February 15 1898 The Maine Explodes

Welcome to the THIS DAY IN HISTORY newsletter from History.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

February 15: General Interest 1898 : The Maine explodes A massive explosion of unknown origin sinks the battleship USS Maine in Cuba's Havana harbor, killing 260 of the fewer than 400 American crew members aboard. One of the first American battleships, the Maine weighed more than 6,000 tons and was built at a cost of more than $2 million. Ostensibly on a friendly visit, the Maine had been sent to Cuba to protect the interests of Americans there after a rebellion against Spanish rule broke out in Havana in January. An official U.S. Naval Court of Inquiry ruled in March that the ship was blown up by a mine, without directly placing the blame on Spain. Much of Congress and a majority of the American public expressed little doubt that Spain was responsible and called for a declaration of war. Subsequent diplomatic failures to resolve the Maine matter, coupled with United States indignation over Spain's brutal suppression of the Cuban rebellion and continued losses to American investment, led to the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in April 1898. Within three months, the United States had decisively defeated Spanish forces on land and sea, and in August an armistice halted the fighting. On December 12, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed between the United States and Spain, officially ending the Spanish-American War and granting the United States its first overseas empire with the ceding of such former Spanish possessions as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. In 1976, a team of American naval investigators concluded that the Maine explosion was likely caused by a fire that ignited its ammunition stocks, not by a Spanish mine or act of sabotage. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

General Interest 1898 : The Maine explodes http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihVideoCategory&id=4766 1942 : Japan celebrates major victory in the Pacific http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6808 1965 : Canada adopts maple leaf flag http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4767 Calling all History buffs! Find History DVDs, Books, Collectibles & More at the History Shop. http://shop.history.com/?ecid=PRF-2102110&pa=PRF-2102110 American Revolution 1776 : Nova Scotia governor sends word of potential American invasion http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=248 Find American Revolution DVDs & Books at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_american-history_war_revolutionary-war&ecid=PRF-2102111&pa=PRF-2102111 Automotive 1902 : Olds runs ads http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7242 1967 : Founder of American auto industry dies http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7243 Find DVDs on your favorite classic cars at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_science-and-technology_transportation_cars&ecid=PRF-2102112&pa=PRF-2102112 Civil War 1835 : Alexander Stewart Webb born http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2107 Find Civil War DVDs, Books, & Collectibles at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_war-and-warfare_civil-war&ecid=PRF-2102113&pa=PRF-2102113 Cold War 1950 : USSR and PRC sign mutual defense treaty http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2578 Find Cold War DVDs & Books at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_war-and-warfare&ecid=PRF-2102114&pa=PRF-2102114 Crime 1933 : The death penalty--then and now http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=909 Find Crime DVDs at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_crime-and-investigation&ecid=PRF-2102115&pa=PRF-2102115 Disaster 1996 : Oil tanker runs aground near Wales http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=53078 Find Disaster DVDs at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_nature_natural-disasters&ecid=PRF-2102116&pa=PRF-2102116 Entertainment 1914 : The Squaw Man released http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2970 1932 : Burns and Allen radio debut http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2969 1950 : Disney's Cinderella opens http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2973 1965 : Nat King Cole dies http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2971 1984 : Ethel Merman dies http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2972 Find Natural Disaster DVDs at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_culture&ecid=PRF-2102117&pa=PRF-2102117 Literary 1980 : Lillian Hellman sues Mary McCarthy http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4246 Find DVDs & Books on your favorite writers at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_biography_artists-and-writers_writers&ecid=PRF-2102118&pa=PRF-2102118 Old West 1812 : Wilson Hunt arrives at Astoria, Oregon http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4430 Find DVDs on the Old West at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_american-history_westward-expansion_the-old-west&ecid=PRF-2102119&pa=PRF-2102119 Presidential 1903 : First “Teddy” bear goes on sale http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=187 1933 : FDR escapes assassination in Miami http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=186 Find DVDs & Books on your favorite Presidents at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_american-history_presidents&ecid=PRF-2102120&pa=PRF-2102120 Sports 1998 : Dale Earnhardt wins first Daytona 500 http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=57450 Shop Sports DVDs from History http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_sports&ecid=PRF-2102121&pa=PRF-2102121 Vietnam War 1966 : DeGaulle offers to help end Vietnam War http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=1673 1970 : Chicago Eight defense attorneys sentenced http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=1672 Find Vietnam War DVDs & More at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_war-and-warfare_vietnam-war&ecid=PRF-2102122&pa=PRF-2102122 World War I 1915 : Mutiny breaks out among Indian soldiers in Singapore http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=218 Find World War I DVDs, Books, & Collectibles at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_war-and-warfare_world-war-i&ecid=PRF-2102123&pa=PRF-2102123 World War II 1942 : Singapore falls to Japan http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6713 Find World War II DVDs, Books, & Collectibles at the History Shop http://shop.history.com/?v=history_subject_war-and-warfare_world-war-ii&ecid=PRF-2102124&pa=PRF-2102124

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ History.com on the Go ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get more from your favorite shows directly on your mobile! http://www.history.com/minisites/mobile/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shop History ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Find your favorite shows from HISTORY on DVD http://shop.history.com/?v=history_dvds?ECID=EMC-0000058&pa=EMC-0000058

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/