# maritime history
This Disastrous Shipwreck Forced Survivors into Cannibalism and Inspired the Tale of Moby Dick
Before trying his hand at writing, the young Herman Melville’s brief career on the sea would influence his later works. Joining the whaling vessel the Acushnet in 1840, his chance encounter with…
The North Atlantic Tragedy: 8 Surprising Facts About the Sinking of the Titanic
The sinking of the Titanic in the early hours of April 15 1912 is an event with which almost everybody…
Today in History: Disaster Strikes on the St. Lawrence River (1914)
Just two years after the horrific disaster that was the sinking of the Titanic, another major disaster struck a large…
Today in History: Ferdinand Magellan Dies (1521)
Ferdinand Magellan was a sixteenth-century Portuguese noble who fought for Portugal in wars against Muslims in the Indian Ocean region…
Today in History: Work Begins on the Suez Canal (1859)
For most of 'modern' human history, the primary means of transport has been water. It was only in the 1800s…
This Day In History: First Reports Of the Mystery Of The Mary Celeste (1874)
On this day, the world was to learn of a great mystery. Indeed, it was to be and remains one…