This Day in Navy History

1830 - The Naval Observatory, the first U.S. national observatory, was established in Washington, D.C., under the command of Lt. Louis Malesherbes.

1901 - The first report on the Ship Model Basin at the Washington Navy Yard was issued by Naval constructor David W. Taylor, who designed the basin. It's the first facility of this type in U.S. to test hull shapes.

1917 - German submarine torpedoes sink USS Jacob Jones (DD 61) off England.

1968 - Operation Giant Slingshot began in Mekong Delta.

For more information about Naval history, visit the Naval Historical Center Web site at www.history.navy.mil.