On 1 February 1800, a battle took place between the American frigate USS Constellation and the French frigate La Vengeance, ending in the American ship forcing her French opponent to flee. The Quasi-War (an undeclared war) had begun between the two countries in 1798 due to French seizures of American merchantmen. As part of an effort to deter French attacks, an American naval squadron was dispatched to the Lesser Antilles under Commodore Thomas Truxtun (pictured). Learning that regular French naval forces were in the region, Truxton set out in his flagship Constellation and sailed to Guadeloupe to engage them. On 1 February 1800, while nearing the French colony, Constellation met François Marie Pitot's frigate La Vengeance. Although Pitot attempted to flee, his frigate was drawn into a heavy engagement. The French frigate struck her colors (surrendered) twice but Constellation was unable to take her as a prize. Eventually La Vengeance escaped to Curaçao, though only after sustaining severe casualties and damage. Truxton's ship also suffered heavy damage and was forced to sail to Jamaica for repairs before returning home to a hero's welcome.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Constellation_vs_La_Vengeance
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1709:
Scottish sailor Alexander Selkirk was rescued by English captain Woodes Rogers and the crew of the Duke after spending four years as a castaway on an uninhabited island in the Juan Fernández archipelago, providing the inspiration for Daniel Defoe's novel Robinson Crusoe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodes_Rogers
1814:
The most destructive eruption of the Mayon Volcano occurred, killing over 2,000 people on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayon_Volcano
1957:
Invented by German mechanical engineer Felix Wankel, the first working prototype of the Wankel rotary engine ran for the first time at the research and development department of German manufacturer NSU Motorenwerke AG. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine
1978:
After having served 42 days in prison for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl, Polish film director Roman Polanski skipped bail and fled the United States to France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Polanski
2004:
During the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXVIII, Janet Jackson's breast was exposed by Justin Timberlake in what was later referred to as a "wardrobe malfunction", resulting in an immediate crackdown and widespread debate on perceived indecency in U.S. broadcasting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XXXVIII_halftime_show_controversy
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
cascabel: 1. A small, round, hot variety of chili pepper, Capsicum annuum, which rattles when dry. 2. A knob at the end of a cannon, cast onto the gunbarrel, to which ropes are attached in order to control recoil. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cascabel
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
Dissidents should be paid 13 months' salary for a year, otherwise our mindless unanimity will bring us to an even more hopeless state of stagnation. It is especially important to encourage unorthodox thinking when the situation is critical: At such moments every new word and fresh thought is more precious than gold. Indeed, people must not be deprived of the right to think their own thoughts. --Boris Yeltsin https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Boris_Yeltsin