Mare Island Naval Shipyard was honored for the thousands of military personnel and civilians who made it one of the great Navy yards from 1854 to 1996. Its history included Commander Farragut assuming command on September 16, 1854; the launch of USS Saginaw, the first ship constructed at Mare Island, on March 3, 1859; the Mare Island earthquake on March 31, 1898; the completion of Quarters "A" in 1901; the completion of St. Peter’s Chapel on October 13, 1901; the first flight deck on USS Pennsylvania on January 11, 1911; the launch of USS Ward in 17 1/2 days, a world record, on June 1, 1918; the opening of the causeway on July 3, 1919; the launch of battleship USS California on November 20, 1919; the launch of submarine USS Nautilus on March 15, 1930; the Centennial Cavalcade on September 16, 1954; the launch of USS Sargo, the first nuclear submarine, on October 10, 1957; the launch of USS Mariano G. Vallejo on October 23, 1965; the launch of USS Drum, the final launching, on May 23, 1970; and the shipyard’s closure on March 31, 1996.