* January 1 – Arleigh Burke, U. S Navy Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations ( b. 1901 )

On 22 April 1961, President Kennedy asked General Maxwell D. Taylor, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Admiral Arleigh Burke and CIA Director Allen Dulles to form the Cuba Study Group, to report on the lessons to be learned from

Admiral Arleigh Albert ' 31-knot ' Burke ( October 19, 1901 – January 1, 1996 ) was an admiral of the United States Navy who distinguished himself during World War II and the Korean War, and who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.

In March 1944, Burke was promoted to Chief of Staff to the Commander of Fast Carrier Task Force 58, which was commanded by Admiral Marc Mitscher.

After the end of the war, Burke reverted to his permanent rank of Captain and continued his naval career by serving in a number of capacities, including once more as Admiral Mitscher's chief of staff, until the latter's death in 1947.

At the outbreak of the Korean War, Admiral Forrest Sherman, then Chief of Naval Operations, ordered Burke to duty as Deputy Chief of Staff to Commander Naval Forces, Far East.

In August 1955, Burke succeeded Admiral Robert B. Carney as Chief of Naval Operations.

At the time of his appointment as Chief of Naval Operations, Burke was still a Rear Admiral, Upper Half ( Two Star ) and was promoted over the heads of many Flag Officers who were senior to him.

Admiral Burke had never served as a Vice Admiral ( Three Star ), so he was promoted two grades at the time of his appointment as CNO.

Admiral Burke served an unprecedented three terms as CNO.

Admiral Burke as CNO was intimately involved in the Eisenhower administration discussions of " how much is enough?

Earlier, Admiral Burke was involved in the " Revolt of the Admirals ", a near mutiny by the leaders of the Navy in the late 1940s, and was saved from being fired by the intervention of President Harry S. Truman.

Admiral Burke received numerous combat awards during his forty-two years in the Navy including the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Cross, Legion of Merit, and the Purple Heart.

Admiral Burke, himself of Swedish descent, was the senior representative of the United States of America on the funeral of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden in 1973.

For his service in Destroyer Squadron 23, Admiral Burke was awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to Destroyer Squadron 23.

As Chief of Staff, Commander Fast Carrier Task Force, Pacific ( Task Force 38 ), Admiral Burke was awarded a Gold Star in lieu of a second Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star Medal, a Gold Star in lieu of a second Legion of Merit, and a Letter of Commendation, with authorization to wear the Commends Ribbon.

Admiral Burke was presented a Gold Star in lieu of a third Distinguished Service Medal by President of the United States John F. Kennedy at the White House on July 26, 1961.

:" Bringing a sound knowledge of Naval Administration and professional skill to his assigned task, Rear Admiral Burke reorganized the rapidly expanded staff to meet its ever increasing responsibilities and, through his unusually fine conception of the essentials of modern warfare, materially improved the mutual functioning of the operation, plans and intelligence sections of the staff ...( and ) contributed immeasurably to the success of Naval operations in the Korean theater ..."

While serving as Commander Cruiser Division Five from May to September 1951, and also as a Member of the Military Armistice Commission in Korea, Admiral Burke was awarded an oak leaf cluster in lieu of a fourth Legion of Merit by the Army ( Headquarters U. S. Army Forces, Far East ) by General Order # 5, as follows:

Admiral Burke is also entitled to wear the Presidential Unit Citation presented to the, the Presidential Unit Citation presented to the, and the Navy Unit Commendation presented to the.

In addition to the above, Admiral Burke earned the American Defense Service Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two silver stars and two bronze stars ( thirteen engagements ); the American Campaign Medal ; World War II Victory Medal ; Navy Occupation Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal ; the Philippine Liberation Ribbon ; Korean Service Medal ; and United Nations Service Medal.

In 1991 Admiral Burke was awarded the Lone Sailor Award by the U. S. Navy Memorial Foundation for his distinguished career during World War II and the Korean War.

Thunderbird Park of Boulder, CO was renamed Admiral Arleigh A. Burke Memorial Park in 1997.

On 24 April 1946 Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Chester Nimitz issued a directive ordering the formation of a flight exhibition team to boost Navy morale, demonstrate naval air power, and maintain public interest in naval aviation.

In April of that year, Rear Admiral Ralph Davison personally selected Lieutenant Commander Roy Marlin " Butch " Voris, a World War II fighter ace, to assemble and train a flight demonstration team, naming him Officer-in-Charge and Flight Leader.

