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| 1951-jul-12 | Ordered |  CV-59 USS Forrestal | |
| 1952-jul-14 | Laid down | CV-59 USS Forrestal | |
| 1952-jul-23 | Ordered | CVA-60 USS Saratoga as CVB-60 | |
| 1952-dec-16 | Laid down | CVA-60 USS Saratoga as CVA-60, in Brooklyn | |
| 1954-jul-2 | Ordered | CVA-62 USS Independence | |
| 1954-aug-2 | Laid down | CVA-61 USS Ranger | |
| 1954-dec-11 | Launched | CV-59 USS Forrestal as CVA-59 | |
| 1955-jul-1 | Laid down | CVA-62 USS Independence | |
| 1955-oct-1 | Commissioned | CV-59 USS Forrestal and based at Norfolk, VA | |
| 1955-oct-8 | Launched | CVA-60 USS Saratoga | |
| 1956-apr-14 | Commissioned | CVA-60 USS Saratoga | |
| 1956-sep-29 | Launched | CVA-61 USS Ranger | |
| 1956-oct | Deployment | CV-59 USS Forrestal operating in Mediterranean with escort USS Des Moines (CA-134) while shadowing the British and French Musketeer operations | |
| 1957-aug-10 | Commissioned | CVA-61 USS Ranger at Norfolk Naval Station | |
| 1957-oct | Port Visit | CV-59 USS Forrestal visit to Southampton, UK | |
| 1958-jun-6 | Launched | CVA-62 USS Independence | |
| 1958-jul | Deployment | CVA-60 USS Saratoga  Operation Blue Bat part of US 6th Fleet, when tasked with support for Lebanese stability operations in Eastern Mediterranean. HUP-2 of HU-2 (det 43) were embarked. Operations continued until 23 Aug. | |
| 1958-aug-20 | Homeport | CVA-61 USS Ranger Alameda, Pacific Fleet | |
| 1959-jan-10 | Commissioned | CVA-62 USS Independence | |
| 1959-jun-30 | Homeport | CVA-62 USS Independence Norfolk, VA | |
| 1960-nov-30 | Deployment | CVA-60 USS Saratoga joint US-UK exercise in Western Mediterranean, including HMS Ark Royal, HMS Hermes, HMS Victorious, USS Independence and USS Intrepid. | |
| 1960-nov-30 | Deployment | CVA-62 USS Independence joint US-UK exercise in Western Mediterranean, including HMS Ark Royal, HMS Hermes, HMS Victorious, USS Intrepid and USS Saratoga. | |
| 1962-aug | Deployment | CV-59 USS Forrestal operating off Portugal with HMS Centaur, HMS Hermes and USS Enterprise during, Exercise RipTide II. | |
| 1963-oct-30 | Trials | CV-59 USS Forrestal conducted 1st set of deck landing trials with USMC KC-130F 798 off Jacksonville, FL | |
| 1963-nov-8 | Trials | CV-59 USS Forrestal conducted 2nd set of deck landing trials with USMC KC-130F 798, 90nm E of Boston. Findings led to C-2 Greyhound COD programme. | |
| 1967-jul-25 | Deployment | CV-59 USS Forrestal Departed Norfolk VA with her air wing (including a detachment from HS-2) on 6 Jun 1967, for Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnam, arrived 25 Jul. On 29 Jul a weapons release accident caused a huge fire on deck amongst an armed and fuelled strike force. 135 lost their lives bringing the blaze under control. Steamed to Subic Bay for temporary repairs and returned to Norfolk on 15 Sep. | |
| 1974-jul | Deployment | CV-59 USS Forrestal Partition of Cyprus detached from US 6th Fleet in Mediterannean and ordered off Cyprus to support and if neccesary evacuate US Nationals in aftermath of Turkish invasion of the island. Operated with support of USS Inchon, HS-3 embarked. | |
| 1975-jul | Homeport | CV-59 USS Forrestal designation changed to CV-59 and moved to Mayport Naval Station, FL | |
| 1981-feb-2 | Port Visit | CVA-62 USS Independence visited Fremantle, until 7 Feb. | |
| 1982 | | CV-59 USS Forrestal helicopter crash | |
| 1986-oct | Aircraft | CVA-61 USS Ranger port visit English Bay, Vancouver, BC. Sea King 149719 | |
| 1988-oct-8 | Homeport | CVA-62 USS Independence San Diego, CA | |
| 1991-sep | Homeport | CVA-62 USS Independence relieved USS Midway at Yokosuka, as forward-deployed carrier, until Aug 1998. | |
| 1992-feb-4 | Homeport | CV-59 USS Forrestal designation changed to AVT-59 and moved to Pensacola Naval Station, FL | |
| 1993-jul-10 | Decommissioned | CVA-61 USS Ranger at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard | |
| 1993-sep-11 | Decommissioned | CV-59 USS Forrestal | |
| 1994-aug-20 | Decommissioned | CVA-60 USS Saratoga | |
| 1997-feb | Port Visit | CVA-62 USS Independence first carrier to visit Guam since 1961. | |
| 1997-apr | Port Visit | CVA-62 USS Independence first carrier to visit Port Klang | |
| 1998-sep-30 | Decommissioned | CVA-62 USS Independence at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA | |
| 2004-mar-8 | Struck | CVA-62 USS Independence | |
| 2014-feb-4 | Fate: scrapped | CV-59 USS Forrestal towed from Philadelphia Naval Yard to Texas for scrapping, completed by Dec 2014. | |
| 2016-apr-17 | | CVA-62 USS Independence still laid up at Puget Sound, pending scrapping in Texas. | |
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