NATIONAL SUBMARINE DAY
National Submarine Day, on April 11th, honors the day the United States Navy acquired its first modern commissioned submarine. On April 11, 1900, the Holland VI became the Navy’s first modern submarine.
#NationalSubmarineDay
Designed by Irish-American inventor John Phillip Holland in 1896, he launched the Holland VI on May 17, 1897, at Navy Lt. Lewis Nixon’s Crescent Shipyard in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The United States Navy later purchased the Holland VI on April 11, 1900. As the military’s first commissioned submarine, the Navy renamed it the USS Holland (SS-1).
The U.S. Navy’s first submarine was the Alligator, 1862.
Submarine history runs deep in the United States. During the Revolutionary War era, David Bushnell built America’s first submarine, the Turtle. The submersible made several attempts to sink British ships but never succeeded. At the time, the U.S. Navy did not exist, so the Turtle was not the Navy’s first submarine. The first known U.S. Navy submarine was the USS Alligator. It’s also the fourth United States Navy ship of that name. The Alligator was active during the American Civil War.
Elsewhere in the world, Submarine Day is celebrated on March 17th.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL SUBMARINE DAY
- Learn more about the U.S. Navy’s use of submarines.
- Take a tour of a U.S. submarine.
- Share your experiences onboard a submarine.
- Download and print the submarine coloring sheet.
- Use #NationalSubmarineDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL SUBMARINE DAY HISTORY
In 1969, Senator Thomas J. Dodd (D-Conn.) introduced a bill (S. 2690) to the U.S. Senate to designate April 11th as National Submarine Day. While the bill passed the Senate and was introduced to the House in 1970 (H.R. 7998), no record of a proclamation from President Richard Nixon is found. Despite that, beginning in 1970, veteran organizations, U.S. Navy service members, and many other organizations recognized the day, commemorating the Navy’s first modern commissioned submarine.
Submarine FAQ
Q. Are submarines only used for military purposes?
A. No. Submarines are used in archeology, ocean exploration, salvage operations, and tourism.
Q. Do you have to equalize the pressure in your ears as you submerge or surface in a submarine?
A. No. The solid hull is pressurized to equalize the pressure in the submarine, eliminating the “popping” might feel while diving or flying in a plane. However, your ears might equalize or “pop” when the hatch is closed before submerging and again when the hatch is opened at the surface.
Q. What is the world’s largest submarine?
A. The world’s largest submarine is the Typhoon-class submarine. Part of the Soviet Navy, it is a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.
Q. What is the longest a submarine has been submerged?
A. In 1983, Britain’s nuclear-powered submarine named the HMS Warspite spent 111 days submerged. The submarine descended on November 25, 1982, and resurfaced on March 15, 1983.