August 3rd 1958; The Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater. The mission was known as "Operation Sunshine." The trip was made in four days by the Nautilus, the world's first atomic submarine. The voyage pioneered a new and shorter route from Pacific to the Atlantic and Europe -- a route that might be used by cargo submarines. It also added to man's knowledge of the subsurface of the Arctic basin. The voyage took the Nautilus under the North Pole. The overall trip began at Pearl Harbor July 23 and ended at Iceland Aug. 7.