This Day in Naval History - March 16th

From the Navy News Service:

 

• 1911 - The hulk of battleship USS Maine is sunk at sea with full military honors.
• 1945 - The island of Iwo Jima is declared secure.
• 1966 - Gemini 8 is launched. Former naval aviator Neil Armstrong flew on this mission, which completed seven orbits in 10 hours, 41 minutes at an altitude of 161.3 nautical miles. Recovery was by USS Leonard F. Mason (DD 852).

 

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