Birth of David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was born in Campbell’s Station (now Farragut), Tennessee, on July 5, 1801. A Civil War naval commander, the rank of admiral was created specifically for him.
Navy
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U.S. Captures Okinawa
On June 21, 1945, US troops captured Okinawa from the Japanese. It was the last major WWII battle in the Pacific and has been called the “typhoon of steel” for the fierce fighting, intense kamikaze attacks, and large number of Allied ships and vehicles that assaulted the island.
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Birth of Robert E. Peary
Explorer Robert Edwin Peary Sr. was born on May 6, 1856, in Cresson, Pennsylvania. Peary claimed to have been one of the first people to reach the North Pole. Though his claim has been debated, historians generally agree he at least came very close.
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Launch of the SS Saint Paul
The SS Saint Paul was launched on April 10, 1895. It was the first commercial ship commissioned for the Spanish-American War and later served during World War I.
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Happy Birthday Paul Newman
Actor, director, race car driver, and philanthropist Paul Leonard Newman was born on January 26, 1925, in Shaker Heights, Ohio.
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Birth of Thomas Macdonough
Thomas Macdonough (born McDonough) Jr. was born on December 31, 1783, in New Castle County, Delaware. The town in which he was born was later named McDonough in his honor.
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Another Victory for Old Ironsides
On December 29, 1812, the USS Constitution scored another American victory at sea in the War of 1812.
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NORAD Tracks Santa
On December 24, 1955, NORAD’s predecessor tracked Santa Claus for the first time.
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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.
