Navy history timeline
Although this is not a totally complete US Navy history timeline we tried to list many of the major events since 1775.
| Oct 13, 1775 | The beginning | Established when the Continental Congress saw a need to defend their seas from the British |
| Sep 23, 1779 | First Victory | John Paul Jones lead the U.S. Navy to its first victory |
| Mar 27, 1794 | Naval Act | Congress signs the Naval Act of 1794, calling for a strong military defense including a navy |
| Apr 30, 1798 | Department of the Navy | The Department of the Navy created |
| Jul 12, 1800 | Quasi War | “The Quasi War” broke out on the high sea between France and the U.S. |
| May 8, 1802 | North African Pirates | The U.S. Navy defeats North African pirates and keeps trade passages clear |
| Jun 22, 1807 | Issues with Britain | The USS Chesapeake is captured by the Royal Navy |
| Jun 18, 1812 | War of 1812 | The Royal Navy largely outnumbers the U.S. but is still defeated in the majority of important battles of the War of 1812 |
| Aug 19, 1812 | British Attack | British fire cannon balls upon the USS Constitution |
| Jun 1, 1813 | U.S. takes over British Ship | The USS Chesapeake takes over the Royal Navy’s Shannon, earning another victory for U.S. |
| Sep 10, 1813 | Dispute Over The Great Lakes | British forces attempted to regain control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812 but were stopped by America’s Navy |
| Mar 9, 1847 | Mexico City Take Over | U.S. lands twelve thousand soldiers on Mexican beaches. U.S. Takes over Mexico City |
| May 31, 1854 | Treaty of Kanagawa | Oliver Hazzard Perry and his squadron traveled to Japan and signed The Treaty of Kanagawa opening trade |
| Battle of Gloucester Point | May 7, 1861 | Battle of Gloucester Point First Naval operation of the Civil War, Battle of Gloucester Point |
| Mar 8, 1862 | First ironclash | At the Battle of Hampton Roads, first ever ironclad clash |
| Apr 16, 1862 | Union over Confederacy | Battle of Fort Jackson, Battle of Saint Phillip: Union Navy takes over Confederate port at New Orleans, creating an advantage |
| Feb 17, 1864 | Submarine Warfare | Charleston, South Carolina: creation of American submarine warfare |
| Aug 5, 1864 | Underwater Mines | Confederates invent the first Naval mine used in the Battle of Mobile Bay |
| Jan 14, 1865 | End of Confederacy | Union Navy shuts off final Confederate port ending the rebellion |
| Feb 15, 1898 | Spanish-American War | The need for a strengthened Navy is made apparent at the beginning of the Spanish-American War with the explosion of the USS Maine |
| May 1, 1898 | Victory over Spanish | U.S. Navy victory again Spanish at Battle of Manila Bay |
| Jun 6, 1898 | Guantanamo Bay | U.S. Navy captured Guantanamo Bay |
| Jul 3, 1898 | Battle of Santiago de Cuba | U.S. Navy destroys the whole Spanish Caribbean Navy at the Battle of Santiago de Cuba |
| Oct 12, 1900 | First American Submarine | First American submarine is added to the Navy, the USS Holland |
| Mar 3, 1915 | Navy Reserve | Navy Reserve is created |
| Aug 29, 1916 | Use of Reserves | Reserves are put to action in WWI |
| Nov 17, 1917 | First Victory Against Germany | First American naval victory of WWI against Germany |
| May 8, 1918 | End of Sea Battles With Germany | Navy engages with another German vessel, sinks it, and brings the war at sea to a close |
| Feb 13, 1922 | Personnel Limit | End of the Naval Act of 1916 Limit put on amount of ships and personnel allowed in each nation’s Navy |
| Mar 20, 1922 | First Aircraft Carrier | The first Aircraft Carrier, the USS Langley is commissioned |
| Nov 5, 1930 | RADAR | First modern RADAR system created |
| Mar 31, 1931 | Aid To Nicaragua | U.S. Navy sends the USS Lexington to Nicaragua following a serious earthquake, this is the first time a naval vessel was used for this purpose |
| Jul 21, 1936 | New Missile Technology | Development of potential radio guided missile technology |
