On Dec. 7, 1941, a surprise attack at the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii would officially begin the United States' involvement in World War II.

That day, which President Franklin Roosevelt would notably call "a date which will live in infamy," is now recognized each year as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

According to the National Park Service, 2,403 service members and civilians were killed and another 1,178 people were injured in the attack. Two U.S. Navy battleships – the USS Arizona and the USS Utah – were also permanently sunk, and 188 aircraft were destroyed.

Commemorations are held every year in Hawaii and across the country to mark the day, and American flags will be flown at half-staff.

What is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?What to know about 1941 attack that sent US into WWII

Photos from the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor

AP File The battleship USS Arizona belches smoke as it topples over into the sea during a Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. The ship sank with more than 80 percent of its 1,500-man crew.

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