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1863 - Blockading ship USS Quaker City captures sloop Mercury carrying despatches emphasizing desperate plight of the South

1897 - Assistance to lost persons near Oak Island, New York. At 8 -30 p.m. the keeper received word by telephone that about a gentleman and two ladies, who had left the station at 4 p.m. In a small boat making for the mainland, they had not yet reached their home. As the weather was foggy and with the bay full of floating ice, it was feared they were lost. He at once set out to their assistance with one of his crew in a rowboat and carrying a shotgun. With frequent gunfire the bewildered party was located and assisted in reaching their destination

1910 - Commissioning of USS Michigan, the first US dreadnought battleship. USS South Carolina and Michigan, sister ships, were authorized at the same time, and the former was expected to be first off the ways; it just didn't work out like that. Meantime, as 'tis often said, great minds go in the same channels: South Carolina was in fact designed and work made ready prior to that of HMS Dreadnought. Had the RN the same management as the USN, the latter would have been first, quite possibly by at least a couple of years. The key difference in launch times seems to have been Lord Fisher's careful pre-approval arrangements for rapidly acquiring extant major items for his personally long-planned seminal ship, and his forceful, hard-driving and very influential personality in a system that gave him, as First Sea Lord, the power to carry out his wishes with little hindrance once his mind was made up. Happily, he had excellent instincts, long foresight, and knew exactly what he was doing and why

1923 - Lenin finishes his "Letter to the Congress." On that day, he pointed out negative characteristics of Stalin and suggested that he be replaced as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Russia Communist Party 1936 - U-18 commissioned

1940 - Corvette HMCS Godetia laid down

1940 - AMC HMS Bulolo commissioned

1940 - U-431, U-433 laid down

1941 - de Gaulle demands the immediate release of Muselier. He was arrested by the British for espionage

1941 - Destroyers HMCS Micmac & Nootka ordered from Halifax Shipyards Ltd

1941 - Corvette HMS Larkspur commissioned

1941 - U-72 commissioned

1941 - U-595, U-596 laid down

1941 - U-203 launched

1942 - Destroyer escort USS Engstrom laid down

1943 - USN TF 67, under Admiral Ainsworth, bombards a Japanese Airfield on Munda, New Georgia in the Solomon Islands. This action marks the first time that proximity fuses for AA are used by a bombardment vessel

1943 - Soviet Navy lists submarine M-36 Black Sea Fleet Kobuleti area (lost off Sebastapol)

1943 - Frigate HMCS New Glasgow laid down Esquimalt BC

1943 - Corvette HMCS Edmunston commenced refit Halifax NS

1943 - Corvette HMCS Galt arrived Liverpool NS for refit

1943 - Destroyer escorts USS Fessenden & Fiske laid down

1943 - U-280 launched

1943 - U-1002 laid down

1943 - U-1405, U-1406, U-1407 ordered

1945 - Fleet Air Arm aircraft from the aircraft carriers Indomitable, Indefatigable and Victorious launched a major air strike against the Japanese oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandan in Sumatra

1945 - Corvette HMCS Stellarton departed St John's with Convoy HX-329

1945 - Submarine USS Sirago laid down

1945 - US 3rd Fleet carrier planes attack targets on Formosa & southern Ryukyu Islands as well as the Pescadores

1945 - Escort carrier USS Ommaney Bay sunk by a Japanese kamikaze attack south of Mindoro, Philippine Islands

1945 - About 1700 hrs, U-1232 attacked the convoy SH-194 four miles off Halifax and reported two ships sunk. SS Polarland was sunk & SS Nipiwan Park damaged. Polarland in station #31 was hit by one torpedo & sank within 15 seconds. Two men rescued themselves on a raft, which floated free and were later joined by three others that came to the surface after the ship sank. The four crewmen and one gunner were picked up about one hour later by HMCS Kentville. The master, one gunner and 15 crewmembers were lost, including all officers

1946 - Minesweeper HMCS Stratford paid off Halifax NS

1946 - Destroyer USS Leonard F Mason launched

1946 - Frigate HMS Enard Bay commissioned

1948 - Britain granted independence to Burma

1951 - North Korean and Communist Chinese forces captured the City of Seoul

1951 - HMCS Cayuga pulls away from Inchon, the last United Nations vessel to leave the area just before the North Korean Army overruns the city

