| Year | Date | Historical Events |
| 1936 | Apr 15 | Keel laid down by the Electric Boat Co., Groton, CT. |
| 1937 | Jun 12 | Launched. |
| 1938 | Mar 15 | Commissioned with LT. M.M. Stephens in command.
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| 1939 | Jan 1 | After shakedown training and trials along the Atlantic coast from the West Indies to Nova Scotia, Salmon joined Submarine Division 15, Squadron 6 of the Submarine Force, U.S. Fleet, at Portsmouth, NH. (Exact dates unknown) |
| | Dec 1 | As flagship of her division, Salmon operated along the Atlantic coast until she relinquished the flag to sister ship Snapper (SS-185) late in 1939 as the division was shifted to the West Coast at San Diego, CA. (Exact date unknown)
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| 1940 | Jan 1 | Salmon operated along the West Coast through 1940 and the greater portion of 1941. Late that year, she was transferred with her division and the submarine tender Holland (AS-3), to the Asiatic station. |
| 1941 | Nov 18 | Holland with Salmon, Swordfish (SS-193), Sturgeon (SS-187), and Skipjack (SS-184) arrived at Manila and formed SubDiv 21 of the Asiatic fleet to bolster defenses in the Philippines as marked tension was growing due to Japanese militarism. |
| | Nov 27 | Salmon was conducting a patrol from Manila, along the coast of Luzon at the time of the surprise air raid by the Japanese against the Philippine bases and Pearl Harbor. Salmon commenced war patrolling immediately upon receiving word of the attacks. |
| | Dec 22 | While on the surface in the Lingayen Gulf, Salmon encountered 2 Japanese destroyers and pressed home an attack which seemed to bewilder the reluctant enemy. She succeeded in damaging both targets by delivering a "down the throat" spread of torpedoes. |
| 1942 | Jan 1 | Salmon moved South to operate in the Gulf of Davao and off the Southern tip of Mindanao and thence proceeded to Manipa Strait between Bura and Ceram in the Molucca Islands. |
| | Feb 13 | In February, Salmon patrolled the Flores Sea from North of Timor to Lombok Strait in the Sunda Islands, then put into Tjilatjap on the South Coast of Java. |
| | Feb 20 | The tender Holland moved her base of operations to Exmouth Gulf, Australia, as Salmon set out on her 2nd war patrol.
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| | Mar 23 | Salmon spent the next month in the Java Sea on patrol between Sepandjang and the area just West of Bawean. She arrived at Fremantle, Australia, to end her 2nd patrol.
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| | May 3 | Beginning her 3rd war patrol, Salmon departed from Fremantle, Australia and established a barrier patrol along the South Coast of Java to intercept Japanese shipping. |
| | May 3 | Salmon torpedoed and sank the 11,441 ton repair ship Asahi. |
| | May 28 | Salmon sank the 4,382 ton passenger-cargo vessel Ganges Maru. |
| | Jun 24 | Salmon returned to Fremantle, Australia and commenced preparations for her next assignment.
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| | Jul 21 | Salmon departed Fremantle for her 4th war patrol in the South China Sea-Sulu Sea area. Sailing via Lombok Strait and Makassar Strait, the Sibutu Passage, and the Balabac Strait, she stationed herself between North Borneo and Palawan, Philippine Islands. |
| | Jul 21 | (Cont'd.) During this patrol, Salmon was unable to gain a favorable position for successful attack, but made numerous sightings and reports of shipping movements to sister subs in the vicinity. |
| | Sep 8 | Salmon returned to Fremantle, Australia. |
| | Oct 10 | Salmon began her 5th war patrol, and her area of operations was off Corregidor and Subic Bay, Philippine Islands. |
| | Nov 10 | Salmon challenged a large sampan moving in the vicinity of Subic Bay during the hours of darkness. After ignoring the challenge, the vessel was ordered to stop and shots were fired across its bow. |
| | Nov 10 | (Cont'd.) Salmon maneuvered for a closer inspection and saw that the sampan was displaying rising-sun emblems on its deckhouse and that it's crew was attempting to jettison objects over the side. Salmon's crew fired at it with 50 caliber machine guns. |
| | Nov 10 | (Cont'd.) The vessel was boarded by Salmon crew. Most of the Japanese sailors had gone over the side. They removed papers, radio equipment, and other articles then set the sampan afire. As Salmon pulled away, the enemy vessel exploded and sank. |
