On February 15, 1898, an American battleship, the Maine, exploded in Havana harbor, killing 266 people. Most Americans blamed the Spanish, and "Remember the Maine" became a call to arms. In April 1898 Congress declared war on Spain, and the Spanish-American War began.
According to the Smithsonian magazine, the ship's demise was self- inflicted, likely the result of a coal bunker fire and not an action of hate from Spain.
