Pearl Harbor 85th Anniversary

What this countdown tracks

The 85th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor — Monday, December 7, 2026 — commemorated as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day in the United States. The principal observance is at the USS Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, where the Pacific Fleet's surviving battleship sits over the wreck of the ship in which 1,177 American sailors and Marines died.

About this anniversary

At 7:48 a.m. local time on Sunday, December 7, 1941, Japanese carrier-based aircraft launched the first of two strike waves against the US Pacific Fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The attack lasted less than 90 minutes; it killed 2,403 Americans, wounded 1,178, sank or damaged 19 ships including five battleships, and destroyed 188 aircraft. The USS Arizona was struck by an 800-kg armour-piercing bomb that detonated her forward magazine; the ship lost 1,177 of her 1,512-man complement in less than two minutes. The next day, December 8, President Franklin Roosevelt addressed Congress with the "date which will live in infamy" speech, and the United States declared war on Japan.

The 85th anniversary in 2026 is significant because it is likely to be the last anniversary observed in the lifetime of Pearl Harbor survivors. The youngest serving sailors at Pearl Harbor in 1941 were 17 years old; the survivors gathered at Pearl Harbor for the 80th anniversary in 2021 numbered fewer than 30, and as of 2026 only a handful are expected to attend. After 2026, the commemoration will become a "no living survivor" anniversary, parallelling the Civil War, World War I, and the early Vietnam-era anniversaries that have transitioned to memorial-only observance.

December 7 has been observed as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day under federal law since 1994. Federal flags are flown at half-staff for the day. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial — formerly the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument — is administered by the National Park Service and includes the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Oklahoma Memorial, and the USS Utah Memorial.

What to expect

The principal commemorative ceremony is held at the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center on the morning of December 7, with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m. — the moment the first Japanese bombs struck Battleship Row. The US Navy and the National Park Service co-host the ceremony, with the Commander, US Pacific Fleet delivering remarks and a Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 missing-man flyover honouring those killed. Surviving Pearl Harbor veterans who can travel are received as guests of honour; the 85th-anniversary ceremony is expected to include video tributes from those unable to attend in person.

The wider Pearl Harbor National Memorial — including the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island, the Battleship Missouri Memorial (the surrender ship), and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum — coordinates a week of programming. The Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars hold simultaneous wreath-laying ceremonies at war memorials across the United States and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington.

In Japan, the 85th anniversary is observed at the Imperial Japanese Navy memorials at Yokosuka and Kure, although Japanese state observance of the attack itself remains modest. Joint US–Japan reconciliation events have been held at Pearl Harbor since President Obama's 2016 visit and Prime Minister Abe's reciprocal visit, and may continue in 2026.

Past anniversaries

• December 7, 2021 — 80th anniversary; final major in-person survivor reunion
• December 7, 2016 — 75th anniversary; President Obama and PM Abe joint Pearl Harbor visit later that month
• December 7, 2011 — 70th anniversary
• December 7, 2001 — 60th anniversary, three months after 9/11
• December 7, 1991 — 50th anniversary; President George H.W. Bush attended
• December 7, 1981 — 40th anniversary
• December 7, 1966 — 25th anniversary; the USS Arizona Memorial was dedicated in 1962

How to follow

The National Park Service Pearl Harbor National Memorial publishes the full 85th-anniversary programme. The Pearl Harbor Visitors Bureau and the US Navy Pacific Fleet coordinate ticketing for the public ceremony. C-SPAN and the Pentagon Channel broadcast the principal ceremony live. The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association coordinates survivor-and-family attendance. The American Battle Monuments Commission organises wreath-laying at every overseas US military cemetery for World War II–era observances.

Related countdowns

The Pearl Harbor 85th anniversary is part of the broader US World War II commemorative cycle and pairs with the US 250th Anniversary Semiquincentennial 2026 on the 2026 American calendar. See also 9/11 25th anniversary 2026 and MLK 60th assassination anniversary 2028.

FAQ

When is the Pearl Harbor 85th anniversary? Monday, December 7, 2026. Where is the principal commemoration? The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii. What time was the attack? The first bombs struck at 7:48 a.m. Hawaii time on December 7, 1941; the moment of silence is observed at 7:55 a.m. How many Pearl Harbor survivors are still living? Fewer than 30 attended the 80th anniversary in 2021; the 85th in 2026 is expected to be the last with a meaningful survivor presence.