| | Nov 17 | Off the approach to Manila Bay, Salmon sighted three vessels and maneuvered for attack. She fired torpedoes at each of the ships and succeeded in damaging two and sinking the 5,873 ton, converted salvage vessel, Oregon Maru. |
| | Dec 7 | Salmon ended her 5th patrol at Pearl Harbor, HI. |
| | Dec 8 | Salmon departed for the Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. |
| | Dec 13 | Salmon arrived at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. |
| 1943 | Mar 30 | Salmon departed Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA. after undergoing alterations, including the installation of new radar equipment and two 20 mm mounts to augment her firepower. |
| | Apr 8 | Salmon returned to Pearl Harbor, HI. |
| | Apr 29 | Salmon departed from Pearl Harbor, HI. for her 6th war patrol via Midway Island. She was assigned a special mission which took her to the coast of Honshu, Japan, at Hachijo Shima, Kantori Saki, and O Shima. |
| | Jun 3 | During this mission, Salmon damaged two freighters. |
| | Jun 19 | Salmon returned to Midway Island. |
| | Jul 17 | Salmon's 7th patrol was conducted in the Kuril Islands to cut the Paramushiro-Aleutian supply route. |
| | Aug 9 | Salmon sank a small coastal patrol vessel. |
| | Aug 10 | Salmon sank the 2,411 ton passenger-cargo vessel, Wakanoura Maru off the Northern Coast of Hokkaido. |
| | Aug 25 | Salmon returned to Pearl Harbor, HI. |
| | Sep 27 | Salmon's 8th war patrol saw her return to the Kuril Islands where she was credited with damaging two freighters. |
| | Nov 17 | Salmon returned to Pearl Harbor, HI. |
| | Dec 15 | Salmon departed Pearl Harbor, HI. on her 9th war patrol. |
| 1944 | Jan 22 | Salmon damaged a freighter. |
| | Feb 25 | Salmon returned to Pearl Harbor, HI. |
| | Apr 1 | Salmon departed Pearl Harbor, HI., enroute to Johnston Island in company with Seadragon (SS-194), assigned a special photo reconnaissance mission for her 10th patrol which would assist in preparing plans for gaining control of the Caroline Islands. |
| | Apr 15 | Salmon conducted a reconnaissance of Ulithi from 15 April to 20 April; Yap from 22 April to 26 April; and Woleai between 28 April and 9 May. |
| | May 21 | Salmon returned to Pearl Harbor, HI. with much valuable information that was utilized in last-minute changes to the assault plans.
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| | Sep 24 | Salmon's 11th and last war patrol was conducted in company with submarines Trigger (SS-237) and Sterlet (SS-392) as a coordinated attack group in the Ryukyu Islands. |
| | Oct 30 | Salmon attacked a large tanker that had been previously damaged by Trigger. This tanker was protected by four antisubmarine patrol vessels which were cruising back and forth around the stricken ship. |
| | Oct 30 | (Cont'd.) Salmon battle surfaced to fight for survival on the surface. The enemy seemed wary and held their distance while sniffing out the situation, and gave Salmon's crew a few precious minutes to correct a bad list and to repair some of the damage. |
| | Oct 30 | (Cont'd.) The vessels began to close, but Salmon turned on the attackers and passing within 50 yards down the side of one, raked her with 20 mm gunfire and her deck gun. Salmon then exchanged fire with a second vessel. |
| | Oct 30 | (Cont'd.) Salmon took advantage of a rain squall and slipped away. Other than the damage caused by depth charges, Salmon suffered only a few hits from the enemy vessels. Escorted by Sterlet, Trigger, and Silversides (SS-236), she made it to Saipan. |
| | Oct 30 | (Cont'd.) Salmon fired 4 torpedoes and made 2 hits, was forced to dive deep under a severe depth charge attack. She leveled off at 300 feet but was soon forced to nearly 500 feet due to damage and additional pounding of the depth charges. |
| | Nov 3 | Salmon moored alongside the submarine tender Fulton (AS-11), in Tanapag Harbor, Saipan, Marianas Island.
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| | Nov 10 | Salmon stood out from Saipan, Marianas Island, in company with Holland, and sailed via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor, HI. to San Francisco, CA. |
| 1945 | Jan 26 | Salmon departed from San Francisco, CA. with submarine Redfish (SS-395) and proceeded via the Panama Canal to Portsmouth, NH. |
| | Feb 17 | Salmon arrived at Portsmouth, NH. After repairs and overhaul at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Salmon was assigned as a training vessel for the Atlantic Fleet. |
| | Sep 24 | Decommissioned. |
| | Oct 11 | Struck from the Naval Register. |
| 1946 | Apr 4 | Salmon was sold for scrap. |