On June 19, 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom by the Emancipation Proclamation (issued two years prior). The day the last American slaves were freed has become a federal holiday observed across the country.
Robert F. (Bobby) Kennedy was shot by an assassin on June 5, 1968, hours after delivering his victory speech in the California primary. He died from his wounds early the next day.
On April 28, 1948, Fort Sumter National Monument was established to preserve the site where the opening shots of the Civil War were fired. Twelve years later, nearby Fort Moultrie was added to the protected area. Together, they honor and preserve generations of American seacoast defense from the American Revolution to World War II.
American musician and songwriter Tito Puente was born on April 20, 1923, in New York City, New York.
On April 11, 1900, the US Navy acquired the USS Holland, their first modern commissioned submarine.
Naval officer John Barry was born on March 25, 1745, in Tacumshane, Ireland. A hero of the Revolutionary War, he’s been called the “Father of the American Navy.”
On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard his Friendship 7 capsule.
On February 16, 1945, the first of 7,000 American troops arrived at Corregidor, ready to retake the important Pacific outpost. A total of 174,000 soldiers would join in the battle, securing the island in 10 days.
George Dewey, the only man to hold the rank of Admiral of the Navy, died on January 16, 1917. He was a hero of the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.