NORAD Tracks Santa
On December 24, 1955, NORAD’s predecessor tracked Santa Claus for the first time.
Navy
The Navy Medal of Honor
On December 21, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Navy’s Medal of Honor, the first authorized Medal of Honor in the United States.
Honorable Discharge
On November 29, 1944, the War Department officially adopted the honorable discharge emblem.
Sinking of the USS Reuben James
On October 31, 1941, a German submarine torpedoed the USS Reuben James – the first US Navy ship destroyed during World War II.
Happy Birthday, Milton Hershey
Businessman and philanthropist Milton Snavely Hershey was born on September 13, 1857, in Derry Township, Pennsylvania.
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.
Happy Birthday John F. Kennedy
The youngest man ever elected President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917.
Jay Treaty Resolves Issues Between US and UK
On February 29, 1796, the Jay Treaty went into effect, resolving some lingering issues between America and Great Britain following the Revolutionary War.
Civil War Battle for Harpers Ferry
On September 12, 1862, the Civil War Battle for Harpers Ferry began.