From the Navy News Service

1944 – A U.S. amphibious landing takes place on Kwajalein, Marshall Islands.
1961 – Lt. Cmdr. Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. becomes the first African-American to command a combat ship, USS Falgout (DER 324).
1981 – The era of enlisted naval aviators ends when the last pilot retires.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.