The Graveyard of Ships

2 August 1795  

On this date in 1795...

A hurricane wrecked a fleet of eighteen Spanish ships on CapeHatteras claiming the lives of all passengers and crew. Thousands of ships have wrecked of Cape Hatteras, earning it the name, “TheGraveyard of Ships.”

Other Years:

• 1776 - Members of the Continental Congress began adding their signatures to the Declaration of Independence.
• 1861 - The U.S. Congress passed the first income tax. The revenues it raised were intended to finance the war against the South. The tax was later ruled unconstitutional.
• 1938 – Experimental bright yellow baseballs were used in a major league baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals for better visibility.
• 1983 - U.S. House of Representatives approved a law that designated the third Monday of January would be a federal holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The law was signed by President Reagon on November 2.

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