Sunday · November 15, 2026
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American history, reported as it happened
Made for the 250th
19581776 Club

Nautilus slides under the North Pole, unseen and unstoppable

Ninety-six hours under the ice and 1,590 nautical miles later, the submarine surfaces northeast of Greenland.

Weeks after Sputnik crossed American skies unchallenged, Eisenhower wanted a different kind of proof that the United States could still lead. On July 23, 1958, USS Nautilus set a course northward from Pearl Harbor and pushed into the Arctic Ocean. At 11:15 p.m. EDT on August 3, Commander William R. Anderson's crew passed beneath the geographic North Pole, submerged the entire way. Four days later, the boat surfaced northeast of Greenland, having traveled 1,590 nautical miles under the ice…

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More from August 3
1936

Owens takes 100-meter gold in Hitler's stadium, 10.3 seconds

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19721776 Club
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More from Cold War America
1953

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