1862: Admiral David Farragut captured New Orleans a day after his fleet successfully sailed past two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River the day before, and the Confederates lose a major city early in the war

1915: Previous efforts to breach the Dardanelles by naval power alone having narrowly failed, British, Australian and New Zealand troops were landed at dawn along the Gallipoli peninsula, whilst French troops landed as a diversion across the straits at Kum Kale. The British landed at Cape Helles at the southern tip of the peninsula,

whilst the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) came ashore further north at Ari Burnu, better remembered now as ANZAC Cove.

The operation was not a success as the troops rapidly became bogged down by determined Turkish defences and never came near to successfully linking the two bridgeheads. Twelve Victoria Crosses were awarded for actions that day.

Commander Unwin, Midshipman Malleson, Midshipman Drewry, Able Seaman Williams and Seaman Samson were all decorated for their heroic efforts aboard the converted assault ship River Clyde and her accompanying lighters to put the troops ashore at Cape Helles under murderous fire.

Six officers and men of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers were elected to receive the Victoria Cross in recognition of that unit's overall performance in taking the cliffs above Cape Helles despite horrendous losses. And Sub-Lieutenant Tisdall, RNVR, serving as an infantryman with the Royal Naval Division, was decorated for rescuing numerous wounded men from the beach.

On the Western Front, Captain Scrimger, a Canadian medical officer, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his devotion to duty, treating wounded men at a dressing station despite heavy enemy fire, and, when one injured officer could not be safely moved, staying behind with him in an exposed position until a rescue party could be organised.

1916: ANZAC Day was commemorated for the first time, to remember the casualties suffered the year previously.

Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth were bombarded by German warships as the High Seas Fleet made a raid across the North Sea.

1945: US and Soviet forces linked up on the Elbe River, a meeting that dramatized the collapse of Nazi Germany's defenses

Delegates from some 50 countries met in San Francisco to organize the United Nations.

1982: British forces attack Argentine positions on South Georgia. Having lost the element of surprise by engaging the Santa Fe, British forces decided on an early attack on Argentine positions.

A naval bombardment by HMS Antrim and HMS Plymouth kept Argentine positions pinned down while troops British forces were landed by helicopter near Grytviken. The garrison there quickly surrendered, followed by a surrender offer by Argentine forces at Leith under threat of bombardment from HMS Plymouth

Meanwhile HMS Intrepid (which had been out of service), Atlantic Conveyor and Europic Ferry sail from the UK to join the Task Force heading south