The Action of 1 August 1801 was a single ship action of the First
Barbary War fought between the American schooner USS Enterprise and the
Tripolitan polacca Tripoli off the coast of modern-day Libya. As part
of Commodore Richard Dale's Mediterranean Squadron, Enterprise had been
deployed with the American force blockading the Velayat of Tripoli.
Under the command of Lieutenant Andrew Sterett, Enterprise had been
sent to gather supplies at Malta. While cruising towards Malta,
Enterprise engaged the Tripoli, commanded by Admiral Rais Mahomet Rous.
Tripoli put up a stubborn fight and the engagement lasted for three
hours before the polacca was finally captured. Although the Americans
had taken the vessel, Sterett had no orders to take prizes and so was
obliged to release her. Enterprise completed her journey to Malta, and
received honor and praise from the squadron's Commodore on her return
to the fleet. The success of the battle boosted morale in the United
States, since it was that country's first victory in the war against
the Tripolitans. The opposite occurred in Tripoli, where morale sank
heavily upon learning of Tripoli's defeat. Despite Enterprise's
triumph, the war continued indecisively for another four years.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_1_August_1801>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1774:
British scientist Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen gas,
corroborating the prior discovery of this element by German-Swedish
chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/oxygen>
1798:
French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of the Nile started between a
British fleet commanded by Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson and a French
fleet under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys d'Aigalliers.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Nile>
1907:
Robert Baden-Powell held the first scout camp at Brownsea Island in
Dorset, England, beginning the Scouting movement.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownsea_Island_Scout_camp>
1944:
World War II: The Polish Home Army began the Warsaw Uprising in Warsaw
against the Nazi occupation of Poland, a rebellion that lasted 63 days
until it was quelled by the Germans.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Uprising>
1981:
The American cable television network MTV, the first dedicated
video-based outlet for music, made its debut with the music video for
the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTV>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
roil (v):
1. To render turbid by stirring up the dregs or sediment of.
2. To annoy; to make someone angry
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/roil>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
In this world of lies, Truth is forced to fly like a sacred white doe
in the woodlands; and only by cunning glimpses will she reveal herself,
as in Shakespeare and other masters of the great Art of Telling the
Truth, — even though it be covertly, and by snatches.
--Herman Melville
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Herman_Melville>