Pearl Harbor

Today in History 12/08 (World War II)

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the declaration of war at the White House in Washington, DC, December 8, 1941 (© AP)(1941) US declares war on Japan a day after Pearl Harbor attack
In one of the most stirring speeches of his presidency, Franklin Roosevelt asks Congress to declare war and calls the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, “a date which will live in infamy.” The House soon approves the war declaration, while Japan’s allies, Germany and Italy, will then declare war on the US, bringing the US into WWII.
On December 8, 1941, the United States Congress declared war on the Empire of Japan in response to that country’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor the prior day. It was formulated an hour after the Infamy Speech of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Japan had sent a message to the United States to its embassy in Washington earlier, but because of problems at the embassy in decoding the very long message – the high-security level assigned to the declaration meant that only personnel with very high clearances could decode it, which slowed down the process – it was not delivered to the U.S. Secretary of State until after the Pearl Harbor attack. Following the U.S. declaration, Japan’s allies, Germany and Italy, declared war on the United States, bringing the United States fully into World War II.
United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the declaration of war against Japan, in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor
President Roosevelt, wearing a black armband, signs the Declaration of War on Japan on December 8, 1941
wiki/United_States_declaration_of_war_on_Japan
4.16.n18

(1941) US declares war on Japan a day after Pearl Harbor attack.
Also on this day,

1980 | John Lennon is murdered by crazed fan in New York City
Ex-Beatle John Lennon, 40, is shot four times at close range by Mark David Chapman as the singer walks to his apartment with his wife, Yoko Ono. Hundreds of fans will keep vigil for a week at the scene of the shooting, and on what would have been Lennon’s 45th birthday, Ono will dedicate a memorial in the park.
1991 | Bergalis who contracted AIDS from her dentist dies at 23
Kimberly Bergalis is one of six patients who likely contracted AIDS from a Florida dentist and represents the first known case of a person contracting the disease from a health care worker. During her battle with the disease, Bergalis called for mandatory AIDS testing of health care workers, prompting intense public debate.
1993 | President Clinton signs NAFTA into law
The North America Free Trade Agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico eliminates tariffs and other barriers to trade among these “most favored nations.” NAFTA will be blamed by some Americans for losing US jobs to Mexico, but will be wildly successful in reducing costs on goods.

Today in History 12/08/17

President Clinton discusses the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) November 15, 1993, at the Museum of American History in Washington, DC (© Win McNamee/Reuters)(1993) President Clinton signs NAFTA into law
The North America Free Trade Agreement between the US, Canada, and Mexico eliminates tariffs and other barriers to trade among these "most favored nations." NAFTA will be blamed by some Americans for losing US jobs to Mexico, but will be wildly successful in reducing costs on goods.
The North American Free Trade Agreement is an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Canada.
Founded: Jan 01, 1994
Founder: George H. W. Bush

NAFTA Initialing Ceremony
Back row, left to right: Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, at the initialing of the draft North American Free Trade Agreement in October 1992. In front are Mexican Secretary of Commerce and Industrial Development Jaime Serra Puche, United States Trade Representative Carla Hills, and Canadian Minister of International Trade Michael Wilson.
wiki/North_American_Free_Trade_Agreement
4.7.d17


Today in History 12/07 (Long Island Massacre)

Colin Ferguson (center) is led by Nassau County detectives to his arraignment December 8, 1993 (© Mike Albans/AP)(1993) Gunman opens fire on commuter train, killing six
Colin Ferguson pulls out a gun aboard a Long Island commuter train and begins shooting passengers as he walks down the aisle, killing six and injuring 19. Ferguson, who will represent himself at a bizarre trial, will be sentenced to six life terms without parole.
On December 7, 1993, a Long Island Rail Road train pulled into the Merillon Avenue station in Garden City, New York, when passenger Colin Ferguson pulled out a 9mm pistol and started firing at other passengers. He murdered 6 people and wounded 19 others before being stopped by other passengers. Ferguson’s trial was notable for a number of unusual developments, including his firing his defense counsel and insisting on representing himself and questioning his own victims on the stand.
Born: Jan 14, 1958 (age 60) · Kingston, Jamaica
Nationality: American
Spouse: Audrey Warren (m. 1986 – 1988)
Parents: May Ferguson (Mother) · Von Herman Ferguson (Father)
Education: Adelphi University · Nassau Community College · Calabar High School
Date: Dec 07, 1993

Mug shot of Colin Ferguson. by New York State Department of Correctional Services
Mug shot of Colin Ferguson. by New York State Department of Correctional Services
wiki/Long_Island_Rail_Road_massacre
4.16.n18

(1993) Gunman opens fire on commuter train, killing six.
Also on this day,

1941 | Pearl Harbor bombed as Japanese warplanes attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
In a surprise, early-morning attack, 360 Japanese warplanes bomb the US Pacific naval fleet and in a two-hour assault kill about 2,400 Americans — almost half the casualties are aboard the battleship USS Arizona. The US will declare war on Japan the following day.
1963 | Sports fans watch it all over again for the first time as instant replay debuts
In the Army-Navy football game, TV viewers get something they’ve never seen before: an instant replay of the Army quarterback’s touchdown. Worried this programming innovation will confuse viewers, the announcer explains, “Ladies and gentlemen, Army has not scored again.”
1988 | Massive earthquake wipes out parts of Armenia
An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale devastates the Republic of Armenia in the USSR. Spitak, a town with about 25,000 residents, is flattened beyond repair, and the death toll throughout Armenia will reach about 45,000 people. The tragedy hits as the Soviet Union is suffering an economic decline, so aid and recovery will be slow.

Today in History 12/07/17

Smoke rises from the battleship USS Arizona as it sinks during a Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (© AP)(1941) Japanese warplanes attack Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
In a surprise, early-morning attack, 360 Japanese warplanes bomb the US Pacific naval fleet and in a two-hour assault kill about 2,400 Americans — almost half the casualties are aboard the battleship USS Arizona. The US will declare war on Japan the following day.
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The attack, also known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor, led to the United States' entry into World War II. The Japanese military leadership referred to the attack as the Hawaii Operation and Operation AI, and as Operation Z during its planning.
Date: Dec 07, 1941

Attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese planes view
Photograph taken from a Japanese plane during the torpedo attack on ships moored on both sides of Ford Island shortly after the beginning of the Pearl Harbor attack. View looks about east, with the supply depot, submarine base and fuel tank farm in the right center distance. A torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center). Other battleships moored nearby are (from left): Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee (inboard of West Virginia), Oklahoma (torpedoed and listing) alongside Maryland, and California. On the near side of Ford Island, to the left, are light cruisers Detroit and Raleigh, target and training ship Utah and seaplane tender Tangier. Raleigh and Utah have been torpedoed, and Utah is listing sharply to port. Japanese planes are visible in the right center (over Ford Island) and over the Navy Yard at right. U.S. Navy planes on the seaplane ramp are on fire. Japanese writing in the lower right states that the photograph was reproduced by authorization of the Navy Ministry.
wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
4.7.d17