On October 31, 1941, the Atlantic became a battlefield for the United States even before the country had formally entered World War II. The German submarine attack on the USS Reuben James marked the first time an American Navy ship was destroyed during the conflict, foreshadowing the coming fight across the globe.
On October 27, 1948, the US Post Office issued a stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On August 2, 1943, future president John F. Kennedy saved the majority of his PT-109 crew after a Japanese destroyer rammed them.