Observance guideSource-backed

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day2026 · Date · History

36 U.S.C. §129 designates December 7 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and requests annual proclamations and half-staff display; historical notes trace the designation to Public Law 103-308 of August 23, 1994.

Annual dateReviewed 2026-10-03Sensitive topic

About National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is observed in the United States on December 7.

Federal law designates December 7 as the remembrance day and requests an annual presidential proclamation plus half-staff display in honor of people who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.

Why National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day matters

The observance commemorates the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and the service and losses connected with that event.

It is a statutory national observance, but the designation itself should not be read as a general rule that all federal offices or private workplaces close on December 7.

History of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

The attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941 and led directly to the United States entering World War II.

Public Law 103-308, enacted August 23, 1994, designated December 7 of each year as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and requested annual presidential observance and half-staff actions.

The provision was later recodified as 36 U.S.C. §129 by Public Law 105-225 in 1998 without changing the core annual designation.

Origins & establishment

What the evidence establishes

Evidence & sources ↓

Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.

Proclaiming / establishing bodyUnited States CongressPublic Law 103-308 established the annual national designation in federal law.

Original establishing instrument / decisionPublic Law 103-308The historical notes to 36 U.S.C. §129 identify Pub. L. 103-308, enacted August 23, 1994, as the source of the designation.

Original instrument adoption / decision date23 August 1994The U.S. Code historical notes give August 23, 1994 for Public Law 103-308.

Why this exact date?December 7 commemorates the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl HarborThe statute’s historical recital clauses tie the observance to the December 7, 1941 attack and remembrance of those who served and died.

5 fields not established in reviewed sources

Originator / proposerThe reviewed statutory text does not identify a single originator or proposer for the legislation.

Current facilitator / coordinatorThe law requests presidential proclamations and observance by government bodies and the public, but it does not establish one exclusive facilitator.

First observanceThe reviewed statutory sources establish the designation beginning in 1994 but do not separately document the first completed observance event.

Former nameNo former recurring name is established.

Former dateNo former recurring date is established.

Source qualityHigh confidence

3 Primary institutional / legal

View all sources ↓

Names

Also known as

National Pearl Harbor Day of Remembrance

How to Observe National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Read primary-source records, museum collections and oral histories about Pearl Harbor and World War II.

Attend a remembrance ceremony or museum program where appropriate.

Follow current official flag guidance for government or organizational display responsibilities.

Discuss the history with neutral, sourced language and distinguish the 1941 event from later political debates.

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Facts

Fact 01

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is December 7.

Fact 02

The annual federal designation originated in Public Law 103-308 in 1994.

Fact 03

The current provision appears at 36 U.S.C. §129.

Fact 04

Federal law requests annual proclamations and half-staff display in honor of those who died as a result of service at Pearl Harbor.

Fact 05

The statute does not by itself establish a general federal office-closure holiday.

Classification

Topic and context

Civic, Remembrance & History →

Civic, Remembrance & History Remembrance

Accuracy notes

What this page does not assume

Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Remembrance Civic Context Care.

Evidence

Evidence & sources

Source policy →

Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.

Source 01uscode.house.gov

U.S. Code historical archive — Public Law 103-308 / former §169l (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Federal Statutory History

Source 02uscode.house.gov

U.S. Code — 36 U.S.C. §129 (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Federal Statute

Source 03www.archives.gov

U.S. National Archives — Pearl Harbor (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Federal Archives

Questions & connections

Understand it, compare it, then explore further

Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?

7 December annually The documented recurrence rule is: 7 December.

Does National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day fall on the same date every year?

Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.

Is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day an official public holiday?

Within the reviewed scope, it is identified as United States / statutory national remembrance. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.

Who established or recognizes National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?

The reviewed sources identify United States Congress as the proclaiming or establishing body.

Is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day international or country-specific?

This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / statutory national remembrance.

How is this page verified?

The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-03.

When is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day?

It is observed each year on December 7.

What law establishes the observance?

The current designation is in 36 U.S.C. §129, based on Public Law 103-308 enacted in 1994.

What does the law request?

It requests an annual presidential proclamation and calls for the U.S. flag to be flown at half-staff each December 7 in honor of those who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.

Is December 7 automatically a general federal office-closure holiday?

No such general closure rule is established by 36 U.S.C. §129; operational closure questions should be checked against current federal or employer schedules.

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