Emperor Hirohito Dies: Japan's Wartime Ruler Passes
He reigned for 62 years — the longest of any Japanese emperor. Hirohito was on the throne during the invasion of China, the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the dropping of two atomic bombs. In 1945 he recorded a radio address announcing Japan's surrender — the first time most Japanese had ever heard his voice. After the war, the Americans kept him as emperor but stripped him of divinity. He spent his remaining decades studying marine biology, publishing papers on jellyfish and slime molds. He died in January 1989 at 87.
January 7, 1989
37 years ago
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