John Philip Holland, (born Feb. 29, 1840, Liscannor, County Clare, Ire.âdied Aug. 12, 1914, Newark, N.J., U.S.), father of the modern submarine, who designed and built the first underwater vessel accepted by the U.S. Navy. Educated at Limerick, Holland taught school until 1872 in Ireland and in 1873 emigrated to the United States. Holland worked on several experimental boats that were not accepted by the US Navy. He was eventually successful with a privately built type initially named Holland VI, launched on 17 May 1897. This was the first submarine having power to run submerged for any considerable distance, and the first to combine electric motors for submerged travel and gasoline engines for use on the surface. She was purchased by the US Navy, on 11 April 1900, after rigorous tests and was commissioned on 12 October 1900 as USS Holland.
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