National Submarine Day

Some people may find it hard to believe that the first recorded submersible was built by Cornelius Drebbel in 1620! This underwater ship was apparently built for James I of England for use in London, although why anyone would want to plunge beneath the surface of a 17th-century Thames is difficult to understand!

The original versions of submarines were built to hold only one or two passengers, but modern versions are made to hold up to 100 passengers. Typically, since this is a very dangerous job, militaries will use as few people on their crew as possible.

April 11, 1900, is the date when the United States government purchased its first commissioned submarine, named the USS Holland. The USS Holland was the United States Navy’s first commissioned submarine, named for her Irish-American inventor, John Philip Holland. (It is important to note that this was not the first submarine of the US Navy, which was the 1862 Alligator.) But this boat was originally laid down as Holland VI and launched on 17 May 1897.

What is the best way to remember such an important day? The Envro children watched a video about submarines and learned many interesting facts. Afterwards, they made their own submarines.

Ms. Eva Gogova