History of Johnston Island

Information about the history of Johnston Island in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. See also more about the Johnston Atoll and about other U.S. Pacific Islands.

1700's

1796: Joseph Pierpoint's ship "Sally" ran aground

1700's

1807: Cornwallis crew named atoll after captain Charles J. Johnston

1920's

1926: Johnston Island Reservation established as a bird refuge

1930's

1934-2004: Atoll was under U.S. military control
1935: Construction of a seaplane base was begun on Sand Island
1935: Construction of an airfield was begun on Johnston Island

1940's

1940: Reservation renamed the Johnston Island National Wildlife Refuge
1941: Johnston Island Naval Defense Sea Area was designated
1941: Johnston Island Naval Airspace Reservation was designated
1941-1945: World War II
1948: U.S. Airforce assumed control of the Johnston Atoll

1950's

1957 - 1992: Coast Guard Mission
1958-1963: Nuclear Weapons test site

1960's

1962-1975: Anti Satellite Mission
1965: Biological warfare test site

1970's

1972-1977: Chemical weapons storage site
1972-1977: Agent Orange storage site

1980's

1985: Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System construction

1990's

1990-2000: Chemical weapons demilitarization mission
1993: Full Scale disposal operations began

2000's

2003: Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System demolished
2004: Last flight out for military personnel
2005: Atoll offered for sale by U.S. Govt for residence or eco-tourism
2006: Johnston Island struck by Hurricane Ioke
2007: U.S. Coast Guard cleared debris off Johnston Island runway
2010: Survey team identified swarm of destructive Anoploleis ants
2013: Efforts had eradicated most of the ants

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More About the Johnston Atoll

U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

All of the Hawaiian Islands

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