Moby Dick First Published (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, . . .
Cargo ship suddenly sinks in Lake Superior (1975)
On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in Lake Superior, killing all 29 crew members on board. It was the worst single accident in Lake Superior’s history.
The . . .
John Paul Jones Sails to Raid British Ships (1777)
On November 2, 1777, the USS Ranger, with a crew of 140 men under the command of John Paul Jones, leaves Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for the naval port at Brest, France, where it will stop before heading . . .
Erie Canal Opens (1825)
The Erie Canal opens, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River. Governor DeWitt Clinton of New York, the driving force behind the project, led the opening ceremonies and . . .
James Henry Miller aka Ewan MacColl dies (1989)
James Henry Miller (25 January 1915 – 22 October 1989), better known by his stage name Ewan MacColl, was a folk singer-songwriter, folk song collector, labour activist . . .
Trafalgar Day (21 Oct 1805)
In one of the most decisive naval battles in history, a British fleet under Admiral Lord Nelson defeats a combined French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, fought off the coast of Spain.
. . .
Hollywood and the Sea:
Maritime History & Culture in Film
Register Here for the Zoom Seminar
Saturday, 5 November 2022
Welcome & Lecture at 11:00 AM ET, Q&A to Follow
Seminars are free to attend, although we hope you will . . .
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 Lawson . . .
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, . . .
Thomas Downing was a fine-dining pioneer with a secret
Thomas Downing was a fine-dining pioneer with a secret.
Darwin Returns to Falmouth 2 Oct 1831
The British naturalist Charles Darwin returns to Falmouth, England, aboard the HMS Beagle, ending a five-year surveying expedition of the southern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Visiting such diverse . . .
Albert Lancaster Lloyd, aka A. L. Lloyd or Bert Lloyd dies
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 . . .
Horatio Nelson’s Birthday (29 Sept 1758)
Born on 29 September 1758 in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, Horatio Nelson was the sixth of the 11 children of a clergyman. He joined the navy aged 12, on a ship commanded by a maternal uncle. He became a . . .
Francis Drake circumnavigates the globe (26 Sept 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, 1577, Drake set out from England with five ships . . .
John Paul Jones wins in English waters (23 Sept 1779)
During the American Revolution, . . .
Mayflower Departs England (16 Sept. 1620)
The Mayflower sails from Plymouth, England, bound for the New World with 102 passengers. The ship was headed for Virginia, where the colonists–half religious dissenters and half entrepreneurs–had . . .
Battle of Lake Erie (Sept. 10, 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 of six British warships at the . . .
Magellan’s expedition circumnavigates globe
September 6, 1522 – One of Ferdinand Magellan’s five ships—the Victoria—arrives at Sanlúcar . . .
Royal George Sinks During Refitting (August 29, 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 roll became unstable and out . . .