Rough Riders Stamp
On October 27, 1948, the US Post Office issued a stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.
Navy
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Battle of Leyte Gulf
On October 23, 1944, the Japanese Navy launched a massive counterattack against the Allied invasion of the Philippines, beginning the Battle of Leyte Gulf—the largest naval battle in world history and a turning point in the Pacific War. The four-day struggle shattered Japan’s fleet and ended its ability to fight a large-scale naval war.
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Launch of the USS Constitution
On October 21, 1797, the USS Constitution was launched into service in Boston Harbor. Today, more than two centuries later, it remains the world’s oldest commissioned naval ship still afloat — a proud symbol of the early United States Navy and the nation’s determination to protect its freedom and trade.
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US Navy Utilizes Dolphins in Persian Gulf
On October 13, 1987, the US Navy sent five bottlenose dolphins to the Persian Gulf to help with two important tasks: detecting underwater mines and guarding against enemy divers who might try to sabotage ships or naval installations. These dolphins were part of the Navy’s Marine Mammal Program (NMMP), which had been developing for decades. The deployment marked one of the first times dolphins were used in a combat—or near-combat—environment in the Gulf, during the Iran-Iraq War.
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John Paul Jones’s Victory at Flamborough Head
On September 23, 1779, one of the most famous naval battles of the American Revolution took place in the cold waters off the coast of England. It was here that John Paul Jones, a daring and determined naval commander, led his small squadron of American ships against a powerful British convoy. The Battle of Flamborough Head would not only be a dramatic moment in the war but would also help cement Jones’s reputation as one of the boldest naval commanders in history.
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Civil War Battle for Harpers Ferry
On September 12, 1862, the Civil War Battle for Harpers Ferry began. Though the Confederate attack was successful, Robert E. Lee’s invasion of the North ultimately failed.
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First Women Enlist in the Marines
On August 13, 1918, Opha May Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the US Marine Corps Reserve. By war’s end, a total of 305 women had enrolled and served in the Marines.
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JFK Saves His PT-109 Crew
On August 2, 1943, future president John F. Kennedy saved the majority of his PT-109 crew after a Japanese destroyer rammed them.
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Birth of John Ericsson
John (Johan) Ericsson was born on July 31, 1803, in Värmland, Sweden. He was an inventor and ship designer, most famous for his ironclad ship Monitor, which participated in the Civil War Battle of Hampton Roads.
