Spanish Armada sets sail to secure English Channel (1588)
On May 19, 1588 a massive Spanish fleet, known as the “Invincible Armada,” sets sail from Lisbon on a mission to secure control of the English Channel and transport . . .
Spanish explorer sails into San Diego Bay (28 Sept 1542)
On September 28, 1542, the Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo arrives in San Diego Bay while searching for the Strait of Anian, a mythical all-water route across North America.
Cabrillo . . .
Spanish galleon San José sinks in battle (8 June, 1708)
June 8, 1708 the count of Casa Alegre knew a squadron of English warships was lurking in the area, but he thought he could avoid it. As captain of the Spanish galleon San . . .
SS Great Britain returns to Bristol Harbour after 127 years (1970)
In 1970, after Great Britain had been abandoned for 33 years, Sir Jack Arnold Hayward, OBE (1923–2015) paid for the vessel to be raised and repaired enough to be towed . . .
St. Patrick’s Song released by Tom Lewis
Today, Sunday, March 16, 2025 veteran maritime music performer Tom Lewis released his joyful new tune on YouTube, St. Patrick’s Song. Tom writes, “Coming . . .
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 . . .
Suez Canal Opens (17 Nov 1869)
The Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean and the Red seas, is inaugurated in an elaborate ceremony attended by French Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.
Read the . . .
Supreme Court rules on Amistad slave ship mutiny case (9 Mar 1807)
At the end of a historic case, the U.S. Supreme Court rules, with only one dissent, that the enslaved Africans who seized control of the Amistad slave ship had been illegally . . .
The Gold Coast King Who Fought the Might of Europe’s Slave Traders
New research reveals links between the 18th-century Ahanta leader John Canoe and the Caribbean festival Junkanoo
Every Christmas, residents of the Bahamas head outdoors, . . .
The Great Australian “Shanty Off!”
The Great Shanty Off! Calling all Sea-Shanty groups!
We are seeking expressions of interest from shanty groups (big or small) located on the Eastern Seaboard of Australia . . .
The Mary Celeste is spotted at sea (1872)
The Mary Celeste, a ship whose crew mysteriously disappeared, is spotted at sea December 5, 1872.
The Dei Gratia, a small British brig under Captain David Morehouse, spots . . .
The Mary Celeste is spotted at sea (5 Dec 1872)
The Mary Celeste, a ship whose crew mysteriously disappeared, is spotted at sea.
The Dei Gratia, a small British brig under Captain David Morehouse, spots the Mary Celeste, . . .
The Moonlight Battle at Sea (16 Jan 1780)
British Admiral Sir George Rodney, with 18 ships-of-the-line, engages an inferior Spanish squadron of 11 battleships commanded by Don Juan de Langara off the southwestern . . .
The Moonlight Battle at Sea (16 Jan 1780)
British demonstrate naval supremacy in The Moonlight Battle
British Admiral Sir George Rodney, with 18 ships-of-the-line, engages an inferior Spanish squadron of 11 battleships commanded by Don Juan . . .
The Moonlight Battle at Sea (16 Jan 1780)
British demonstrate naval supremacy in The Moonlight Battle
British Admiral Sir George Rodney, with 18 ships-of-the-line, engages an inferior Spanish squadron of 11 battleships . . .
The War of Jenkin’s Ear (Begun 22 Oct 1739)
The War of Jenkins’ Ear (known as Guerra del Asiento in Spain) was a conflict between Britain and Spain lasting from 1739 to 1748, mainly in New Granada and among . . .
Thomas Downing was a fine-dining pioneer with a secret
Thomas Downing was a fine-dining pioneer with a secret.