Historical eventDecember 41983

United States Navy

US Navy aircraft from USS John F. Kennedy and USS Independence attack Syrian missile sites in Lebanon in response to an F-14 being fired on by an SA-7. One A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair are shot down. One American pilot is killed, one is rescued, and one is captured.

In context

When
Sunday, December 4 198343 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1980s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1983.

What happened

US Navy aircraft from USS John F. Kennedy and USS Independence attack Syrian missile sites in Lebanon in response to an F-14 being fired on by an SA-7. One A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair are shot down. One American pilot is killed, one is rescued, and one is captured.

December 4 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1983United States Navy
  2. 1998Unity (ISS module)
  3. 2005December 2005 protest for democracy in Hong Kong
  4. 2006Jena Six
  5. 2012Canto degli italiani
  6. 2014Caucasus Emirate
  7. 20152015 Cairo restaurant fire
  8. 2017Thomas Fire
  9. 2021Semeru
  10. 2024UnitedHealth Group
  11. 2025Killing of Yasser Abu Shabab

Also in 1983

  • September 12Boricua Popular ArmyThe clandestine Boricua Popular Army staged a bank robbery in West Hartford, Connecticut, making off with $7 million in the largest cash…
  • September 15IsraelIsraeli premier Menachem Begin resigns.
  • September 17Vanessa WilliamsVanessa Williams becomes the first black Miss America.
  • November 17Zapatista Army of National LiberationThe Zapatista Army of National Liberation is founded in Mexico.
  • October 22Marion, IllinoisTwo correctional officers are killed by inmates at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois. The incident inspires the Supermax…
  • November 27Avianca Flight 011Avianca Flight 011: A Boeing 747 crashes near Madrid's Barajas Airport, killing 181.
  • November 5Byford DolphinThe Byford Dolphin diving bell accident kills five and leaves one severely injured.
  • December 10Raúl AlfonsínRaúl Alfonsín (pictured) became the first democratically elected president of Argentina to take office after more than seven years of mil…

Everything we record for 1983 →

Sources

Cite this page

“United States Navy”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/united-states-navy-1983-december-4, accessed October 28, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did United States Navy happen?

December 4 1983 — 43 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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