NASA Archives – Page 3 of 8

July 31 in U.S. military history

1777: A month after arriving in the United States, the Marquis de Lafayette is commissioned “major general” in the Continental

1897: A crowd of over 10,000 greets the black soldiers of the 25th Infantry Regiment’s “Bicycle Corps” (featured image) as

1823: U.S. Navy Midshipman and acting-lieutenant (future admiral) David Glasgow Farragut leads a raiding party of cutlass-armed sailors and Marines

1944: As Adolf Hitler meets with officials at his Wolf’s Lair headquarters in East Prussia, a suitcase bomb planted by

1898: Spanish forces under the command of Gen. José Toral surrender Cuba to Gen. William R. Shafter, practically ending Col.