On August 7, 1942, the U.S. 1st Marine Division began Operation Watchtower, the first U.S. offensive of the war, by landing on Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands.

Weeks earlier, the Japanese landed on Guadalcanal Island and
began constructing an airfield there.

Although the invasion came as a complete surprise to the
Japanese (bad weather had grounded their scouting aircraft),
the landings on Florida, Tulagi, Gavutu and Tananbogo met
much initial opposition from the Japanese defenders.

But the Americans who landed on Guadalcanal met little
resistance—at least at first.

More than 11,000 Marines had landed, and 24 hours had passed,
before the Japanese manning the garrison there knew of the
attack.

According to the recommendation for his medal, he
“contributed materially to the defeat and virtually the
annihilation of a Japanese regiment.”

During World War II, the U.S. 10th Army overcame the last major
pockets of Japanese resistance on Okinawa Island, ending one
of the bloodiest battles of World War II.

Mitsuru Ushijima
(31 July 1887 – 22 June 1945)          
          
          
         

1962

December 28, 1978

United Airlines Flight 173 was a scheduled flight from John F.
Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Portland
International Airport in Portland, Oregon, with a scheduled
stop in Denver, Colorado.

On Thursday, December 28, 1978, the aircraft flying this route
ran out of fuel while troubleshooting a landing gear problem
and crashed in a suburban Portland neighborhood near NE
157th Avenue and East Burnside Street.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

The crash site as it looks today.

On January 6, 1912, New Mexico was admitted into
the United States as the 47th state.

Spanish explorers passed through the area that would
become New Mexico in the early 16th century, they
encountered the well-preserved remains of a 13th-
century Pueblo civilization. Exaggerated rumors about
the hidden riches of these Pueblo cities encouraged the
first full-scale Spanish expedition into New Mexico, led
by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in 1540. Instead of
encountering the long-departed Pueblo people, the
Spanish explorers met other Indigenous groups, like
the Apaches, who were fiercely resistant to the early
Spanish missions and ranches in the area.

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado
(1510 – 22 September 1554)