Air Force jurisdiction in 1948 and was associated with U.S. Over the years, the military enlarged both Johnston and Sand islands by dredging and grading, in addition to creating the two small artificial islands.
By 1941 a naval air station had been built, the landing strip taking up almost the full length of Johnston Island. Department of Agriculture, the atoll was placed under the U.S. Declared a bird sanctuary in 1926 under the administration of the U.S. The islands’ guano deposits were worked until the early 20th century. Johnston, the islands remained unclaimed until 1858, when both the United States (under the Guano Act of 1856) and the Kingdom of Hawaii laid claim. Sighted in 1807 by an English mariner, Captain C.J. The uninhabited atoll was discovered in 1796 by an American ship, which ran aground there.