Timeline
- 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