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Naval History and Heritage Command
Today in Naval History
August 11
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Year at a Glance
1877 - Prof. Asaph Hall of the U.S. Naval Observatory discovers the first of two satellites of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, using the largest refractor of the time.
On This Day

1861

USS Penguin, commanded by Cmdr. John L. Livingston, engages blockade-runner Louisa during the Civil War. The blockade-runner hits a sandbar near Cape Fear, N.C., and sinks

1877

Prof. Asaph Hall of the U.S. Naval Observatory discovers the first of two satellites of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, using the largest refractor of the time, a USNO 26-inch (66-cm) telescope.

1898

During the Spanish-American War, USS Cushing (TB 1), USS Gwin (TB 16), and USS McKee (TB 18) captured and burned the Spanish schooner Jover Genard at Carendas, Cuba.

1943

Aircraft from Composite Squadron One (VC 1) based onboard USS Card (CVE 11) sinks German submarine, (U 525), about 376 miles west-southwest of Corvo Island, Azores.

1960

USNS Haiti Victory (T-AK 238), using Navy helicopters and frogmen, recover Discoverer 13 satellite capsule in the Pacific Ocean, the first recovery of a U.S. satellite from orbit.

2001

USNS Benavidez (T-AKR 306) is christened and launched at New Orleans, La. The Bob Hope-class large, medium-speed roll-on/roll-off ship is part of Military Sealift Commands prepositioning program that serves as dry cargo surge sealift carriers.