It's a sunny, crisp December day in Oahu, Hawaii. All along the shore, kids insert coins into sights to get a better look at the enormous ships of Pearl Harbor. The date is December 7, 1941 and it is a day like any other. Then, in the distance, you can hear the faint hum of a plane. As those planes fly low over the heads of innocent observers, the rising Japanese sun can be seen on the wings of each. People run anxiously as the Japanese barrage continues around them. A couple of hours later, the smoke cleared, and there lay thousands of dead Americans in and out of the water, America on that day was defeated. One man stepped forward in America's greatest moment of need and, with a single speech, set the United States on the path not just to recovery, but to a future that many Americans thought was unattainable. “December 7, a day that will live in infamy” was followed the next day by a speech delivered by the well-spoken Franklin Delano Roosevelt that brought the United States from the Great Depression to the world superpower it is known as today. Using tactics of fear, repetition, and heavy emphasis on important points, FDR was able to persuade a country to go to war and pave the way for a new future. Born on January 30, 1883 in Hyde Park, New York, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was raised by a great deal of wealth and prestige. His father, James Roosevelt, was successful through investments in mining, railroads, and shipping. His mother, Sara Roosevelt, also came from a wealthy family. FDR grew up in the village of Springwood in Hyde Park. His family owned property there and that is where they resided (“Presidential Administration”). As a child, Roosevelt took education very seriously and had a private duty to go to war and pave the way for a new future. This discourse-altering country has not only helped America return to prominence, but made it stronger than ever. When someone watches Franklin Delano Roosevelt's speech at Pearl Harbor, they don't just think of it as a speech, because it is much more than that. This sort of "pep talk" was truly the turning point in American history and truly brought the country together. This is what not only instilled the United States in every history book in the world, but made Franklin Delano Roosevelt the shining figure of American achievement as he is known today. Without this speech that gave Americans the power to fight back, who knows if Americans today would still be able to label themselves as Americans. This alone makes this speech one of the most important in American history.