Birth of David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was born in Campbell’s Station (now Farragut), Tennessee, on July 5, 1801. A Civil War naval commander, the rank of admiral was created specifically for him.
Navy
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USS Missouri Commissioned
On June 11, 1944, the USS Missouri was commissioned into the US Navy, giving America one of the most powerful battleships ever built. Within 15 months, the ship known as “Mighty Mo” would help fight the last major battles of World War II and host the ceremony that formally ended the war.
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The Miracle of Dunkirk
On June 4, 1940, over 338,000 Allied troops were evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk after being cut off and surrounded there for weeks.
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Aleutian Islands Campaign
On June 3, 1942, Japanese forces kicked of the 14-month Aleutian Islands Campaign. The campaign’s two Japanese invasions were the only ones on US soil during the war.
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Rhode Island Becomes 13th State
On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the US Constitution. The vote was close, but it brought the smallest state into the new nation as the 13th state.
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Sinking of the Lusitania
On May 7, 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed the British ocean liner Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. The ship sank in about 18 minutes, killing nearly 1,200 people and pushing the United States closer to World War I.
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Battle of the Coral Sea Begins
On May 4, 1942, the World War II Battle of the Coral Sea began. It became the first naval battle fought mainly by aircraft carriers, with opposing fleets striking each other by air while their ships never came into direct sight.
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Winfield Scott’s “Anaconda Plan”
On May 3, 1861, General-in-Chief Winfield Scott presented a strategy to defeat the Confederacy with limited bloodshed. Later nicknamed the “Anaconda Plan,” it aimed to squeeze the South through blockade and control of its rivers rather than by one dramatic battle.
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Death of Stephen Decatur
On March 22, 1820, naval hero Stephen Decatur was mortally wounded in a duel with a former friend and fellow officer. The shocking encounter ended the life of one of America’s most respected naval leaders and revealed how personal rivalries could turn deadly, even among national figures.
