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Historic Firsts

Date Category Event
17 JAN 1955 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571) sends historic message -
"Underway on Nuclear Power" at 1100
25 SEP 1957 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SEAWOLF (SSN 575) is the first nuclear submarine
to take a president of the United States
(Dwight D. Eisenhower) for a cruise
04 MAR 1958 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SKATE (SSN 578) makes the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing
from the United States to England. Traveled 3,161 miles
in 203 hours (2,828 under water).
29 MAR 1958 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SKATE (SSN 578) returns to the United States after setting speed
record across the Atlantic; broke first record by returning in 173 hours
05 AUG 1958 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571) made first submerged polar transit from
Point Barrow, Alaska to Greenland Sea, traveling 1,830 miles under ice.
Crossed the Geographical North Pole on 03 AUG 1958 at 1915
12 AUG 1958 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SKATE (SSN 578) crossed "under" the North Pole. Submerged
under ice pack in Greenland Sea on August 9th; surfaced through
the ice 9 times; returned to Greenland Sea on 19 AUG 1958
06 OCT 1958 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SEAWOLF (SSN 575) surfaced after 60 days without contact
with earth's atmosphere logging over 13,700 miles submerged
21 OCT 1958 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SARGO (SSN 583) was first nuclear submarine to sink a ship.
On maneuvers off Hawaii she sank the former USS CHITTENDEN
COUNTY (LST 561)
17 MAR 1959 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SKATE (SSN 578) was first ship to surface at the North Pole.
Conducted memorial services for the late polar explorer
Sir Hubert Wilkins. (In 1931, Wilkins attempted the North Pole
submerged in the former USS O-12.)
14 AUG 1959 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SKIPJACK (SSN 585) went deepest and fastest in sea trials
off the East Coast
24 AUG 1959 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SKIPJACK (SSN 585) became the first nuclear submarine to
transit through the Strait of Gibraltar.
09 FEB 1960 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SARGO (SSN 583) surfaced at the North Pole and planted
the Hawaiian State Flag
08 MAR 1960 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS HALIBUT (SSN 587) is the first nuclear submarine to
launch the Regulus missile
10 MAY 1960 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS TRITON (SSN 586) completes the first submerged
circumnavigation of the world, following route
of Ferdinand Magellan - 41,500 miles in 84 days.
20 JUL 1960 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (SSBN 598) successfully launches
two Polaris missiles while submerged off Cape Canaveral, Florida.
25 AUG 1960 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SEADRAGON (SSN 584) charts the Northwest Passage.
Surfaced at the North Pole where the crew played baseball.
15 NOV 1960 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (SSBN 598) embarks on the first
armed Polaris missile patrol, ahead of schedule.
08 MAR 1961 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS PATRICK HENRY (SSBN 599) becomes the first Polaris
submarine to arrive in Holy Loch, Scotland, set a new
underwater duration record of 66 days and 22 hours on patrol
18 APR 1961 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (SSBN 600) becomes the first
ballistic missile submarine to transit the Panama Canal
08 NOV 1961 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS ETHAN ALLEN (SSBN 608) sets a missile firing record by
successfully launching six out of six Polaris A-2 IRBMS, off Cape
Canaveral, Florida
06 MAY 1962 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS ETHAN ALLEN (SSBN 608) launches first Polaris missile
with a nuclear warhead at 1845
02 AUG 1962 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS SKATE (SSN 578) and USS SEADRAGON (SSN 584),
after effecting an historic rendezvous under the ice, surface
together through an opening at the geographic North Pole.
22 JUN 1963 Nuclear Historic Firsts USS FLASHER (SSN 613), USS TECUMSEH (SSBN 628),
USS DANIEL BOONE (SSBN 629), and
USS JOHN C. CALHOUN (SSBN 630) are launched,
marking the first, and only, time that four nuclear
submarines were christened on the same day
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