Seventy-five years ago on Dec. 7, shortly before 8 a.m., hundreds of Japanese aircraft dove from the sky in a surprise bombing attack on a United States naval base in Hawaii, killing more than 2,400 Americans.

The attack on Pearl Harbor shocked and outraged the nation and led it into war at a time when Congress and the American people had been split on the response to an already embattled world.

News articles from Dec. 8 reflected a sudden shift in the national mood. According to New York Times articles from Dec. 9 and 10, 1941, thousands of men rushed to sign up to serve in the United States armed forces, pushing enlistment to new highs.

Congressional leaders debated whether to declare war, not only on Japan but also on the Axis powers including Germany and Italy.