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Remember the Maine Day falls on Monday, February 15, 2027. That is 111 days away.

The USS Maine was a United States Navy battleship. While anchored in the harbor of Havana, Cuba, she was torn apart by an explosion and sank. Hundreds of sailors aboard were killed, most of them asleep or off duty in the forward part of the ship.

The phrase "Remember the Maine" spread quickly through American newspapers and streets. It became a rallying cry in the lead up to the Spanish American War. The cause of the explosion was argued over at the time and has been studied again since. Some investigations pointed to a mine outside the hull, while others suggested a fire in a coal bunker set off the ship's ammunition. No single answer has satisfied everyone.

Marking the day tends to be quiet. People read about the ship, the crew and the newspapers of the time, which shaped how the public understood the loss. Others think about how a short phrase can carry a whole national mood.

The ship is remembered in physical places, too. At Arlington National Cemetery, the Maine's recovered mainmast stands over a memorial near the graves of many of her crew. In New York City, a monument to the Maine stands at an entrance to Central Park.

The mast at Arlington still rises above the hillside, a piece of the ship itself, watching over the sailors it once carried.

Ways to celebrate

• Read an account of the USS Maine and the sailors aboard.
• Look up the USS Maine Mast Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
• Visit the Maine monument at Central Park if you are in New York.
• Compare old newspaper headlines about the sinking in a library archive.

Dates

All national days on February 15

Also on February 15

• Washington's Birthday
• National Gumdrop Day
• National I Want Butterscotch Day
• Singles Awareness Day
• World Hippo Day

Categories: History daysCommemorative days