February 25

In 1836, American inventor Samuel Colt is granted a patent for the Colt revolver. His design features a rotating cylinder for multiple shots without reloading. This innovation revolutionizes handheld firearms and military armaments. Colt's revolver becomes iconic in American frontier history. The patent secures Colt's place as a prominent industrial entrepreneur. His factory later mass-produces firearms that shape 19th-century conflicts.

Designed from the keel up to carry aircraft, the USS Ranger represented a major innovation in naval warfare. Launched on February 25, 1933, at the Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Virginia, she was the Navy’s first carrier not converted from a battleship hull. Ranger could accommodate dozens of planes on her flight deck and hangar, heralding a new era of air power at sea. Her commissioning marked the culmination of interwar experiments with carrier tactics and aviation technology. She would go on to serve with distinction in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II. The USS Ranger’s launch underscored the United States’ commitment to expanding its naval aviation capabilities.