Military History

Today in military history: Remember the Maine!

U.S. Navy diving crew at work on the ship's wreck, in 1898, seen from aft looking forward. (Source: Naval History & Heritage Command)

On Feb. 15, 1898, the second-class battleship USS Maine exploded in the Havana (Cuba) Harbor, killing over 260 sailors and Marines. The cause of the explosion was initially determined to be a mine, and the incident became a catalyst for the Spanish-American War, which was declared in April.

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