This incident highlights how drastically miscommunications can alter the course of history, while also showing the sometimes courteous nature of conflict.
Picture this: you’re the commander of a Spanish garrison, minding your business, when an American warship sails into your harbour and unleashes a furious round of cannon fire. Naturally, you assume this is a salute and send a gentlemanly apology for your lack of firepower to return the gesture. Thus begins one of history’s most courteous military surrenders.
On 21 June 1898, the USS Charleston arrived at Fort Santa Cruz in Guam, under the impression that hostilities in the Spanish-American War were well underway. Meanwhile, the blissfully unaware Spanish garrison on the island had missed the memo entirely. Realising their ammo situation was far from ideal, the garrison sent officers to convey their regrets. Imagine their surprise when Captain Henry Glass informed them that not only was this no friendly salute, but they were also already two months deep into the war. The result? A painless surrender that left everyone unscathed.
History’s Other Left Turns
The tale of Guam’s genteel handover is just one example from the historical grab bag that is 21 June. Fast forward to 1942, when an entirely different type of warfare was making history. On this day, a Japanese submarine emerged off the coast of Oregon and lobbed seventeen shells at Fort Stevens, marking one of the few direct assaults on the continental U.S. American troops? Ordered not to return fire, they watched as confusion reigned supreme once more, albeit without injury.
Skipping ahead to 2004, exchange artillery for feats of human ingenuity. SpaceShipOne soared into space, becoming the first privately funded craft to reach such heights. Pilot Mike Melvill joined the ranks of the elite as a commercial astronaut, setting a new precedent for cosmic adventures with a privately bankrolled ticket.
Then there’s the 2006 christening of Pluto’s moons: Nix and Hydra. Their celestial names were bestowed just weeks before Pluto’s rebranding as a dwarf planet, an amusing touch in the cosmos.
Never underestimate the oddities of 21 June. Whether it’s a war that forgot its own announcement or a viral cat like Lil Bub born to charm the world, history continually reminds us of humanity’s mix of charm, bluster, and boundless curiosity.
Listen to the full episode to explore these captivating moments. History, it seems, has an enduring way of laughing quietly behind its hand at our perpetual blind spots.