1776 - Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, New York. Although defeated, the American flotilla delayed the British advance and caused it to fall back into winter quarters.
1824 - Marquis de Lafayette visits the Washington Navy Yard during his year long tour of America. He returned to the yard the next day, October 12, to continue his visit.
1942 - Battle of Cape Esperance begins: In two-day battle, American task force stops Japanese attack on Guadalcanal and sinks two Japanese ships while losing only USS Duncan (DD-485).
1950 - Task Force 77 Aircraft destroy North Korean vessels off Songjin and Wonsan and north of Hungham.
1963 - Navy medical team from Norfolk, VA begins massive inoculation program to safeguard against outbreak of typhoid in the wake of Hurricane Flora.
1967 - Operation Coronado VI began in Rung Sat Zone
1968 - Launch of Apollo 7, the first U.S. 3-man space mission, commanded by CDR Walter Schirra, JR. USN. MAJ Ronnie Cunningham, USMCR served as Lunar Module pilot. The mission lasted 10 days and 20 hours. Recovery was by HS-5 helicopters from USS Essex (CVS-9).
(Source: Navy News Service)