Embedded Files
The following page provides a general overview of the last 245 years of US Navy history. Although not inclusive of everything, we selected events that left an indelible mark on naval operations and portray a broader profile of the Navy's mission, which is inclusive of, for example, "soft power," humanitarian relief, and peacekeeping functions.
Historical events are divided into chunks of 25 years, starting with the birth of the US Navy on 13 OCT 1775. Each individual entry includes additional resources from organizations like Naval History and Heritage Command, the US Naval Institute, and media from Curiosity Stream.
At the top of the NAVBAR, you will see a tab called "Acts of Valor." These are short comics from the U.S Naval Institute that tell visual stories of some prominent historical events and figures.
1775
1775
13 OCT 1775 Authorized by the Continental Congress, the United States Navy is born.
7 SEP 1776 The Turtle, the first combat submarine, attacks the HMS Eagle in New York Harbor.
27 MAR 1794 Congress authorizes construction of the original six frigates of the US Navy.
1800
1800
MAR 1801 President Jefferson refuses tribute to the Barbary States, sending the US fleet to the Mediterranean Sea.
17 AUG 1807 First voyage of the "Clermont," the first commercial steamboat, up the Hudson River.
JUNE 1812 The US declares war against the United Kingdom, igniting a three year conflict that ends with the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent.
JUNE 1816 Fulton delivers "Demologos" to the US Navy, the first steam warship. It later sank in 1829 as a result of a gunpowder explosion.
1825
1825
16 JAN 1840 The Wilkes Expedition, commanded by LT Charles Wilkes, reports sighting of Antarctica after leaving Sydney, Australia a month prior.
10 OCT 1845 SECNAV George Bancroft establishes the Naval School without Congressional funding, at a 10-acre Army post named Fort Severn in Annapolis, Maryland with a class of 50 midshipmen and seven professors.
29 DEC 1845 Annexation of Texas by the US ignites the Mexican-American War. Navy involvement in the Mexican-American War included blockades and operations on the Pacific coast and Gulf of Mexico. The war ends in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
1850
1850
8 JUL 1853 The Perry Expedition, lead by Commodore Matthew Perry, arrives at Edo Bay, Japan.
12 APR 1861 The Civil War begins with the Battle of Fort Sumter.
For extended reading, see The Civil War at Sea.
7 MAY 1861 The first naval battle of the Civil War at Gloucester Point.
29 MAY 1861 First use of torpedoes in naval combat.
11 JAN 1862 The first naval battle with Union ironclads.
8 MAR 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads, the first battle between two ironclads.
6 JUN 1862 Confederate River Defense Fleet destroyed by Union rams and ironclads.
1875
1875
8 JUL 1879 The Jeannette Expedition to the Arctic departs from San Francisco.
1890 Mahan publishes his influential book The Influence of Sea Power upon History
20 APR 1898 The Spanish-American War begins in the aftermath of an explosion on the "USS Maine."
4 FEB 1899 The Philippine-American War begins as the US takes possession of the Philippines from as a result of the Treaty of Paris.
1900
1900
10 JUN 1900 A detachment of US sailors and marines, along with allied forces from seven other nations, enter the capital city of Pekin during the China Relief Expedition.
1903 In establishing a permanent naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the US begins a series of campaigns in Latin America dubbed the "Banana Wars."
16 DEC 1907 The Great White Fleet begins its journey around the globe.
6 APR 1917 US Naval operations begin during WWI, focused on countering enemy U-boats.
5 AUG 1921 The Yangtze Patrol Force is organized under Rear Admiral Bullard.
8 SEP 1923 The Honda (Pedernales) Point, California disaster.
1925
1925
24 MAR 1927 US naval activity in China reaches a crescendo during a clash at Nanking.
3 SEP 1939 The Battle of the Atlantic begins with an Allied naval blockade of Germany.
7 DEC 1941 Japanese forces conduct a surprise raid against the naval base at Pearl Harbor.
18 APR 1942 The Doollittle Raid is the first US air operation to strike Japan.
4 JUN 1942 The Battle of Midway begins in the Pacific theater during WWII.
1 MAY 1943 "Black May" begins as Allied forces gain significant initiative against German U-Boats.
6 JUN 1944 The Allied invasion of Normandy, France begins.
13 OCT 1944 The largest naval battle of WWII begins in Leyte Gulf near the Philippines.
19 FEB Marines and Navy land and eventually capture the island of Iwo Jima.
6 AUG 1945 Nuclear weapons are detonated over Hiroshima and 3 days later over Nagasaki.
1950
1950
10 SEP 1950 The amphibious Battle of Inchon begins in the Yellow Sea during the Korean War.
16 FEB 1951 The longest naval blockade in modern history begins at the Siege of Wonsan.
16 OCT 1962 The Cuban Missile Crisis begins between the US and the Soviet Union.
5 AUG 1964 LTjg Alvarez is shot down and captured by the Vietnamese and is a POW for 3,113 days.
10 AUG 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorizes the use of military force in Southeast Asia.
2 MAR 1965 Operation Rolling Thunder begins with sustained aerial bombardment of Vietnam.
8 DEC 1965 Operation Game Warden denies access to resources in the Mekong Delta.
29 JUL 1967 Carrier "USS Forrestal" catches fire in waters off Vietnam.
15 MAY 1969 Nuclear submarine "USS Guitarro" sinks while docked in San Francisco.
1975
1975
30 APR 1975 After a major offensive, NVA tanks enter Saigon, effectively ending the Vietnam War.
19 AUG 1981 The Gulf of Sidra Incident, when two Navy F-14s shoot down two Libyan fighters.
18 APR 1988 US naval forces retaliate against Iranian ships in Operation Praying Mantis.
29 JAN 1991 US and coalition forces destroy the Iraqi Navy during the Battle of Bubiyan.
10 SEP 1995 Cruise missiles are launched by US ships into Bosnia during Operation Deliberate Force.
2000
2000
11 SEP 2001 Hijacked commercial airliners crash into the Pentagon, World Trade Center, and a field in rural Pennsylvania.
27 JUN 2005 Operation Redwing begins against insurgents in Afghanistan.
12 APR 2009 "USS Bainbridge" deploys SEALs against Somali pirates in a daring rescue of hostages.
12 MAR 2011 US Navy provides humanitarian relief to Japan in Operation Tomodachi.
22 JUL 2017 The Navy's newest carrier "USS Gerald R. Ford" is commissioned.
30 MAR 2020 USNS Comfort arrives in NYC in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
15 MAY 2020 USNS Mercy arrives in San Diego in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The future
The future
n.d. Directed Energy Weapons
n.d. Unmanned or Autonomous Vessels
n.d. Electromagnetic Railgun
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