This Day in Naval History: July 14

On July 14, 1813, LT John M. Gamble became the first marine to command a ship in battle. Forty years later, Commodore Matthew Perry held his first meeting with the Japanese in Uraga, Japan, and would go on to establish economic tries between the US and Asia. In 1882, sailors and marines from four U.S. ships landed in Alexandria, Egypt, and helped restore order. U.S. warships bombarded Kamaishi, Japan, on this day in 1945; and in 1950, U.S. marines set sail from San Diego during the Korean Conflict. Keel was laid for the first 59,900-ton aircraft carrier, the USS Forrestal, on July 14, 1952.