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Naval History and Heritage Command
Today in Naval History
July 12
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Year at a Glance
1836 - Charles H. Haswell is commissioned as the first regularly appointed Engineer Officer. In Oct. 1844, he is promoted to Engineer in Chief of the Navy.
On This Day

1836

Charles H. Haswell is commissioned as the first regularly appointed Engineer Officer. In Oct. 1844, he is promoted to Engineer in Chief of the Navy.

1916

The AB-3 flying boat, piloted by Lt. Godfrey de Chevalier, is catapulted from USS North Carolina (ACR 12) while underway in Pensacola Bay, Fla. The launch completes calibration of the first catapult designed for shipboard use.

1943

USS Taylor (DD 468) sinks Japanese submarine (RO 107), east of Kolombangara, Solomon Islands.

1988

Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci III approves opening the Navy's Underwater Construction Teams, fleet oilers, ammunition ships and combat stores ships to women.

1990

Cmdr. Rosemary B. Mariner becomes the first woman to command an operational aviation squadron, Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 34 (VAQ 34). She is one of the first women to become qualified as a Naval Aviator in 1974 and one of the first women to fly light attack aircraft. Mariner attained the rank of Captain before retiring in 1997.

2003

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) is commissioned at Naval Station Norfolk. The ninth in the Nimitz-class of nuclear-powered supercarriers, the ship's motto is Peace through Strength, a phrase coined by President Reagan.