1954 - Frigate HMCS Beacon Hill paid off modernization

1982 - Destroyer HMCS Skeena commenced post modernization trials Halifax NS

1989 - VF-32 aircraft from USS John F. Kennedy shoot down 2 hostile Libyan Migs

1990 - Charles Stuart, who'd claimed to have been wounded and his wife shot dead by a robber, leapt to his death off a Boston Harbor bridge after he himself became a suspect

1991 - USS Guam and Trenton conduct Operation Eastern Exit. Embarked elements of 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade evacuated 65 US citizens and other foreign nationals caught in civil war in Somalia. Evacuees helicoptered from US Embassy in Mogadishu to ships offshore. No injuries or incidents. USS Missouri responded to distress call from Saudi-flagged tanker Tabuk (2 small fires, inoperative fire pump) near Dubai. Missouri fire party and repair officer transferred onboard, and extinguished fire

1991 - Spanish frigate intercepts and diverts Soviet-flagged cargo ship Dimitriy Fermanov in Northern Red Sea after multinational boarding team, including Navy personnel from USS Mississippi, discovered improperly-manifested military equipment on board. Dimitriy Fermanov, enroute from Odessa, USSR to Aqaba, Jordan, anchors while manifest awaits reconciliation and is found to be in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions.

1991 - SECNAV activates 438 additional Naval Reservists from 55 units

1995 - Frigate HMCS Montreal departed Halifax for Operation Sharp Guard off Yugoslavia2003 - Fire breaks out on an overloaded boat carrying refugees. The ship enroute from Somalia sinks near the Yemeni coast in the Gulf of Aden claiming 80 lives2004 - Historian John Toland died of pneumonia in Danbury CT at age 91

2005 - The US Coast Guard awarded a contract totaling $144 million to Integrated Coast Guard Systems for production and deployment of the Coast Guard’s second Maritime Security Cutter Large. The WMSL is the largest of three new cutter classes -- and the first under construction -- within the Coast Guard’s Integrated Deepwater System acquisition program

2005 - The Nigerian Government procured 15 new patrol boats from the US as part of measures aimed at cracking down on rampant theft of crude from its coastal oilfields in the Niger Delta

2005 - Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has assigned duties of the National Security Adviser to Shri M.K. Narayanan, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of India

2005 - For the seventh time in less than six months, a retired ship considered a high priority for scrapping left the US Maritime Administration’s James River Reserve Fleet. General Nelson M. Walker, the latest in a wave of ships to leave the James River, will be towed to the All Star Metals in Brownsville, Texas, to be dismantled. "Each ship towed from the fleet demonstrates the Administration's commitment to the citizens of this region," said Maritime Administrator Captain William G. Schubert. "We're getting the job done. We promised to remove these ships and we continue to deliver on that promise." General Nelson M. Walker was first commissioned as the Admiral H.T. Mayo (AP-125). The vessel transported troops between Marseilles and the US and between Okinawa and the US between June and September 1945. In October 1945, Admiral Mayo participated in the first of four "Magic Carpet" voyages to Tokyo and Manila carrying replacements for battle-weary veterans whom the vessel was to bring back home. The final voyages were completed in March 1946. The vessel proceeded to New York where it was decommissioned in May 1946. The General Walker was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service in August 1965. From December 1965 to August 1966, it made five cruises from San Francisco to Japan, Okinawa, and Vietnam. Following decommissioning and storage, the vessel was transferred to MARAD in 1970

2005 - The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said on Tuesday ROK merchant marine companies will be able to transport empty containers on the Chinese coastal waters of Shanghai and Ningbo. The services are available in line with the agreement on the procedure of coastal water transport which was recently reached between the two countries. ROK shipping lines will be able to save 1 billion won or more per year as they are able to transport empty marine containers amounting to 12,000 TEUs a year. In addition, ROK shipping companies will be able to efficiently manage the stock and relocation of the empty containers. They have experienced hardships as the empty containers belonging to ROK shipping lines have been under the control of Chinese shipping companies

