The two battleships of the North Carolina class were built shortly before the US entered World War II. North Carolina (launched 13 June 1940) and Washington had 16-inch guns, heavy firepower for their size, but their design sacrificed some speed and armor. North Carolina took part in every major US naval offensive of the Pacific War and was the most highly decorated American battleship of World War II. Washington initially went undetected by the Japanese in the second naval battle of Guadalcanal, a chaotic night engagement, until its main guns hit the battleship Kirishima at close range, sinking the ship the next day. In February 1944, Washington's bow was crushed in a collision with the battleship Indiana, but the damage was repaired in time to join the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June. After the war, both ships helped withdraw American military personnel from overseas deployments. The vessels were laid up in the reserve fleet until the early 1960s, when Washington was scrapped and North Carolina became a permanent museum ship in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina-class_battleship
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1525:
Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora, defying the celibacy discipline decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for priests. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharina_von_Bora
1886:
King Ludwig II of Bavaria was found dead in Lake Starnberg near Munich under mysterious circumstances. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_II_of_Bavaria
1935:
In one of the biggest upsets in championship boxing, underdog James J. Braddock defeated Max Baer to become the heavyweight champion of the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_J._Braddock
1966:
The Miranda v. Arizona landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court established the Miranda warning, requiring law enforcement officials to advise a suspect in custody of his rights to remain silent and to obtain an attorney. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_v._Arizona
2007:
Former Iraqi government official Haitham al-Badri orchestrated a second bombing of the al-Askari Mosque, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_al-Askari_Mosque_bombing
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
tribulation: Any adversity; a trying period or event. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tribulation
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
God wills, man dreams, the work is born. --Fernando Pessoa https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fernando_Pessoa