[a work in progress]

• 1840: Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana Jr. is published.
• 1874: New York Nautical School (now SUNY Maritime) is established.
• 1891: Massachusetts Nautical Training School (now Mass Maritime) is established.
• 1901: Cecil Northrop is born in Brooklyn, New York.
• 1908: USS Newport becomes the second training ship of the New York Nautical School.
• 1909: USS Ranger becomes the second training ship of the Massachusetts Nautical Training School. 
• 1914: Panama Canal is completed.
• 1915: The Seamen's Act is signed into law.
• 1917: U.S. enters World War I.
• 1918: The USS Ranger is renamed the Nantucket.
• 1919: Cecil Northrop ships on first sea voyage.
• 1919: Van Horne Morris is born in Melrose, Massachusetts.
• 1920: The Merchant Marine Act (also known as the Jones Act) is signed into law.
• 1922: Cecil Northrop graduates from New York State Nautical School.
• 1924: Robert Dollar inaugurates his “around the world” service.
• 1936-1937: Major labor strikes among longshoremen and sailors.
• 1938: Van Horne Morris graduates from the Massachusetts Nautical School.
• 1941: Van Horne Morris graduates from the Naval Aviation Cadet program.
• 1941: U.S. enters World War II in December, after surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.
• 1942: Van Horne Morris serves on the USS Hornet 
• 1944: Van Horne Morris serves in the VC-58 squadron on the USS Wake Island