1794
- U.S. Navy established by an act of Congress
1797 - First captain's
commission granted to John Barry
1797 - First frigate,
the United States, was launched
1798 - Navy Department
was established
1799 - First chaplain,
William Balch, was commissioned
1830 - Sloop-of-war, Vincennes,
first U.S. Navy ship to circumnavigate the globe
1837 - First real
seagoing steam-powered man-of-war of the U.S. Navy, USS Fulton,
was launched.
1861- Daily issue of
rum for enlisted men was abolished
1862 - First ironclad
floating battery, USS Monitor, launched
1862 - Liquor was
banned from Navy vessels, except for medicinal purposes
1893 - First true
battleship in U.S. Navy, USS Indiana (BB-1), was launched
1898 - First practical
submarine in the Navy, USS Holland, was launched
1911 - First naval
aircraft, the A-1, made its first flight
1914 - Alcohol was
banned from Navy yards and stations
1920 - First aircraft
carrier, USS Langley, was commissioned
1942 - WAVES (Women
Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service) was established
1954 - First
nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, was launched
1959 - First
nuclear-powered surface ship, cruiser USS Long Beach, was
launched
1960 - First
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, was launched
1997 - U.S. frigate Constitution,
oldest warship afloat in the world, got underway under sail in
celebration of her bicentennial |