After taking office in 1977, President Jimmy Carter moved a new desk into the White House. It had been briefly used by President Kennedy, but Johnson moved it out after taking office. Carter’s new desk was known as the Resolute Desk, and was made f…
On June 30, 1812, President James Madison called for emergency commissions of Naval Officers to help fight the British. Often called America’s “Second War of Independence,” the War of 1812…
On May 27, 1941, the German battleship Bismarck was sunk by the Royal Navy after a three-day chase. Three days earlier, Germany destroyed the HMS Hood, the pride of the…
Edward Teach was only a notorious pirate for two years, but in that time, he made a reputation for himself that lives on to this day. Aboard his flagship, Queen…
People might be onto something when they say things like, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Today, modern Arleigh-Burke-class destroyers have an expected service life of around 35…
In 1940, Hitler and the Nazis rolled up western Europe, culminating with the Fall of France. The capitulation of the French government left Britain alone to stand against the Nazis….
The UK’s submarine fleet conducts some of the most secret missions in the Royal Navy. For that, it requires the quietest ships ever built – the Astute-class submarine. Capable of tracking enemy ships, listening in on foreign communicatio…
Marooned. Left on a sandbar or other island in the middle of nowhere with just a little food, water, and a loaded pistol to end your suffering. In the world of pirates, it was a punishment for breaking the pirates’ code – and was usually fatal. B…
The early days of World War II for Britain and the United States were pretty bleak. German submarines were sinking American merchant ships faster than new vessels could be built….
John Newton was not what you’d call a lucky man. One day, he went off to visit some friends in London and was caught up along the way by a press gang – Royal Navy troops sent just to force people into serving aboard the king’s ships. He found hi…