The Battle of Sluys was a naval battle fought on 24 June 1340 between England and France, in the roadstead of the since silted-up port of Sluys. The English fleet of 120–150 ships was led by Edward III of England and the 230-strong French fleet by Hugues Quiéret, Admiral of France, and Nicolas Béhuchet, Constable of France. It was one of the opening engagements of the Hundred Years' War. Edward sailed on 22 June and encountered the French the next day; they had bound their ships into three lines, forming large floating fighting platforms. The English were able to manoeuvre against the French and defeat them in detail. Most of the French ships were captured, and they lost 16,000–20,000 men killed, against 400–600 for the English. The English were unable to take strategic advantage, barely interrupting French raids on English territories and shipping. Operationally the battle allowed the English army to land and to then besiege the French town of Tournai, albeit unsuccessfully.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sluys

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1314:

In the decisive battle of the First War of Scottish Independence, Scottish forces led by Robert the Bruce defeated English troops under Edward II near Bannockburn, Scotland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bannockburn

1717:

The first Grand Lodge of Freemasonry, the Premier Grand Lodge of England, was founded in London. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premier_Grand_Lodge_of_England

1940:

Second World War: The British Army carried out Operation Collar, its first commando raid into German-occupied France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Collar_%28commando_raid%29

2010:

Julia Gillard was sworn in as the first female prime minister of Australia after incumbent Kevin Rudd declined to contest a leadership spill in the Labor Party. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Gillard

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

adynaton: (rhetoric) A form of hyperbole that uses exaggeration so magnified as to express impossibility; an instance of such hyperbole. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/adynaton

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Let us rejoice, O my Beloved! Let us go forth to see ourselves in Thy beauty, To the mountain and the hill, Where the pure water flows: Let us enter into the heart of the thicket.   --John of the Cross https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_of_the_Cross