National Maritime Day
May 22nd is National Maritime Day, first declared so by Congress in 1933.
Its observance honors the contributions of the American merchant marine, civilians who have defended the freedom of the United States since 1775, and who executed the largest sealift the world has ever known during World War II.
Observance of National Maritime Day also honors the maritime industry and the benefits it brings Americans in terms of transportation, jobs, goods, and recreational opportunities.
This year, the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History opened a new exhibit, "On the Water: Stories from Maritime America" on Maritime Day, and the Maritime Administration's observance of that special day was conducted at the exhibit’s opening ceremony inside the museum on May 22, 2009. The new maritime exhibit is part of the museum's larger transportation exhibit, "America on the Move."
