Naval History and Heritage Command

The schooner Enterprise, commanded by Lt. Lawrence Kearny, captures and burns a pirate schooner off Cape Antonio, West Indies. A landing party destroys a shore base and burns five pirate prizes. 

The sloop-of-war Constellation captures the American slaver Delicia off Kabenda, Africa.

Congress authorizes the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, for Naval enlisted personnel.   

USS Seadragon (SS 194) sinks Japanese submarine I-4 between New Britain and New Ireland while I-4 is engaged in a resupply mission to Guadalcanal.  

The first helicopter lands on board USS Consolation (AH 15) during Operation Helicopter, where casualties are directly evacuated from the battlefield to a hospital ship for the first time.

Apollo 8 launches with Capt. James A. Lovell, Jr. as the command module pilot. During the mission Lovell is one of the first two people to see the far side of the moon. The mission lasts six days and three hours and includes 10 moon orbits. Recovery is executed by HS-4 helicopters from USS Yorktown (CVS 10).