The Battle of Tassafaronga was fought on the night of November 30, 1942,
between US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy warships near Tassafaronga
Point on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal. Five cruisers and four
destroyers under the command of Rear Admiral Carleton H. Wright
(pictured) stalked eight Japanese destroyers under Rear Admiral Raizō
Tanaka that were en route to deliver food to their forces on the island.
Using radar, the US warships gained surprise, opened fire, and sank one
of the destroyers. Tanaka's ships reacted quickly, launching Type 93
"Long Lance" torpedoes that sank one US cruiser and heavily damaged
three others. The rest of Tanaka's force escaped without significant
additional damage, abandoning the intended supply mission. The battle
had little strategic impact, and the Japanese were unable to recapture
Guadalcanal from Allied forces.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tassafaronga>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1872:
The first international football match took place at Hamilton
Crescent, Glasgow, between Scotland and England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1872_Scotland_vs_England_football_match>
1982:
Michael Jackson's Thriller, the best-selling album of all time,
was released.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_%28Michael_Jackson_album%29>
1993:
U.S. President Bill Clinton signed the Brady Handgun Violence
Prevention Act into law, requiring purchasers of handguns to pass a
background check.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brady_Handgun_Violence_Prevention_Act>
2005:
John Sentamu was enthroned as Archbishop of York, becoming the
first black person to serve as an archbishop in the Church of England.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sentamu>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
loch:
1. (Ireland, Scotland) A lake.
2. (Ireland, Scotland) A bay or arm of the sea.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loch>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The citizen who thinks he sees that the commonwealth's political
clothes are worn out, and yet holds his peace and does not agitate for a
new suit, is disloyal; he is a traitor. That he may be the only one
who thinks he sees this decay, does not excuse him; it is his duty to
agitate anyway, and it is the duty of the others to vote him down if
they do not see the matter as he does.
--Mark Twain
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mark_Twain>