The South American dreadnought race took place in the early twentieth century between Argentina, Brazil and Chile—the three most powerful and wealthy countries in South America. In 1906 the revolutionary British warship HMS Dreadnought made all existing battleships obsolete. Brazil ordered three Minas Geraes-class dreadnoughts (lead ship pictured). These warships would be the most powerful in the world. The incomplete third vessel was sold to the Ottoman Empire in 1913 over economic concerns and a fear that it would be outclassed by even larger super-dreadnoughts. Meanwhile, Argentina and Chile ordered two dreadnoughts each: of the Rivadavia class in 1910 and Almirante Latorre class in 1911, respectively. The outbreak of World War I ended the naval arms race. The Brazilian super-dreadnought Riachuelo was canceled, the two Chilean dreadnoughts were purchased by the British, and Argentina's two dreadnoughts were completed in US yards. (This article is part of a featured topic: South American dreadnought race.). Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_topics/South_American_dreadnought_race> _______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries: 1936: English mathematician Alan Turing published the first details of the Turing machine (model pictured), an abstract device that can simulate the logic of any computer algorithm by manipulating symbols. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing> 1954: A meteorite crashed through a roof in Sylacauga, Alabama, and hit a sleeping woman in the first verified case of a human being injured by an extraterrestrial object. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylacauga_%28meteorite%29> 2005: John Sentamu was enthroned as Archbishop of York, becoming the first black archbishop in the Church of England. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sentamu> _____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day: royal burgh: (Scotland, historical) A type of Scottish burgh founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter; these were legally abolished in 1975. <https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/royal_burgh> ___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:   I can discover no political evil in suffering bullies, sharpers, and rakes, to rid the world of each other by a method of their own; where the law hath not been able to find an expedient.   --Jonathan Swift <https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jonathan_Swift>