2006 - Perak marine police seized 3,980 cartons of clove cigarettes in a raid at Sungai Sumun, Hutan Melintang, after a tip-off by local fishermen. State Marine Police Commanding Officer DSP Salehuddin Mat Zaman said the contraband goods worth RM86,960 involving import duties totaling RM41,300 were seized from a van at 0545. They were believed to have been loaded onto the van from a boat, he told reporters here today. Also seized was the van worth RM20,000. The culprits including the van driver managed to escape, he said

2006 - Syndicates in Malaysia luring fishermen to sell their subsidized diesel purchased through the e-diesel smartcards. Since two days ago, syndicates have been hounding fishermen with offers of "instant profits" without having to go to the sea and this was revealed by Perak state executive councilor Datuk Ho Cheng Wang. Effective Jan 1, through the smart card, fishermen would be able to buy subsidized diesel at RM1 per liter. Ho said some syndicates offered RM1.10 per liter and going by that rate if a fisherman has a monthly quota of 30,000 liters, he can make RM3,000 monthly without having to work

2006 - Shri A. K. Mohapatra, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer of 1971 batch (Himachal Cadre) has assumed charge as the new Shipping Secretary, in the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways. He was Secretary in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs before joining the Shipping Ministry. Earlier he has served as Chairman of Tariff Commission under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. He was also Additional Secretary & Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport & Highways in an earlier stint. Shri Mohapatra has earlier worked as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Heavy Industry, Chairman of Bharat Bhari Udyog Nigam Limited, a large public sector conglomerate manufacturing heavy engineering products and looked after a number of Public Sector Enterprises. He also was in the Board of Directors of many Central PSUs

2006 - Five sailors from Sweden and Finland were plucked from their disabled boat and returned to shore after capsizing in wild seas off southeastern Australia. While on their way back to Sydney after competing in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race, were hit by heavy weather and capsized the previous evening in their 11.6 meter (37.3 foot) racer savcor. The boat righted itself but was disabled, and a freighter diverted to the scene to shelter the yacht from fierce winds until a police launch arrived. The five were suffering from exhaustion, sea sickness and hypothermia

2006 - A man escaped with his life after his vessel was engulfed in flames whilst he slept onboard. Falmouth Coastguard were called by the Fire and Rescue Service at 0400 with a report of a fire onboard a vessel in the Penryn River. At the time, it was unclear as to whether there were people onboard. Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team were requested to attend the scene and assess the situation. The Falmouth RNLI Inshore Lifeboat was also requested to launch. The fire service used the inshore lifeboat as a platform from which to fight the fire, before it was able to board a neighboring vessel to douse the flames still further. In the meantime, the Coastguard team made inquiries regarding people onboard and were able to locate the owner of the 28 ft yacht, Lasina 2, who had escaped through the front hatch of his vessel when he realized that it was on fire. The man, in his late twenties, waded across the mud to a neighboring vessel where he was sheltering, unhurt

2006 - Sixty years after the end of the Second World War, Alex Polowin will receive France's Legion of Honor. The French government has been marking the 60th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by tracking down veterans who were involved in the historic battle. Polowin served aboard HMCS Huron when it ran into a flotilla of German destroyers off the French coast three days after D-Day. In a day-long battle all the German ships were knocked out. Polowin, who enlisted at 17, now spends his free time speaking to schools as part of The Memory Project the puts vets and students together in an educational program

2006 - Korea has expanded a plan to build three 1,800-ton level 214 submarines starting in 2012 by another six in a bid to double the country's fleet by 2020, the armed forces said Wednesday. Observers pricked up their ears at the choice of submarines over Aegis vessels as a key strategic weapon to counter any threat posed by powerful nations like China and Japan in the event of reunification with North Korea

2006 - Three Carnival ships currently under charter to the US government for hurricane relief efforts will resume their previously operated schedules in 2006. The Holiday resumes year-round four-and five-day cruises from Mobile, Ala., March 27; the Sensation launches four- and five-day service from New Orleans Oct. 26; and the Ecstasy begins four- and five-day service from Galveston April 8. Elation, which replaced the Ecstasy on four- and five-day cruises from Galveston, will continue that program through April 3, then reposition to Miami for its new seven-day cruise program beginning April 30

