Cook Begins his third voyage (12 July 1776)
James Cook’s third and final voyage took the route from Plymouth via Tenerife and Cape Town to New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands, and along the North American coast to the Bering Strait.
At . . .
American Naval Hero Killed in Duel (1820)
U.S. Navy officer Stephen Decatur, hero of the Barbary . . .
Captain Kidd Dies (1701)
At London’s Execution Dock, British privateer William Kidd, popularly known as Captain Kidd, is hanged for piracy and murder.
Born in Strathclyde, Scotland, Kidd established . . .
U.S. Navy stages daring mission during First Barbary War (February 16, 1804)
During the First Barbary War, U.S. Lieutenant Stephen Decatur leads a military mission that famed British Admiral Horatio Nelson calls the “most daring act of the age.”
In . . .
Mary Rose Sinks
Mary Rose Sinks (1545)
Several theories are thought to explain how and why Henry VIII’s flag ship sunk at the Battle of Solent.
Recovered in 1982 and is now on display in Portsmouth, UK.
Mary Rose was one of the largest ships in the English navy through more than three decades of intermittent war, and she was one of the earliest examples of a purpose-built sailing warship. She was armed with new types of heavy guns that could fire through the recently invented gun-ports. She was substantially rebuilt in 1536 and was also one of the earliest ships that could fire a broadside, although the line of battle tactics had not yet been developed. Several theories have sought to explain the demise of the Mary Rose, based on historical records, knowledge of 16th-century shipbuilding, and modern experiments. The precise cause of her sinking is subject to conflicting testimonies and a lack of conclusive evidence.
Roald Amundsen becomes first explorer to reach the South Pole
On December 14, 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott.
Amundsen, born in Borge, . . .
Steamboat Sultana Explodes (1865)
On April 27, 1865 the steamship Sultana exploded on the water. This Civil War ship explosion killed more people than the Titanic sinking.
The Sultana was only legally allowed . . .
De Soto reaches the Mississippi
On May 8, 1541, south of present-day Memphis, Tennessee, Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River, one of the first European explorers to ever . . .
British vessel burned off Rhode Island (9 June,1772)
In an incident that some regard as the first naval engagement of the American Revolution, colonists board the Gaspee, a British vessel that ran aground off the coast of . . .
Captain Cook killed in Hawai’i – Happy Valentine’s Day!
On February 14, 1779, Captain James Cook, the great English explorer and navigator, is killed by natives of Hawaii during his third visit to the Pacific island group.
In . . .
War of 1812 Begins on 18 June
The day after the Senate followed the House of Representatives in voting to declare war against Great Britain, President James Madison signs the declaration into law—and . . .
Battle of Lake Erie (10 Sept 1813)
In the first unqualified defeat of a British naval squadron in history, U.S. Captain Oliver Hazard Perry leads a fleet of nine American ships to victory over a squadron . . .
John Paul Jones wins in English waters (23 Sept 1779)
During the American Revolution, . . .
Royal George Sinks During Refitting 29 Aug 1782
Royal George sank on 29 August 1782 whilst anchored at Spithead off Portsmouth. The ship was intentionally rolled so maintenance could be performed on the hull, but the . . .
Roald Amundsen becomes first explorer to reach the South Pole
On December 14, 1911, Norwegian Roald Amundsen becomes the first explorer to reach the South Pole, beating his British rival, Robert Falcon Scott.
Amundsen, born in Borge, . . .
USS Monitor Sinks (1862)
On December 30, 1862, the U.S.S. Monitor sinks in a storm off Cape Hatteras, North . . .
USS Constitution defeats HMS Java (29 Dec 1812)
On This Day – December 29, 1812 – USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) was sailing in the Atlantic just off the coast of Brazil. In the morning sails were sighted on . . .
USS Monitor Sinks (30 Dec 1862)
On December 30, 1862, the U.S.S. Monitor sinks in a storm off Cape Hatteras, North . . .
Mutiny on the Amistad
Mutiny on the Amistad slave ship (July 2, 1839)
Early in the morning of July 2, 1839, Africans on the Cuban schooner Amistad rise up against their captors, killing two crewmembers and seizing control of the ship, which had been transporting them to a life of slavery on a sugar plantation at Puerto Principe, Cuba.
