Thomas Burke
United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
About Thomas Burke
Lived 1833 – 1899 (aged 65–66).
Thomas Burke (c. 1833 – 27 October 1883) was an Irish-American sailor in the United States Navy and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.
Biography Burke was a native of County Galway, Ireland. He immigrated to the U.S. and joined the Navy from New York state on January 21, 1862. By May 10, 1866, he was serving as a seaman on the . On that day, while the ship was off the coast of Eastport, Maine, he and two shipmates rescued two sailors from the from drowning. For this action, he and his shipmates, Seaman Richard Bates and Captain of the After-guard John Brown, were awarded the Medal of Honor three months later, on August 1, 1866.
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Important facts
People in Thomas Burke's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Thomas Burke's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Thomas Burke?
United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
When was Thomas Burke born?
Thomas Burke was born in 1833 in Ireland.
When did Thomas Burke die?
Thomas Burke died on 23 April 1899 in Pensacola.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Thomas Burke (Medal of Honor sailor)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Thomas Burke. https://biography.guide/thomas-burke-1833/
MLA: "Thomas Burke." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/thomas-burke-1833/.
Chicago: "Thomas Burke." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/thomas-burke-1833/.
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