Today in U.S. Naval History: August 9

MarineLink.com August 9, 2013

Stephen Decatur, USN. 19th Century engraving by D. Edwin, after a Gilbert Stuart portrait. (U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.)

Today in U.S. Naval History - August 9

1815 - Capt. Stephen Decatur concludes treaty for U.S. with Tripoli

1842 - Signing of Webster-Ashburton Treaty under which U.S. and Great Britain agreed to cooperate in suppressing the slave trade.

1865 - Return of Naval Academy to Annapolis after four years at Newport, R.I.

1919 - Construction of rigid airship ZR-1 (Shenandoah) authorized

1941 - Atlantic Charter Conference is first meeting between President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill

1942 - Battle of Savo Island begins; first of many sea battles near Guadalcanal

1945 - Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. Navy weaponeer arms the atomic bomb.

1949 - First use of pilot-ejection seat for emergency escape in U.S. made by LT Jack I. Fruin of VF-171 near Walterboro, S.C.

For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.