Maritime History

[GordMay]

August 21

1986 ~ Gas cloud kills Cameroon villagers
An eruption of lethal Carbon Dioxide gas from Lake Nyos in Cameroon kills nearly 2,000 people and wipes out four villages
More: http://perso.orange.fr/mhalb/nyos/index.htm

1911~ The Mona Lisa is stolen from the Louvre in Paris
Vincenzo Peruggia walks off with Leonardo da Vinci's painting, the “Mona Lisa”. It was recovered two years later, when he tried to ransom it..
More: http://www.monalisamania.com/crimes.htm

1831 ~ Nat Turner leads Slave revolt in Virginia
More: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3p1518.html

[GordMay]

August 22

1992 ~ Hurricane “Andrew” pounds Bahamas - arrives in Florida 2 days later

1969 ~ Hurricane “Camille” strikes U.S. Gulf Coast

1962 ~ NS “Savannah”, world's 1st nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, completes maiden voyage from Yorktown, Va, to Savannah, Ga

1864 ~ The International Red Cross was founded by the Geneva Convention to assist the wounded and prisoners of war

1851 ~ Yacht "America" wins 1st Royal Yacht Squadron Cup (America's Cup)
The U.S.-built schooner ”America” bests a fleet of Britain's finest ships in a race around England's Isle of Wight. The ornate silver trophy won by the America was later donated to the New York Yacht Club, on condition that it be forever placed in international competition. Today, the "America's Cup" is the world's oldest continually contested sporting trophy and represents the pinnacle of international sailing yacht competition.

1780 ~ HMS “Resolution” returns to England (without Capt Cook)
More: http://www.mariner.org/educationalad/ageofex/cook.php

[GordMay]

August 23

1992 ~ Wayne McLaren (Marlboro Man) dies of lung cancer at 51
To the anti-smoking forces in our society, no irony could be more delicious than noting that the Marlboro Man, the advertising symbol whose ”I am the man!” appearance in the "Marlboro Country" series of advertisements was instrumental in establishing Philip Morris' Marlboro brand as the world's best-selling cigarette, died of lung cancer. McLaren was a former professional rodeo rider who appeared in small parts in various television series and movies (primarily Westerns) throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and he modeled for print advertising between acting jobs in the mid-1970s including a Marlboro campaign in 1976. McLaren, who had a pack-and-a-half a day smoking habit, was diagnosed with lung cancer at age 49. Despite chemotherapy, the removal of one lung, and radiation treatments, the cancer eventually spread to his brain and killed him. After learning he had cancer, McLaren embarked on an anti-smoking campaign.

1939 ~ Molotov-Ribbentrop sign non-aggression pact (Germany - USSR)

1927 ~ Sacco and Vanzetti executed
More: http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/proj...coV/SaccoV.htm

[GordMay]

August 24

1991 ~ Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as First Secretary of the USSR Communist Party.

1982 ~ Martin Siegel & Ivan Boesky hatch insider trading plot

1942 ~ U.S. sinks Japanese aircraft carrier “Ryuho” in the Battle of the East Solomon Islands (Guadalcanal)

1912 ~ USS “Jupiter” launched (first electrically propelled Navy ship)
More: http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l3/langley-i.htm


1833 ~ HMS Beagle reaches Bahia Blanca, Argentina

1814 ~ British forces capture Washington DC and set the White House on fire.

1704 ~ Battle at Malaga
The Sea Battle of Malaga, fought during the War of the Spanish Succession, took place after the Anglo-Dutch landings seized Gibraltar on August 4th 1704. The French fleet of 52 ships, under Admiral Comte De Toulouse, came to support the Spanish counter attack but were intercepted by Admiral Sir George Rooke with 58 English and Dutch ships. The naval battle took place August 24th with the French finally withdrawing leaving the British to safeguard the recently captured Gibraltar.

1572 ~ Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre
King Charles IX of France, under the sway of his mother, Catherine de Medici, orders the assassination of Huguenot Protestant leaders in Paris, setting off an orgy of killing that results in the massacre of tens of thousands of Huguenots all across France.

1217 ~ Battle at South Foreland: English fleet beats France
The Battle of South Foreland was a naval battle fought in 1217 between the French and English, when Eustace, a monk in the service of Louis of France attempted a landing at the mouth of the Thames. He was intercepted by Hubert de Burgh, the governor of Dover Castle, and the French fleet was destroyed, 15 out of the original 80 escaping.