| Jun 13, 1939 | Underwater Fueling | First successful underwater refueling |
| Dec 7, 1941 | Pearl Harbor | Japanese bombs are dropped on Pearl Harbor. Many ships are damaged and some are destroyed or sunk like the USS Arizona |
| Mar 13, 1942 | Vital Japanese Intel Discovered | Navy cryptanalysts crack Japanese general communication code revealing vital information |
| Apr 18, 1942 | Doolittle Raid | U.S. Navy and Army forces work together to successfully pull off the Doolittle Raid in Japan |
| Midway Attack | Attack on Midway | |
| Jun 6, 1942 | USS Yorktown Hit By Two Japanese Missiles | Japanese submarines launch four torpedoes, hitting USS Yorktown twice |
| Jun 7, 1942 | Official End of Battle of Midway | USS Yorktown is left to sink in the Pacific Ocean, this is the official end of the battle |
| Jun 6, 1944 | Working With Allied Forces, WWII | U.S. Navy fight with allied forces in the Atlantic contributing to the surrender of Nazi Germany |
| Jun 19, 1944 | Attack On Japanese Vessels and Aircraft | The huge attack and defense from the U.S. Navy on Japanese planes and vessels. |
| Oct 23, 1944 | Kamikaze Pilots | Japanese suicide pilots attack U.S. ships, Admiral Thomas Sprague leads powerful attacks on Japan, ending their attacks |
| Sep 2, 1945 | Battle At Leyte Gulf | The Navy supports Army and Marine forces in Japan during the Battle at Leyte Gulf. Japan surrenders on USS Missouri |
| Apr 26, 1949 | First African American Flight Officer | The U.S.’s first African American flight officer, Jesse L. Brown is commissioned |
| Jul 2, 1950 | Chumonchin Chan | U.S. and British naval forces work together to destroy Korean boats at the Battle of Chumonchin Chan |
| Sep 30, 1954 | First Nuclear Powered Submarine | The first nuclear powered submarines sets sail, starting the use of nuclear powered naval fleets |
| Jul 21, 1960 | The Big Navy Act | The Big Navy Act is passed calling for a naval force larger than Britain’s |
| Nov 25, 1961 | First Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier | The USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier |
| Apr 19, 1972 | Battle of Dong Hoi | The Battle of Dong Hoi marks the first naval air raid since WWII |
| Aug 19, 1981 | Invasion of Sidra Gulf | Two F-15s shoot down two Libyan Su-22s after the invasion of the Sidra Gulf |
| Apr 15, 1986 | Navy and Air Force Fighter Pilots attack Libyan Forces | U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter pilots attack Libyan forces after a Berlin bombing |
| Apr 18, 1988 | Largest American Battle since WWII | USS Samuel B. Roberts makes contact with an underwater mine and suffers huge damages in the Persian Gulf, this lead to the largest American naval battle since WWII |
| Sep 10, 1995 | Missile Launched on Bosnian Serbs | The U.S. launches a missile on Bosnian Serbs in an attempt to free hostages |
| Sep 14, 2001 | Medical Aid Following 9/11 | U.S. Navy hospital ships head to Manhattan to aid those effected by the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 |
| Jan 5, 2005 | Humanitarian Support in South East Asia | USNS, the Navy’s hospital ship, travels to South East Asia after an intense earthquake and tsunami to provide medical support |
| Sep 2, 2005 | USNS Medical Support After Hurricane Katrina | Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, USNS heads to New Orleans for medical support |
| Jan 16, 2010 | USNS Aid After Earthquake in Haiti | USNS aids Haiti after a devastating earthquake |
| Mar 11, 2011 | Medical Aid To Japan Following Earthquake | USS Ronald Reagan and multiple hospital ships ship out to Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami |
| May 2, 2011 | Bin Laden Executed | Navy SEAL Team Six enters the hideout of Osama Bin Laden and successfully executes him |
| Nov 13, 2013 | Medical Relief to Phillipines After Typhoon Haiyan | USNS heads to the Philippines for medical aid after Typhoon Haiyan |