This Day in Naval History – July 31

1815 - Commodore Stephen Decatur concludes agreement with Bey of Tunis to compensate U.S. for seizure of merchant ships during the War of 1812.

1865 - East India Squadron established to operate from Sunda Strait to Japan.

1874 - Commissioning of USS Intrepid, first U.S. warship equipped with torpedoes

1912 - First attempt to launch an airplane by catapult made at Annapolis.

1964 - All-nuclear task force with USS Long Beach, USS Enterprise, and USS Bainbridge leaves Norfolk, VA to begin voyage, Operation Sea Orbit, to circle the globe without refueling. They returned on 3 October.

(Source: Navy News Source)