December 14, 1940-The Hornet is launched from Newport News shipyards, in Virginia.
October 20, 1941-The Hornet is commissioned.
October through December 1941-The Hornet trains around Norfolk, Virginia before the Pearl Harbor attack.
February 2, 1942-The Hornet leaves Norfolk with two B-25 bombers on deck. Once far enough out to sea, the two bombers were successfully launched from the flight deck of the Hornet.
March 4, 1942-The Hornet leaves Norfolk for San Francisco (arrives March 20) via the Panama Canal.
April 2, 1942-The Hornet leaves San Francisco with 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, Doolittle’s Raiders, bound for Japan.
April 18, 1942-The Hornet launches Doolittle’s Raiders about 600 miles from the Japanese coast after the HIJMS Nitto Maru reported to carrier group before being sunk by the American cruiser Nashville. Once all of the B-25s are launched, the Hornet turns and returns to Pearl Harbor, arriving on April 25.
April 30, 1942-The Hornet leaves Pearl Harbor to aid the Yorktown and the Lexington in the battle of Coral Sea, but would arrive too late to help.
May 26, 1942-The Hornet arrives back in Hawaii.
May 28, 1942-The Hornet leaves with the Yorktown and Enterprise to attempt to defend Midway Island.
June 4, 1942-The Hornet, Enterprise, and Yorktown launch their aircraft against the Japanese carrier force attacking Midway.
June 6,1942-The Hornet attacks the fleeing Japanese force. This attack manages to sink the Mikuma, damage a destroyer and the cruiser Mogami, as well as hit several other ships. Upon returning, the Hornet receives a new radar. Over the next couple of months, the Hornet trains out of Pearl Harbor.
August 17, 1942-The Hornet left for Guadalcanal. After the loss of the Wasp in September, the Hornet is the only US carrier in the Pacific Ocean until October 24, when the Hornet joins the Enterprise before moving to intercept a Japanese force advancing on Guadalcanal.
October 26, 1942-The Hornet’s carrier aircraft damage the Japanese Shokaku in the Battle of Santa Cruz. While the Hornet’s aircraft were out, the Hornet itself was fighting off a Japanese attack. The attack left the carrier heavily damaged and on fire. The Hornet was ordered to be abandoned. That day, the US destroyers Mustin and Anderson attempted to sink the Hornet, however, were at first unsuccessful.
October 27, 1942-The Hornet is still afloat, despite receiving over 400 hits by the 5-inch guns of the destroyers Mustin and Anderson. At 1:35 a.m., several Japanese destroyers hit the Hornet with four 24-inch torpedoes and finally manage to get the carrier to sink.
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