United States Navy

Historical eventJuly 31988

United States Navy

The US Navy warship Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

Everything on July 3Original source
Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Christopher Stephens · Public domain

In context

When
Sunday, July 3 198838 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1980s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1988.

What happened

The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and is designated as the navy of the United States in the Constitution. With 290 combat vessels, it is the world's second largest navy, behind the People's Liberation Army Navy, and by far the largest by displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, one undergoing trials, two new carriers under construction, and six other carriers planned as of 2024.

July 3 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1970Dan-Air Flight 1903
  2. 1973David Bowie
  3. 1979Jimmy Carter
  4. 1988Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge
  5. 1988United States Navy
  6. 1996John Major
  7. 2005Same-sex marriage
  8. 2006Valencia Metro derailment
  9. 2013President of Egypt
  10. 2013Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
  11. 2017Boundary Fire (2017)

Also in 1988

  • September 9Vietnam Airlines Flight 831Vietnam Airlines Flight 831 crashes in Khu Khot, Thailand, while on approach to Don Muang International Airport, killing 76.
  • March 14Johnson South Reef skirmishChina defeated Vietnam in a naval altercation while attempting to establish oceanographic observation posts on the Spratly Islands.
  • September 12Hurricane GilbertHurricane Gilbert devastates Jamaica; it turns towards Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula two days later, causing an estimated $5 billion in damage.
  • September 13Hurricane GilbertHurricane Gilbert reached a minimum pressure of 888 mb (26.22 inHg) with sustained flight-level winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), making it th…
  • September 188888 UprisingThe 8888 Uprising in Myanmar comes to an end.
  • September 18Henri NamphyGeneral Henri Namphy, president of Haiti, is ousted from power in a coup d'état led by General Prosper Avril.
  • September 18Magna Charta UniversitatumThe Magna Charta Universitatum, asserting key principles essential to the free operation of universities, is signed in Bologna by the rec…
  • August 10Civil Liberties Act of 1988The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 became law, authorizing reparations to surviving Japanese Americans interned during World War II.

Everything we record for 1988 →

Sources

Cite this page

“United States Navy”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/united-states-navy-1988-july-3, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did United States Navy happen?

July 3 1988 — 38 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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