This is my favorite Pearl Harbor trivia and I suspect it is virtually unknown in the United States.

"In the late evening of December 7, 1941, the Canadian Prime Minister, W. L. Mackenzie King, announced the Cabinet's decision to declare war on Japan.

Whereas by and with the advice of our Privy Council for Canada we have signified our approval of the issue of a proclamation in the Canada Gazette declaring that a state of war with Japan exists and has existed in Canada as and from the 7th day of December, 1941.

Now, therefore, we do hereby declare and proclaim that a state of war with Japan exists and has existed as and from the seventh day of December, 1941.

Of all which our loving subjects and all others whom these presents may concern are hereby required to take notice and to govern themselves accordingly."



The following day December 8, at 4:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, the US House of Representative and US Senate jointly passed a resolution declaring war on Japan.

The intersting part of that timeline is that, in reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Canada declared war on Japan almost 20 hours before the US.

While not of any practical significance, it's a reminder of how close our countries REALLY are despite 200 years of bitching at each other.

That's interesting. As part of the Commonwealth, I would have assumed that Canada would have been in the war from the time of British war declaration (or at least sometime close).

Canada did declare on Germany on September 10, 1939. England declared war on Japan on Dec 8, 1941.

As near as I can tell (though I haven't researched it completely), Canada appears to have been the first Western power (we really were a power then) to declare war on Japan.

We Like you, eh.
Just treat you like a red headed stepchild.
After all, you gave us Molson, Hockey, Labatts, Jelly Donuts,
Lots of good stuff.
So take off, Hoser. We still love ya!

Brent, that makes more sense - although, since the British were already fighting in Southeast Asia well before Dec. 7, it still wouldn't have surprised me to see the Canadians involved in the Pacific at that time. Thanks for the clarification. And thanks for the help - WWII would have been much nastier without the whole Commonwealth involved.

Plus, That 70s Show occasionally does some really funny Canada jokes :).

My favorite Pearl Harbor trivia is this:
During the Japanese attacks there were approx 125 explosions in the city of Honolulu. The Japs never actually attacked the city, though - every explosion was an American anti-aircraft shell that missed over the harbor and fell back to earth. The book "Day of Infamy" has a photo of a citizen's car blown all to hell. Remarkably, no one in the city was hurt by the friendly fire.