1978: NOAA announces gender-neutral hurricane naming system
Federal News Network presents a daily update of important moments in the history of the U.S. government.
On March 11, 1779, Congress established the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to help plan, design and prepare environmental and structural facilities for the Army. Made up of civilian workers, members of the Continental Army and French officers, the USACE played an essential role in the critical Revolutionary War battles at Bunker Hill, Saratoga and Yorktown. In 1794, Congress created a Corps of Artillerists and Engineers to serve the same purpose under the new federal government. Upon its re-establishment, the Corps began its chief task of creating and maintaining military fortifications. These responsibilities increased in urgency as the new United States prepared for a second war with Britain in the years before 1812. The Corps’ fortifications of New York Harbor not only deterred British naval commanders but later served as the foundations for the Statue of Liberty. Since then USACE evolved from providing services for the military to helping map out the uncharted territories that would become the western United States including navigation and flood control of the nation’s river systems. Today, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers is made up of more than 35,000 civilian and enlisted men and women.
(History.com)
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