79 ~ Mt Vesuvius erupts, buries Pompeii and Herculaneum (15,000 die)
At about 1pm on 24 August AD 79, Mount Vesuvius (Italy) erupted violently. By the end of the following day, thousands of people were dead, and the flourishing Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum had disappeared beneath tons of ash, pumice and solidified mud. In the 18th century, Pompeii and Herculaneum were rediscovered and excavated, providing an unprecedented archaeological record of the everyday life of an ancient civilization
More:
http://www.vesuvioinrete.it/e_index.htm
http://www.cet.edu/ete/modules/volca...tvesuvius.html

79 ~ Pliny the Elder dies during humanitarian evacuation
More: http://www.livius.org/pi-pm/pliny/pliny_e.html

[GordMay]

August 25

1944 ~ Paris liberated from Nazi occupation
After more than four years of Nazi occupation, Paris is liberated by the French 2nd Armored Division and the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. German resistance was light, and General Dietrich von Choltitz, commander of the German garrison, defied an order by Adolf Hitler to blow up Paris' landmarks and burn the city to the ground before its liberation. Choltitz signed a formal surrender that afternoon, and on August 26, Free French General Charles de Gaulle led a joyous liberation march down the Champs d'Elysees.

1901 ~ Clara Maass dies
More: http://www.sbhcs.com/hospitals/clara.../history2.html

1530 ~ Ivan IV (“the Terrible” - Tsar of Russia) born

1499 ~ Fourth Naval Battle of Sapienza
Ottoman Turks defeat the Venetians, begin conquest of the Morea

1227 ~ Ghengis Khan dies

[GordMay]

August 26

1985 ~ French government claims no knowledge of assault on ”Rainbow Warrior”
The “Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace support vessel, was sunk by the French foreign intelligence agency (DGSE) in Auckland harbour, New Zealand, on 10 July. Paris flatly denied any involvement, as did the French embassy in New Zealand. However, within days the New Zealand Police had arrested two French Secret Service agents Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur - despite their weak disguises as Swiss tourists - while they attempted to return their rental car in Auckland. Further French teams were identified but managed to escape as the Police closed in, sailing towards Norfolk Island where they were retrieved by the French submarine "Rubis".
More: http://archive.greenpeace.org/comms/rw/pkbomb.html
And: http://www.geocities.com/shipwrecks_...ne/rainbow.htm

1945 ~ Japanese diplomats board USSS ”Missouri” to receive instructions on Japan's surrender at the end of WW II

1943 ~ Ulf Sundelin born
1968 Olympic Gold Medalist (5.5m class)

1883 ~ Krakatoa erupts with increasingly large explosions (36,000 die)
Early in the morning of May 20, 1883, the captain of the German warship Elizabeth reported seeing an 11km-high cloud of ash and dust rising above the uninhabited island of Krakatau, thus documenting the first eruption from this Indonesian island in at least two centures. Over the ensuing two months, crews on commercial vessels and sightseers on charted ships would experience similar spectacles, all of which were associated with explosive noises and churning clouds of black to incandescent ash and pumice. From a distance, the largest of these natural fanfares impressed the local inhabitants on the coastal plains of Java and Sumatra, creating a near-festive environment. Little did they realize, however, that these awe-inspiring displays were only a prelude to one of the largest eruptions in historic times. A series of cataclysmic explosions began at mid-day on August 26, and ended on August 27 with a stupendous paroxysmal eruption. On this day, the northern two-thirds of the island collapsed beneath the sea, generating a series of devasting pyroclastic flows and immense tsunamis that ravaged adjacent coastlines. The events that began on August 26 would mark the last 24 hours on earth for over 36,000 people, and the destruction of hundreds of coastal villages and towns.

