Maine

Maine, U.S. battleship, sent to protect U.S. citizens and property in Cuba. It blew up in Havana harbor on Feb. 15, 1898, with a loss of 260 men. “Remember the Maine” became the war's rally cry. The incident, never satisfactorily explained though 2 inquiries were conducted, helped spark the Spanish-American War.

See also: Spanish-American War.