31 May 1944 – The USS England, a Buckley-class destroyer escort, sinks a record 6th Japanese submarine. The USS England accomplishes this amazing antisubmarine feat in just 12 days. 1 June 1953 – In MiG Alley over Korea the USAF would have their best month of the war. For several reasons, weather and inexperienced enemy pilots among them, the…
25 May 1953 – At 8:30 AM the first (and only) atomic cannon was fired at Frenchman Flat, Nevada. The M65 “Atomic Annie” Atomic Cannon was a 280mm (11 inches) cannon weighing in at 83.3 TONS, when all components are taken in, with a maximum range of 20 miles. During Operation Grable the cannon fired a…
17 May 1733 –Under the Molasses Act, England places high tariffs on rum and molasses imported into the American colonies. This act only increased tensions between the colonies and British rule. Partly because, where’s the rum? Molasses is a key ingredient to rum, a popular and widespread spirit in the American colonies. 18 May 1917 – The…
10 May 1797 – The 1st American Navy ship built under the Naval Act of 1794 was launched. The USS United States was a wood hulled, three masted heavy frigate that was built along with five other similar frigates. She would protect American merchant ships until the Civil War when the Confederacy would capture and later…
Sky Soldier in Vietnam 03 May 1965- Lead elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade depart for Vietnam. They would be the first ground combat unit committed to the war. They Sky Soldiers would finally be withdrawn from combat in August 1971 after 1,606 were killed and 8,435 were wounded. 12 paratroopers would earn the Medal…
26 April 1805- The US takes part in its first land battle overseas since the Revolutionary War. During the First Barbary War forces from the US Marines, Army and mercenaries marched over 600 miles to reach Derna in Ottoman Tripolitania (modern day Libya). The Battle of Derna would be a US victory and lead to the legends…
General Robert E. Lee 20 April 1775- Immediately after the battle of Lexington and Concord, Colonial Militiamen would secure and hold all land access and routes to the city of Boston. This would lead to the start of the Siege of Boston, held by British troops, and the opening phases of the Revolutionary War. At…
Abraham Lincoln 12 April 1861- Beginning of the Civil War. Ft Sumter comes under bombardment after South Carolina succeeded from the Union. The fort was a source of tension to the newly born Confederacy due to it being a Union fort in Confederate land. After negotiations for the fort to surrender failed, it would come…
Last surviving Soldier of the Revolutionary war, Daniel Bakeman, dies at the age of 109. 5 April 1869- Last surviving Soldier of the Revolutionary war, Daniel Bakeman, dies at the age of 109. 5 April 2003- On the 18th day of Operation Iraqi Freedom, US troops enter Baghdad for the first time. 6 April 1917- The US…
23 March 1775- During the Second Virginia Convention Patrick Henry responds to increasingly oppressive British rule. In his speech he would famously exclaim “I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”. After the signing of the Declaration of Independence he would be appointed the…
2 USMC Marine Raiders were killed this Tuesday in Iraq during clearing operations. Please keep their families and friends in your thoughts and prayers. The battle of Takur Ghar is commonly referred to as “Roberts Ridge”, after Navy Seal PO1 Neil C. Roberts, the first casualty of the battle. Shortly after the beginning of Operation Anaconda, US Navy SEALS…
Operation Anaconda was the first military operation in Afghanistan consisting of a large number of US troops in direct combat operations. The Shahi Kot valley in eastern Afghanistan was where the operation took place. The area was thought to be the hiding place of Taliban and al-Qaeda forces that had escaped from the Battle of Tora…
23 February 1778- Baron Von Steuben joins the American Revolutionary Army at Valley Forge. He is remembered as one of the fathers of the Continental Army and his work, Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, which would serve as the United Staes drill manual until the War of 1812. …
The second wave of combat helicopters of the 1st Air Cavalry Division fly over an RTO and his commander on an isolated landing zone during Operation Pershing, a search and destroy mission on the Bong Son Plain and An Lao Valley of South Vietnam, during the Vietnam War. The two American soldiers are waiting for…
The Paris Peace Accords United States involvement in Vietnam would come to an end on 27 January 1973. Officially titled the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet Nam the peace treaty ended US involvement and presence. The treaty included the governments of the USA, North and South Vietnam, and the Provisional…
25 Dec 1776: Patriot General George Washington Crosses the Delaware River with 5,400 troops. The Patriot forces crossed the river to launch a surprise attack on Hessian (German mercenary) forces located in Trenton, New Jersey. 26 DEC 1776: After crossing the Delaware River Patriot forces fought the Battle of Trenton. The Hessian forces were caught off guard…
The 1795 Springfield infantry musket was the first US Military musket produced domestically. The design was a copy of the 1766 French musket that was used in large numbers by the US. This .69 caliber flintlock musket was 60 inches long in total and weighed 10 pounds. Typical range of the musket was only 50…
07 DEC 1941: At 7:55 AM the Japanese begin their attack on Pearl Harbor. USA Losses Over 15 Ships Destroyed or Damaged300 Aircraft Destroyed or DamagedOver 3,000 Wounded and Killed The next day the US would formally declare war on the Imperial Government of Japan. In August 1945 the USA would drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and…
What would become the bloodiest battle for the US in WW2 would begin on 16 DEC 1944 in a surprise attack by German forces. Who: Germany: In total 450,000 troops, along with 1,500 tanks and assault guns took part. Losses: Estimated between 63,000 to 98,000 troops wounded, killed or captured.Allies: At the peak of the battle 610,000US Soldiers were involved.Losses: 89,000 Soliders…
The second Iraq War was fought from 2003 – 2011. This map contains dates, battles, and more interactive information.
