Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
January 15, 1884 A steamship built for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS) was launched in the ward of Williamsburg in the city of Brooklyn (now one of New York City’s five boroughs). This late-morning ceremony specifically took place at the shipyard of James D. Leary (1837-1902). The design for the ship has been... Continue Reading →
January 14, 1926 MV Carnarvon Castle, an ocean liner of the Union-Castle Line, was launched at the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Northern Ireland’s capital city of Belfast. This vessel was named for a medieval fortress in northwestern Wales. Carnarvon Castle dates back to the 11th century, with its current stone structure completed in 1283.... Continue Reading →
September 19, 2009 A state-of-the-art coastal mapping vessel built for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was launched into the East Pascagoula River at the shipyard of VT Halter Marine, Inc., in the vicinity of Moss Point, Mississippi. This vessel was formally commissioned as NOAAS Ferdinand R. Hassler (S 250) on June 8, 2012.... Continue Reading →
Juan Ortega was born in Spain in 1840. He eventually immigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania. Ortega, who became better known as John rather than Juan, would serve with distinction while fighting for his adopted country during the American Civil War. Ortega joined the Union Navy -- the name for the U.S.... Continue Reading →
September 13, 2005 National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) began construction on USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3), a U.S. Navy underway replenishment (UNREP) vessel. (This type of vessel is used to transport fuel, munitions, and various other supplies to ships out at sea.) The building of the Alan Shepard took place at NASSCO’s shipyard in San... Continue Reading →
August 9, 1943 With the United States deeply embroiled in World War II at the time, the U.S. Navy purchased the steamship Zizania for military use on the home front. This acquisition marked only the latest of several major milestones for this longtime and multi-faceted vessel. The origins of Zizania, which owed her name to... Continue Reading →
On November 6, 2021, a U.S. Navy ship named after trailblazing public official and gay rights activist Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego Bay. USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-208) is part of the fleet of the John Lewis-class of underway replenishment oilers, which are operated by the Military Sealift Command to provide logistical support such... Continue Reading →
May 13, 1968 The U.S. Navy survey ship USNS Chauvenet (T-AGS-29) was launched in the Scottish port city of Glasgow. (“USNS” stands for “U.S. Navy Ship”; this designation is used for non-commissioned ships that, while owned by the U.S. Navy, are largely operated and crewed by the Military Sealift Command [MSC] or other civilian-staffed naval... Continue Reading →
February 9, 1954 A dock landing ship built for the U.S. Navy was launched along the coast of Pascagoula, Mississippi. (A dock landing ship is an amphibious vessel that serves as both a means of transport and a launchpad for helicopters as well as seagoing watercraft such as boats and barges.) This new military vessel... Continue Reading →
December 26, 1860 A lighthouse built on one of the islands of Race Rocks, which are located just off the southern point of Vancouver Island, was first illuminated. At the time of that lighthouse’s debut, Vancouver Island was a British Crown colony. This colony was merged with the Crown colony of mainland British Columbia in... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 