Naval History and Heritage Command

Capt. David Porter, commander of the man-of-war Essex, claims the Marquesas Islands for the U.S. In the following weeks, he establishes a base to overhaul Essex and builds a fort.

USS Nautilus (SS 168) enters Tarawa lagoon for the first submarine photograph reconnaissance mission. It is later damaged by friendly fire from USS Santa Fe (CL 60) and USS Ringgold (DD 500) off Tarawa because due to the mission, Nautilus presence was unknown to the vessels.

USS Sculpin (SS 191) is damaged by the Japanese and abandoned by her crew. Forty-one Sailors are taken as POWs, 21 of whom are taken on Japanese carrier Chuyo that is later sunk by USS Sailfish (SS 192).

USS Conklin (DE 439) and USS McCoy Reynolds (DE 440) sink the Japanese submarine I-37 100 miles west of Palaus.

Navy astronauts Cmdr. Charles Conrad, Jr. and Cmdr. Alan L. Bean become the third and fourth men to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 12 mission.