When did the US acquire Johnston Island?

When did the US acquire Johnston Island?

Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948.

What was Johnston island used for?

For nearly 70 years, the isolated atoll was under the control of the U.S. military. During that time, it was variously used as a naval refueling depot, an airbase, a testing site for nuclear and biological weapons, a secret missile base, and a site for the storage and disposal of chemical weapons and Agent Orange.

How did the US get Johnston island?

The uninhabited atoll was discovered in 1796 by an American ship, which ran aground there. Sighted in 1807 by an English mariner, Captain C.J. Johnston, the islands remained unclaimed until 1858, when both the United States (under the Guano Act of 1856) and the Kingdom of Hawaii laid claim.

How big was Johnston Island in World War 2?

The main island of Johnston Island, originally only 40 acres in size, would grow to 160 acres, which was a testament of the atoll’s importance. The Aug 1939 base expansion plan included funding to upgrade or build naval air facilities at the coral atoll of Midway.

What was the military history of Johnston Atoll?

Johnston Atoll is also considered habitat for the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal and a threatened coral species. Military History and Hazardous Waste Legacy Johnston Atoll’s military history began before World War II and continued until the island was decommissioned in 2004.

Where is Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean?

Johnston Atoll is located in the Pacific Ocean about 717 nautical miles west-southwest of Hawaii. Johnston Island is the largest of four islands in the atoll complex.

When was the first survey of Johnston Island?

The expedition to the atoll consisted of two teams accompanied by destroyer convoys, with the first departing Honolulu on July 7, 1923 aboard the USS Whippoorwill, which conducted the first survey of Johnston Island in the 20th century.