SS Mauna Loa was a steam-powered cargo ship of the Matson Navigation Company that was sunk in the Bombing of Darwin in February 1942. Built in 1919 for the United States Shipping Board, she was christened West Conob and renamed Golden Eagle in 1928, sailing for a variety of owners. In 1934, she was taken over by the Matson Navigation Company for service between Hawaii and the U.S. mainland and renamed Mauna Loa. Shortly before the United States' entry into World War II, Mauna Loa was chartered by the United States Department of War to carry supplies to the Philippines. The ship was part of an aborted attempt to reinforce Allied forces under attack by the Japanese on Timor in mid- February 1942. After the return of her convoy to Darwin, Northern Territory, Mauna Loa was one of eight ships sunk in Darwin Harbour in the first Japanese bombing attack on the Australian mainland on 19 February. The remains of her wreck and her cargo are a dive site in the harbor.

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

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1674:

Charles II of England signed the Treaty of Westminster to end the Third Anglo-Dutch War, confirming English and Dutch sovereignty over New Netherland and Surinam, respectively. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Dutch_War

1811:

Peninsular War: Outnumbered French forces under Édouard Mortier routed and nearly destroyed Spanish troops at the Battle of the Gebora near Badajoz, Spain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Gebora

1910:

Old Trafford, a football stadium in Greater Manchester, England, hosted its inaugural match, between Manchester United and Liverpool. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Trafford

2011:

Items from the Belitung shipwreck, the largest single collection of Tang-dynasty artefacts found in one location, were first exhibited in Singapore. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belitung_shipwreck

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

rainmaker: 1. Someone or something that causes or attempts to cause rain to fall. 2. An African or Native American medicine man who seeks to induce rain through performing rituals. 3. A person who seeks to induce rainfall through scientific methods, such as cloud seeding. 4. (originally Canada, US, figuratively, informal) A person having the ability to generate business, raise funds, or otherwise engineer success for a company, organization, etc. 5. (baseball, informal) A batted ball that is hit very high into the air. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rainmaker

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Love is always before you. Love it.   --André Breton https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Breton