You’ve probably heard the phrase “Remember Pearl Harbor.” The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is one of the most infamous events in American history. Maybe you’ve heard stories about that day—how the attack was a total surprise, with no warning whatsoever. How it lit up the morning sky on December 7, 1941, devastated the American fleet in the Pacific, and created immediate support for the United States to jump into World War II. But only parts of that story are true. When we look closely at documents from that time period, other parts come crashing down. Here’s the real deal about the not-such-a-total-surprise attack that eventually led the United States into its second world war—along with some important but not-so-well-known stories about what happened next.