BBC Sounds "When Japanese bombers and fighter planes attacked the US fleet in the Pacific it came as a huge surprise to many. Listen to some archive recordings from the time."
And the almost simultaneous attacks on Hong Kong and Malaya. Recorded as 8 December due to the International Date Line. The attack on Malaya actually occurred just before that on Pearl Harbour. Tim