Charles Darwin sets sail from England (27 Dec 1831)
British naturalist Charles Darwin sets out from Plymouth, England, aboard the HMS Beagle on a five-year surveying expedition of the southern Atlantic and Pacific . . .
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, . . .
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, . . .
Blackbeard Killed off North Carolina (22 Nov 1718)
Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard, is killed on November 22, 1718, off North Carolina’s Outer Banks during a bloody battle with a British navy force sent from Virginia.
Believed . . .
Whaleship Essex Sunk by Sperm Whale (20 Nov 1820)
The American whaler Essex, which hailed from Nantucket, Massachusetts, is attacked by an 80-ton sperm whale 2,000 miles from the western coast of South America.
The 238-ton . . .
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 . . .
Moby Dick First Published (14 Nov 1851)
Moby-Dick is now considered a great classic of American literature and contains one of the most famous opening lines in fiction: “Call me Ishmael.” Initially, though, . . .
John Paul Jones Sets Sail
On November 2, 1777, the USS Ranger, with a crew of 140 men under the command of John . . .
Carolina Maritime Model Society Meeting
The Carolina Maritime Model Society is meeting today, 28 October 2023 at the North Carolina Maritime Museums in Beaufort, North Carolina.
The Carolina Maritime Model Society . . .
Tom Lewis Concert Recorded Live
From our friend and MMDI early supporter, Tom Lewis: “This Sunday evening I will be presenting a concert, at Harry’s bar, in Rosses Point near Sligo. The concert . . .
H.L. Hunley sinks during tests (15 Oct 1863)
On October 15, 1863, the H.L. Hunley, the world’s first successful combat submarine, sinks during a test run, killing its inventor and seven crew members.
Horace . . .
Albert Lancaster Lloyd, aka A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd dies (29 Sept 1982)
Albert Lancaster Lloyd, usually known as A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd, was an English folk singer and collector of folk songs, and as such was a key figure in the British folk revival of the 1950s and . . .
Francis Drake circumnavigates the globe (1580)
English seaman Francis Drake returns to Plymouth, England, in the Golden Hind, becoming the first British navigator to sail the earth.
On December 13, . . .
Roanoke Colony deserted (1590)
The Roanoke Island colony, the first English settlement in the New World, was founded by English explorer Sir Walter Raleigh in August 1585. The first Roanoke colonists . . .
Please help the MMDI stay afloat!
Hello Friends,
This is Dean Calin. I have worked very hard for a couple of years to get this website up and running. After our successful Kickstarter program we had a the . . .
U.S. Brig Niagara Sailing Season To End Early
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) and the Flagship Niagara League (FNL) regretfully announce that the remainder of the U.S. Brig Niagara’s 2023 . . .