Today in History, February 15th
On February 15, 1898, the USS Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, helping spark the Spanish-American War. Plus Singapore falls and Canada's flag.
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February 15 is best known for the 1898 explosion that sank the battleship USS Maine in Havana Harbor, killing about 260 American sailors and helping push the U.S. into war with Spain. The date also saw the fall of Singapore in 1942, Canada’s first raising of its Maple Leaf flag in 1965, and the birth of Susan B. Anthony in 1820.
The big story: The USS Maine Explodes in Havana Harbor (1898)
In early 1898, Cuba was fighting for independence from Spain, and many Americans sided with the rebels. The U.S. battleship Maine was anchored in Havana’s harbor when, on the night of February 15, it blew up and sank. About 260 American seamen died. The cause was a mystery then and has been argued over since, but many Americans were quick to blame Spain. Pressure for war built through the spring. On April 20, Congress recognized Cuban independence and authorized force. Spain declared war within days, and Congress voted for war on April 25. The fighting was over within months. In the Treaty of Paris, signed December 10, 1898, Spain accepted Cuban independence and ceded Puerto Rico and Guam to the U.S., and it sold the Philippines for $20 million. A small war turned the U.S. into an overseas power.
More events on February 15
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1764 | Auguste Chouteau founded St. Louis near where the Missouri River meets the Mississippi. |
| 1798 | A brawl broke out on the House floor when Connecticut Rep. Roger Griswold hit Vermont Rep. Matthew Lyon with a walking stick, and Lyon grabbed fireplace tongs to fight back. |
| 1903 | Toy store owner Morris Michtom put the first “Teddy bears” in his window, with President Theodore Roosevelt’s permission to use the nickname. |
| 1933 | A gunman fired at President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt in Miami. Roosevelt was unhurt, but Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was hit and died three weeks later. |
| 1942 | Singapore, Britain’s stronghold in Southeast Asia, surrendered to Japanese forces after a week of fighting. |
| 1961 | All 18 members of the U.S. figure skating team died when their plane crashed in Belgium on the way to the world championships in Prague. |
| 1965 | Canada raised its new Maple Leaf flag over Parliament Hill in Ottawa for the first time. |
| 1978 | Leon Spinks beat Muhammad Ali to win the heavyweight boxing title. |
| 1989 | The Soviet Union withdrew its last troops from Afghanistan. |
| 2002 | After finding misconduct by a French judge, the International Olympic Committee awarded a second gold medal in pairs figure skating at the Salt Lake City Games. |
| 2003 | Millions of people in more than 600 cities around the world protested the coming U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. |
Born on February 15
- 1564: Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer and physicist, born in Pisa.
- 1710: Louis XV, king of France for most of the 18th century, born at Versailles.
- 1820: Susan B. Anthony, women’s suffrage leader, born in Adams, Massachusetts.
- 1874: Ernest Shackleton, Irish-born Antarctic explorer.
Sources
- The Spanish-American War, 1898, Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State
- What Happened on February 15, History.com
- February 15, Britannica On This Day
- Galileo, Britannica
- Louis XV, Britannica
- Susan B. Anthony, Britannica
- Ernest Shackleton, Britannica
