December 8, 1941 - FDR gives ‘Day of Infamy’ speech, declaring war on Japan

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - On this day, Dec. 8, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan, officially entering World War II.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt requested a declaration of war by delivering a speech before a joint session of Congress. The speech became known for its opening line, with Roosevelt calling the day of attacks on Pearl Harbor a “date which shall live in infamy.”

The speech, broadcast on radio to thousands of Americans, attracted the largest audience in radio history at the time. Eighty-one percent of American listeners tuned in to hear the President speak.

The speech unified a previously divided nation over entering the war and inspired thousands of people to rally and support the war efforts.

According to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, an estimated 320,000 s