From left, clockwise: The Wright brothers achieve the first manned flight by airplane, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina | Kitty Hawk in 1903 ; U. S. President William McKinley is William McKinley assassination | assassinated in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz at the Pan-American Exposition ; An 1906 San Francisco earthquake | earthquake on the San Andreas Fault destroys much of San Francisco, killing at least 3, 000 in 1906 ; United States | America gains control over the Philippines in 1902, after the Philippine – American War ; Rock being moved to construct the Panama Canal ; Admiral Heihachiro Togo | Togo before the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, part of the Russo-Japanese War, leading to Japanese victory and their establishment as a great power.

Admiral Halsey's unnamed flagship was represented by the, a post-war aircraft carrier launched in 1946 ( in actuality, and in the novel, Halsey flew his flag on the battleship ); a number of World War II – era fighter planes were placed atop the flight deck for the filming.

By a special authorized Act of Congress, the medal was presented to Commander ( later Rear Admiral ) Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett for their flight over the North Pole in 1926.

Edsel also helped to finance exploratory expeditions, including the historic flight of Admiral Richard Byrd over the North Pole in 1926.

* Rear Admiral Albert C. Read ( 1887 – 1967 ), Commander / Navigator of the NC-4, the first aircraft to complete a transatlantic flight in 1919

A number of teams had entered the competition and when Alcock and Brown arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland the Handley Page team were in the final stages of testing their aircraft for the flight but their leader, Admiral Mark Kerr, was determined not to take off until the plane was in perfect condition.

Kosch received technical assistance to build the replica from Don Richardson, former professor in electrical engineering ; Angelo " Mike " Cartabiano, retired R & D and flight safety engineer for Sikorsky ; Arling " Pud " Schmidt, mass properties engineer for Boeing and McDonnell Douglas ; Irving Burger, an engineer at Sikorsky's helicopter firm ; Ken Terry, an R & D industrial engineer who studied nuclear submarines under Admiral Rickover ; and Pratt & Whitney's Wes Gordeuk.

* June 18 – The first regularly scheduled winter flight to Antarctica takes place, when the U. S. Navy C-130L Hercules City of Christchurch – with the commander of U. S. Naval Support Force Antarctioa, U. S. Navy Rear Admiral James Lloyd Abbot, Jr., in the cockpit alongside its pilot – flies from Christchurch, New Zealand, to McMurdo Station with 22 people ( including two parties of scientists riding as passengers ), 5, 000 pounds ( 2, 268 kg ) of mail, and almost 3, 000 pounds ( 1, 361 kg ) of fresh food on board.

* The last flight of an active U. S. Navy antisubmarine Lockheed P-2 Neptune takes place, with Rear Admiral Tom Davies at the controls.

Admiral Takijirō Ōnishi in the cockpit, wearing flight gear.

Admiral Moffet meets the ZR-1 and crew, during flight test landing at St. Louis Flying Field, on October 2, 1923

Discovered by Rear Admiral Byrd on the South Pole flight of November 28 – 29, 1929, and named by him for Lincoln Ellsworth, American Antarctic explorer.

It was discovered by Rear Admiral Byrd on the South Pole flight in November 1929.

This flight commemorated the 40th anniversary of Admiral Richard Byrd's South Pole flight.

( an account of the early days of intercontinental flight ), and Admiral on Horseback ( a rather serious one about the navy ).

The mountain was discovered by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd on an airplane flight, November 18, 1934, and named by him for Mabelle E. Sidley, the daughter of William Horlick who was a contributor to the 1933 – 35 Byrd Antarctic Expedition.

Discovered by the United States Antarctic Service expedition on a flight, December 15, 1940, and named for V. Admiral Russell R. Waesche, United States Coast Guard, member of the Antarctic Service Executive Committee.

The range was discovered on February 24, 1940 by Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd and other members of the USAS in an airplane flight from a ship named Bear.

Time reported that the six men were: " ilariously celebrating in the ship's bar of the Normandie with their first advance pay checks from Spain's Radical Government ... en route last week for Madrid to join Bert Acosta, pilot of Admiral Byrd's transatlantic flight, in doing battle against Generalissimo Francisco Franco's White planes.

In 1929, Admiral Richard E. Byrd established a naval base at Little America I, led an expedition to explore further inland, and conducted the first flight over the South Pole.

It takes place somewhat before the events of Ethan of Athos, and thus before Admiral Naismith's flight to escape their wrath.