USS Midway's 80th Birthday & 4th Annual Multi-Cultural Celebration
September 6th
11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (last admission is at 2:00 p.m.)
Free Admission (no pre-registration required)
USS Midway Museum
Join us for a FREE community gathering of music, dance, birthday cake, history, and more during USS Midway’s 80th Birthday and 4th Annual Multi-Cultural Celebration!
Happy 80th Birthday, USS Midway!
In honor of the USS Midway’s 80th birthday, the museum will host a dynamic, multi-cultural performance event that tells the story of Midway’s service and significance through the lens of her global ports of call. This showcase will feature live cultural performances representing select countries where Midway was stationed or significantly impacted, culminating with a tribute to her final home: San Diego.
Event Details
- Live dance performances
- Cake available while supplies last
- Multi-ethnic menu items available for sale at Café 41
- Prizes and giveaways
USS Midway's 80th Birthday & 4th Annual Multi-Cultural Celebration is presented by: Midway’s Community Engagement Committee
History of the USS Midway (CV-41)
The USS Midway (CV-41) was the longest-serving aircraft carrier in the 20th century. Named after the climactic Battle of Midway of June 1942, Midway was built in only 17 months but missed World War II by one week when commissioned on September 10, 1945.
Midway was the first in a three-ship class of large carriers that featured an armored flight deck and a powerful air group of 120 planes. In 1946, it became the first American carrier to operate in the midwinter sub-Arctic, developing new flight deck procedures. Midway became the only ship to launch a captured German V-2 rocket the following year.
On April 11, 1992, the Midway was decommissioned in San Diego. It remained in the inactive ship fleet in Bremerton, Washington, until 2003, when it was donated to the 501(c)3 nonprofit San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum organization. It opened as the USS Midway Museum in June 2004.