Doolittle Raid
On April 18, 1942, Jimmy Doolittle led a daring raid against the Japanese in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor.
On April 18, 1942, Jimmy Doolittle led a daring raid against the Japanese in retaliation for the attack on Pearl Harbor.
The “Father of the Steam Navy” Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry was born on April 10, 1794, in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Perry is best known for modernizing the US Naval Academy and opening friendly relations with Japan.
César Estrada Chávez was born on March 31, 1927, in Yuma, Arizona. He created the National Farm Workers Association, implementing nonviolent protests to fight for better pay and conditions.
On March 27, 1794, Congress passed the Naval Act, creating America’s permanent naval force. Since then, it has become one of the largest and most powerful navies in the world.
Medal of Honor Day has been celebrated on this day since 1991 to commemorate the awarding of the first six Medals of Honor for the Great Locomotive Chase. Those medals were awarded on March 25, 1863, for their daring actions of April 12, 1862.
Chester William Nimitz was born on February 24, 1885, in Fredericksburg, Texas. He was a leading naval commander during World War II and an authority on submarines.
Politician Adlai Stevenson II was born on February 5, 1900, in Los Angeles, California. He was a popular governor of Illinois and US ambassador to the United Nations.
On January 19, 1840, US Naval captain Charles Wilkes became the first American to explore the coast of Antarctica. His two year expedition circumnavigated the globe and is credited with playing a significant role in the development of 19th-century science.
On December 15, 1936, the first of 10 stamps in the Army/Navy Set was issued. The stamps honor 18 military leaders from the Revolutionary War to Spanish-American War.