ARA Rivadavia was an Argentine battleship, the lead ship of its class,
constructed during the South American dreadnought race. When the
Brazilian government placed an order for two powerful new
"dreadnought"-type warships in 1907, the Argentines moved quickly to
acquire their own. After an extended bidding process, contracts to build
Rivadavia and Moreno (its only sister ship) were given to the Fore River
Shipbuilding Company. Given the tense international climate that soon
broke out into the First World War, the Argentine government received
several offers for the ships. This dovetailed with a legislative
movement that aimed to sell the ships and devote the proceeds to
improving the country's educational system. These efforts were defeated,
and Rivadavia was commissioned into the Argentine Navy on 27 August
1914, one hundred years ago. Both Argentine dreadnoughts underwent
extensive refits in the United States in 1924–25, and saw no active
duty during the Second World War. Rivadavia's last cruise was in 1946.
The ship was sold for scrapping in 1957 and broken up two years later.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARA_Rivadavia>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1776:
British forces led by William Howe defeated the American
Continental Army under George Washington at the Battle of Long Island,
the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Long_Island>
1810:
Napoleonic Wars: The French Navy defeated the Royal Navy,
preventing them from taking the harbour of Grand Port on Île de la
Passe.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Grand_Port>
1927:
Five Canadian women filed a petition to ask the Supreme Court
of Canada, "Does the word 'Persons' in Section 24 of the British North
America Act, 1867, include female persons," to which the court
eventually replied that it does not.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Famous_Five_(Canada)>
1964:
South Vietnamese junta leader Nguyễn Khánh entered into a
triumvirate power-sharing arrangement with rival generals Trần Thiện
Khiêm and Dương Văn Minh, who had both been involved in plots to
unseat Khánh.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C6%B0%C6%A1ng_V%C4%83n_Minh>
2003:
The planet Mars made its closest approach to Earth in nearly
60,000 years: 55,758,006 kilometres (34,646,419 mi).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
anglicism:
A word or other feature originating in the English language that has
been borrowed by another language.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anglicism>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
 Instead of insight, maybe all a man gets is strength to
wander for a while. Maybe the only gift is a chance to inquire, to know
nothing for certain. An inheritance of wonder and nothing more.
--William Least Heat-Moon
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Least_Heat-Moon>