16 May in Naval History
Action against pirates, transatlantic flights, astronaut recovery and sub launching.
- In 1802, the 28-gun US frigate Boston fought an action with six or seven Tripolitanian gunboats, forcing one ashore as part of the First Barbary War. She was later burned to prevent her from falling into British hands during the War of 1812.
- In 1900, USS Kentucky (BB-6), a Kearsarge-class battleship, was commissioned. She served as a training ship during World War I.
- In 1919, US Navy aircraft NC-4 commanded by Albert Cushing Read leaves Trepassey, Newfoundland, for Lisbon via the Azores on the first transatlantic flight. Two other seaplanes, NC-1 and NC-3, departed at the same time, but were forced to land at sea. An entire squadron of destroyers was stationed underneath the flight path to assist in tracking and recovering the aircraft and their crews. NC-4 flew a total of 26 hours with a crew of six. Admiral Richard E. Byrd had planned the flight path.
- In 1957, USS Skate (SSN-578) was launched. The lead ship of her class of nuclear attack submarines, Skate was the third nuclear submarine commissioned, the first to make a completely submerged trans-Atlantic crossing, and the second submarine to reach the North Pole and the first to surface there.
- In 1963, USS Kearsarge (CV-33) recovers astronaut Gordon Cooper after he orbited the earth 22 times in his capsule “Faith 7.”