This Day in Naval History - June 08

From the Navy News Service

1830 - Sloop-of-war Vincennes becomes first U.S. warship to circle the globe.

1853 - Commodore Matthew Perry arrives at Uraga, Japan, to begin negotiations for a treaty with Japan.

1880 - Congress authorizes the Office of Judge Advocate General.

1937 - Observation of total eclipse of the sun by U.S. Navy detachment commanded by Navy Capt. J. F. Hellweg, participating in the National Geographic Society - United States Navy Eclipse Expedition at Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands, Pacific Ocean. USS Avocet (AVP 4) was assigned to this expediton.

1958 - Navy and post office deliver first official missile mail when USS Barbero (SS 317) fired Regulus II missile with 3,000 letters 100 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla., to Mayport, Fla.

1960 - Helicopters from USS Yorktown (CVS 10) rescue 54 crewmen of British SS Shunlee, grounded on Pratus Reef in South China Sea.

1962 - Medical team from Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Md.; Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Md.; and Naval Preventative Medicine Unit No. 2 Norfolk, Va., sent to San Pedro Sula, Honduras to fight epidemic of infectious gastroenteritis.

1967 - USS Liberty (AGTR 5) attacked by Israeli forces in Mediterranean.

1990 - Cmdr. Rosemary Mariner becomes first Navy women to command fleet jet aircraft squadron.

This Day in Naval History - June 07

From the Navy News Service

1819 - Lt. John White on merchant ship Franklin, anchored off Vung Tau, is first U.S. naval officer to visit Vietnam.

1917 - U.S. subchasers arrive at Corfu for anti-submarine patrols.

1942 - Battle of Midway ends with loss of USS Yorktown (CV 5).

1944 - Construction of artificial harbors and sheltered anchorages begins off Normandy coast.

1991 - Joint Task Force Sea Angel ends relief operations in Bangladesh after Cyclone Marian.

This Day in Naval History - Dec. 21

From the Navy News Service

1861 - Congress declares Naval personnel eligible for the Medal of Honor, the Nation's highest award.

1943 - USS Grayling (SS 208) sinks its fourth Japanese ship in three days.

1951 - The first helicopter landing aboard a hospital ship takes place aboard USS Consolation (AH 15).

1968 - Apollo 8 is launched with Capt. James A. Lovell Jr. as Command Module Pilot. During the mission, Lovell becomes one of the first three people to see the far side of the moon. The mission lasted 6 days and 3 hours, including 10 moon orbits. Helicopters from USS Yorktown (CVS 10) take care of the recovery.