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April 5, 2025 – The U.S. Navy officially welcomes its newest Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine to the fleet – the U.S.S. Iowa.
The new U.S.S. Iowa’s keel was laid down on August 20, 2019 at the Quonset Point Facility of General Dynamics Electric Boat in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. She was christened on June 17, 2023 by Christie Vilsack, the boat’s sponsor and former First Lady of Iowa.
The commissioning of the U.S.S. Iowa marks a new chapter for the state’s naval legacy, as the submarine begins active duty in the Navy’s fleet. The Iowa is the seventh naval vessel to bear the name of the Hawkeye State. The previous U.S.S. Iowa served from 1942 to 1990 and played key roles in World War II, the Korean War, and the Gulf War, leaving behind a proud legacy.
This Day In History is an Our Iowa Heritage blog series that offers you a little bit of Iowa trivia from a large selection of stories on our website. Subscribe to this FREE blog and you’ll get a new email from us daily. Click to learn more.
April 4, 1853 – The state-supported Iowa School for the Blind – with Samuel Bacon as director – opens, offering free public education to all blind Iowans across the state.
In 1853, Samuel Bacon came to Iowa City to oversee the newly-formed, state-supported Iowa School for the Blind. Over the next nine years, Professor Bacon took this “asylum” – which was perceived as a hospital or poorhouse and made it into a fully-functioning educational center that literally changed the way our society responds to visually-impaired citizens of our state.
Did you know? is an Our Iowa Heritage blog series that offers you a little bit of Iowa trivia from a large selection of stories on our website. Subscribe to this FREE blog and you’ll get a new email from us daily. Click to learn more.