1899 - Five officers and 121 enlisted Marines commanded by Maj. Allen C. Kelton, USMC, land at Agana, Guam, from USS Yosemite, as a garrison for the naval station which is later established.
1918 - Naval Weapons Station Yorktown is established as the Naval Mine Depot when President Woodrow Wilson signs proclamation.
1942 - During the Guadalcanal Campaign, the armada led by Rear Adm. Richmond K. Turner lands Marines on Guadalcanal and seizes a nearly-complete airfield at Guadalcanal's Lunga Point in the first U.S. land offensive of World War II. To the north, Tulagi Island, and a few miles to the east, Tanambogo and Gavutu Islands, Marines also land and fight bitter battles, concluding a few days after. Nonetheless, the campaigns final outcome is in doubt for nearly four months and is not certain until the Japanese evacuate their surviving troops at Guadalcanal on Feb. 8, 1943.
1972 - Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt Jr. issues Z-Gram 116, which enables Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women in the US Navy.
1990 - Operation Desert Shield is ordered by President George H.W. Bush. Desert Shield is the largest overseas deployment since Vietnam, to protect Saudi Arabia after Iraqi's invasion of Kuwait.
1999 - USNS Red Cloud (T-AKR 313) is launched. The Watson-class large, medium-speed roll-on/roll-off dry cargo sealift carrier is part of Military Sealift Commands Sealift Program. The ships transport containerized cargo and rolling stock between developed ports. The ship is named for Army Cpl. Mitchell Red Cloud Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient from the Korean War.
The Badge of Military Merit, now known as the Purple Heart, is established by George Washington. A Seabee is awarded a purple heart after sustaining severe injuries when deflecting a rocket-propelled grenade in Ramadi.