1652 ~ Sea battle at Plymouth: Ayscue vs De Ruyter
[size]On 13 August 1652, the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter set sail from Calais with 32 men-of-war to escort a merchant fleet of 60 ships through the Channel to the Mediterranean. General-at-Sea Sir George Ayscue was patrolling with 38 men-of-war and armed merchantmen in search of prizes. He sighted the Dutch convoy off Plymouth on 16 August. De Ruyter altered course to fend off Ayscue's attack. Although the English ships were better armed, many failed to keep their station in the line of attack and Ayscue lost his advantage. The battle continued all afternoon. As evening fell, Ayscue broke off the engagement and sailed back to Plymouth. He was pursued by de Ruyter who intended to attack the English ships in their anchorage until a change of wind forced him to withdraw. No ships were lost, but both sides suffered heavy casualties among their crews. The Dutch merchant convoy succeeded in escaping down the Channel.[/size]

1346 ~ Battle of Crécy
More: http://home.eckerd.edu/~oberhot/crecy.htm

[GordMay]

August 27

1966 ~ Sir Francis Chichester begins 1st solo ocean voyage around the world
(not yet "Sir") Francis sailed ”Gipsy Moth IV” from Plymouth in an attempt to race single-handed against the average time of the Australian wool clipper voyages of 230 days round the world. Completes solo circumnavigation on May 28, 1967. Total duration 274 days ~ sailing time 226 days . He also won the first solo transatlantic yacht race in 1960 (”Gipsy Moth III”), sailing from Plymouth to New York City in 40 days. He beat his own record in 1962, repeating the voyage in 33 days.
More: http://www.gipsymoth.org/sir-francis...fying-life.asp

1928 ~ Kellogg-Briand Pact signed (60 nations agree to outlaw war as an instrument of national policy)
More: http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/documents/Kellogg-Briand.htm

1910 ~ Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Mother Teresa) born
More: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/p...eresa-bio.html

1770 ~ Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel born
More: http://www.philosophypages.com/ph/hege.htm

[GordMay]

August 28

1964 ~ U.S. weather satellite “Nimbus 1" launched
More: http://www.geog.ucsb.edu/~jeff/115a/...y/nimbus1.html

1963 ~ "I HAVE A DREAM"
Over 200,000 demonstrators came together in the US capital to demand voting rights and equal opportunity for African Americans, and to appeal for an end to racial segregation and discrimination. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. evoked the name of Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation, and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
More: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/spee...haveadream.htm

1914 ~ Naval Battle at Helgoland (1100 killed)
More: http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/wwi/1914/helgo.html

1867 ~ U.S. occupies Midway Islands in Pacific
More: http://www.globalpolicy.org/empire/h...worldpower.htm

1828 ~ Leo Tolstoi born

[GordMay]

August 29

2005 ~ Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana, as a Category 4 hurricane
Despite being only the third most powerful storm of the 2005 hurricane season, Katrina was the worst natural disaster in the history of the United States. After briefly coming ashore in southern Florida on August 25 as a Category 1 hurricane, Katrina gained strength before slamming into the Gulf Coast on August 29. In addition to bringing devastation to the New Orleans area, the hurricane caused damage along the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, as well as other parts of Louisiana.

1953 ~ U.S.S.R. explodes its 1st hydrogen bomb

1914 ~ “Arizonian” is 1st vessel to arrive in San Francisco via Panama Canal
More: http://www.alonsoroy.com/cp/cp03-eng.htm

1906 ~ Quebec Bridge over St. Lawrence collapses (75 die)
Canadian Engineers are given rings, upon graduation, made from the iron wreckage of this bridge. More: http://www.civeng.carleton.ca/ECL/re...roduction.html
and: http://www.legionmagazine.com/featur...ions/00-11.asp

1831 ~ Michael Faraday demonstrates 1st electric transformer

1792 ~ HMS “Royal George” capsizes in Spithead (900 die)
More: http://footguards.tripod.com/06ARTIC...02_RGeorge.htm

1632 ~ John Locke born

1533 ~ Atahualpa murdered by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro
The execution of Atahuallpa (by strangulation), the last free reigning emperor, marked the end of 300 years of Inca civilization.

29 ~ John the Baptist beheaded

[GordMay]

August 30

1968 ~ Beatles record “Hey Jude” (first on “Apple” label)

1945 ~ General MacArthur lands in Japan

1939 ~ Isoroku Yamamoto appointed supreme commander of Japanese fleet

580 ~ Mohammed born (founder of Islam)

30 BC ~ Cleopatra commits suicide

[bobola]

Gordo said; I’m a “godless, pinko pervert, commie sympathizer” type.

Hey, man, wouldn't expect anything less from you....

