Every year on December 15th, we celebrate Bill of Rights Day. The Bill of Rights is important not only in the freedoms it protects but in its demonstration of America's enduring commitment to self-improvement and striving to continuously form a more perfect union. Three-fourths of the existing state legislatures ratified the first 10 Amendments of the Constitution on December 15, 1791. Since then, 17 additional Amendments have been ratified for a total of 27 Amendments to the Constitution.

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🔎 Did You Know? The Constitution might never have been ratified if the framers had not promised to add a Bill of Rights, according to the National Archives. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution gave citizens more confidence in the new government and contain many of today's Americans most valued freedoms.

Visit the Stats for Stories page on census.gov to learn more about Bill of Rights Day and the First Amendment.

On December 7th, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked the military installations in and around Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The attack killed 103 civilians and 2,335 military personnel, including 2,008 Navy seamen (1,177 from the USS Arizona alone), 109 Marines, and 218 Army personnel. Japanese pilots and submariners damaged 19 ships and damaged or destroyed more than 300 aircraft. However, as devastating as the attack first appeared, only three ships—the USS Arizona (BB-39), Oklahoma (BB-37), and Utah (AG-16)—were complete losses.

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On December 8th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress, calling the attack on Pearl Harbor "a date which will live in infamy." One hour later, Congress passed a formal declaration of war against Japan by a vote of 82-0 in the Senate and 388-1 in the House of Representatives. The United States joined the Allies—Great Britain, France, Russia—on land, sea, and in the air to defeat the Axis powers that included Japan, Germany, and Italy.

As we mark National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we honor the patriots who perished, commemorate the valor of all those who defended our nation, and recommit ourselves to carrying forth the ensuing peace and reconciliation that brought a better future for our world.