2006 - The Coast Guard is assisting fishermen with safety preparedness during the 2005/2006 crab season in the Bering Sea and the waters off Kodiak Island. Coast Guard teams have been and will continue to conduct safety exams and training. The king crab fishery has been underway since October 15. The opilio crab fishery opened at the same time but due to the crab growth cycle the majority of the 37,184,000 pound quota is unharvested. A Coast Guard cutter equipped with an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew will maintain a search and rescue guard in the fleet's vicinity. A Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk and crew from Kodiak will be forward deployed to St. Paul around January 9 to cover the increased activity in the area and facilitate a faster response time. Air Station Kodiak personnel monitor VHF channel 16 and the Coast Guard Communications Station on Kodiak continually monitors HF channels

2006 - Lundin Netherlands BV Succursale de Tunisie has awarded Aker Kvaerner a contract for marine operations in conjunction with deployment of the FPSO "Ikdam" to the Oudna field offshore Tunisia. The contract value is approximately USD 14 million. The work will be executed under an alliance agreement with the Aker Kvaerner company, Aker Marine Contractors, and Maersk Supply Service who will provide the installation vessel. The marine operation, including installation of mooring system, flexible risers and umbilicals is planned in June / July 2006 with the hook-up of the "Ikdam" in August 2006. The water depth at the field is about 260 meters. The project will commence immediately

2006 - Based upon requests received during public hearings held on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15, 2005 associated with the permit application filed by Weaver's Cove Energy, LLC and Mill River Pipeline, LCC, the US Army Corps of Engineers has extended its public comment period to Feb. 8, 2006. The extension would allow the public additional time to prepare written comments regarding the application. Weaver's Cove Energy, LLC and Mill River Pipeline, LCC are seeking a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers to conduct dredging in an existing federal navigation channel, install structures and discharge fill material in wetlands and waterways for the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal and natural gas pipeline facilities in Fall River, Mass. The LNG terminal would be located on a 73-acre site adjacent to the Taunton River primarily at One New Street in the city of Fall River

2006 - Shaikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and vice-president of the United Arab Emirates, died in Australia at the age of 62

2006 - USS Ronald Reagan departed San Diego on a deployment to conduct naval operations in support of the global war on terrorism, as well as national and theater cooperative security commitments in the western Pacific. This will be the maiden deployment for the navy’s newest Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier

2006 - The Coast Guard has suspended the search for a woman who may have been swept out to sea after a large wave struck several people walking on a beach near Depoe Bay OR. One of the individuals struck by the wave called the Coast Guard at 11:15 a.m., reporting the incident. The Coast Guard was informed that several people on the beach were struck by the wave and one person was drifting out to sea. One individual injured by the wave was transported to a local hospital. Coast Guard Group/Air Station North Bend, Ore., and Coast Guard Air Facility Newport, Ore., each launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter. A 47-foot motor lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay and a mobile land unit from Coast Guard Station Depoe Bay, Ore., also searched the area for the woman reportedly pulled out to sea. The Depoe Bay Fire Department also assisted in the search. No sign of the woman was found. At 1700 the Coast Guard suspended the search pending further developments. Swells as large as 25 feet have been reported along much of the Oregon Coast today

2006 - This year's first humanitarian shipment valued at 540 million won left Incheon for North Korea's Nampo following a ceremony marking the departure. The shipment, organized by the Korean Foundation for World Aid, an NGO based in Seoul, includes 15,333 cans of powdered milk and baby food, 25 tons of flour and other bread materials, 6,000 carts and 251 pairs of sneakers. The 2,864-ton Trade Fortune will transport the goods to Nampo, where they will be distributed to nurseries, demonstration farms and bread factories. The donation was agreed between the representatives of the Korean Foundation and the North's organization purporting to reconcile between the two Koreas in Gaeseong, North Korea, on Dec. 8

2007 - Indian Navy commissions third large tank landing ship, INS Shardul, at its newest and largest naval base: Karwar. Shardul will be the first ship to be commissioned from INS Kadamba, the state-of-the-art operational base at Karwar. It will result in a landing ship being based on India's western seaboard for the first time (so far they have been based on the east at Visakhapatnam), and the occasion will also be Mr. Antony's maiden visit to INS Kadamba after assuming charge of the portfolio

2007 - DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology Jay M. Cohen addressed the Hawaii Military Partnership Conference

2007 - Frigate HMS St Albans star attraction at London Boat Show

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