[GordMay]

September 15

1931 ~ British naval fleet mutinies at Invergordon
In September 1931, as part of its attempts to deal with the Great Depression in the United Kingdom, the new National Government launched cuts to public spending (10% cut for officers & NCOs). The Invergordon Mutiny was an industrial action by around a thousand sailors in the British Atlantic Fleet, that took place 15-16 September 1931. For two days, ships of the Royal Navy at Invergordon were in open mutiny.
More: http://libcom.org/history/1918-1930-...the-royal-navy

1835 ~ HMS Beagle/Charles Darwin reaches Galapagos Islands
More: http://www.galapagosconnection.net/page_darwin.html

[GordMay]

September 16

1928 ~ Hurricane hits West Palm Beach - Lake Okeechobee Florida
The Great Okeechobee Flood--in the telling of Florida's hurricane history, no other hurricane disaster can compare to its toll of at least 1,836 dead in Florida, as well as another 1,575 in the Caribbean. At the time of the catastrophe, many in South Florida said the actual death count there was over 2,300; some said it may have been as high as 3,500. Whichever figure is correct, it ranks among the United States' worst natural disasters; only the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 (over 8,000), the Johnstown flood of 1889 (2,200), and the two hurricanes of 1893 (2,000 each) are likely to have caused more deaths on American soil.
More: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/wea...,2734526.story

1885 ~ ”Puritan” (U.S.) beats ”Genesta” (England) in 6th running of America's Cup

[GordMay]

September 17

1989 ~ Hurricane Hugo strikes Caribbean
Hugo slammed into the islands of Guadeloupe and Montserrat near midnight with 140 mph winds. Twenty-one people were reported killed, while 12,000 were left homeless. Leaving Montserrat, Hugo then struck the U.S. Virgin Islands. On St. Croix, the devastation was tremendous - Hugo was the worst hurricanes in the history of St. Croix. Thousands of people were left homeless, and $2 billion in damages was reported. Widespread looting on the island forced President Bush to dispatch military police to restore order. Hugo is the strongest hurricane to ever hit the East Coast of the United States (September 21)

1978 ~ Begin, Sadat and Carter sign Camp David accord

1974 ~ ”Courageous” (U.S.) beats ”Southern Cross” (Australia) in 23rd America's Cup

1959 Transit 1A, 1st U.S. navigational satellite launched; failed to orbit

1959 ~ Typhoon “Sarah” kills 2,000 in Japan and Korea
Super Typhoon Sarah, which peaked at 190 mph on September 15, weakened to a 115 mph typhoon just before making landfall on southern South Korea on the 17th. It continued to the northeast, and dissipated on the 19th over northern Japan. In the Ryukyu Islands, Sarah's high winds and rain caused 6 deaths and destroyed 6,000 houses, causing $2 million in crop damage. In all of Korea, extreme flooding and storm surge killed 669 people and left 782,126 homeless. Extreme crop damage and property damage amounted to $100 million (1959 USD) ($638 million 2005 USD). Flooding in Japan killed 24, with thousands of houses either destroyed or damaged.

1949 ~ 128 die as fire guts Canadian passenger steamer "Noronic" in Toronto

1939 ~ German U-29 sinks British aircraft carrier Courageous
Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart, in the Type VII U-boat U29, torpedoed and sank HMS Courageous in the South-West approaches (Southwest of Ireland), 150nm WSW of Mizen Head, Ireland. The carrier went down in only twenty minutes and 518 of her 1,200 compliment went with her, including her commander Captain W T Makeig-Jones.

1926 ~ Hurricane hits Miami and Palm Beach Florida; about 450 die
More: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/wea...,1292732.story
And
http://www.miamibeach411.com/History...rricane_1.html


642 ~ Arabs destroy Great Library at Alexandria
Omar, the second caliph, successor of Mohammed, conquered Alexandria, then the capital of world scholarship.

[GordMay]

September 18

1974 ~ Hurricane “Fifi” strikes Honduras with 110 mph winds (5,000 die)

1926 ~ Hurricane hits Miami (350 die)

1919 ~ Gulf Coast Hurricane - 16 foot surge (280 drown)

1502 ~ Christopher Columbus lands at Costa Rica on his 4th and last voyage

More Hurricane History Info’:

National Weather Service -- Hurricane History Page:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp/docs/research/hurrhistory/

500 years of hurricane history: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/wea...352010.special