Naval History and Heritage Command

Navy General Order 409 establishes the rate of Chief Petty Officer.

A landing party of 60 men from USS Philadelphia (C 4) and a force of 100 friendly natives join 62 men from HMS Porpoise and Royal Isle in Samoa to establish order over Samoan throne.

USS Shad (SS 235) torpedoes and damages the Italian blockade runner Pietro Orseolo, shortly after the Italian ship reaches the Bay of Biscay and her escort of four German destroyers.

Under heavy naval gunfire and aircraft support, U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps troops begin the invasion of Okinawa, the last major amphibious assault of World War II.

USS Marvin Shields (FF 1066) arrives at her home port of San Diego, Calif. She is the first West Coast ship to return to CONUS from Operation Desert Storm.

The last US Navy T-2C Buckeye, assigned to VX-20, retires to Patuxent River Naval Air Museum.