word document format The 1944 Cuba–Florida hurricane was a large Category 4 tropical cyclone that caused widespread damage across the western Caribbean Sea and the Southeastern United States. It inflicted over US$100 million in damage and was responsible for at least 318 deaths. The unprecedented availability of meteorological data during the hurricane marked a turning point in the United States Weather Bureau's ability to forecast tropical cyclones. The system became a tropical storm on October 12 and intensified into a hurricane the next day. On October 18, it made landfall on western Cuba at peak strength with reported winds of 145 mph (230 km/h). At least 300 people were killed in Cuba, which suffered extensive damage from winds and storm surge, especially in the Havana area. Numerous ships sank in Havana Harbor. On October 19 the storm made a final landfall near Sarasota, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane. Eighteen people were killed in Florida, half of those from the loss of a ship in Tampa Bay. (Full article...) Recently featured: A Song Flung Up to Heaven Operation Inmate Omphalotus nidiformis Archive By email More featured articles Did you know ... Skittles Skittles ... that purple Skittles (assortment pictured) are grape-flavored in the United States because of a long-standing ban on blackcurrant production? ... that Ján Vojtaššák, deputy chairman of the Slovak parliament when it approved the deportation of Jews from Slovakia, is being considered for beatification? ... that The Little Players performed invitation-only puppet shows out of a New York City living room for over 25 years? ... that after the king of Kachar died whilst invading the Pratapgarh Kingdom, his widow Kamala commanded its conquest herself to avenge him? ... that the #VivaTaiwan campaign started when a letter to Brazilian parliamentarians from the Chinese embassy in Brasília was leaked online? ... that Jitse Groen founded Takeaway.com while still a student, after being unable to get a takeaway delivered to North Holland? ... that the 1925 FA Cup Final was the first in the competition's history to feature a Welsh team? ... that a well-preserved ghost town lies intact at the bottom of an Arizona lake? Archive Start a new article Nominate an article In the news COVID-19 pandemic Disease Virus Testing Timeline By location Impact Notable deaths Portal Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch in 2017 Neil Gorsuch In a majority opinion by Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch (pictured), the U.S. Supreme Court rules that gay and transgender people are protected from employment discrimination under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza dies in office at the age of 55. Russian president Vladimir Putin declares a state of emergency after a diesel spill near Norilsk. Ongoing: George Floyd protests Hong Kong protests Recent deaths: Noel Kelly Sushant Singh Rajput Lino Esterino Garavaglia Perfecto Yasay Jr. Ricky Valance William S. Sessions Nominate an article On this day June 16 James Joyce James Joyce 632 – The final king of the Sasanian Empire of Iran, Yazdegerd III, ascended the throne at the age of eight. 1755 – After a two-week siege, the French commander of Fort Beauséjour in present-day New Brunswick, Canada, surrendered to British forces, marking the end of Father Le Loutre's War. 1904 – Irish author James Joyce (pictured) began his relationship with Nora Barnacle, and subsequently used the date to set the actions for his 1922 novel Ulysses. 1911 – The technology company IBM was founded as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company in Endicott, New York. 2010 – The Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan came into force, banning the sale and production of tobacco in the country. Yang Jisheng (b. 1516)Bazil Assan (d. 1918)Sydney Chapman (d. 1970) More anniversaries: June 15 June 16 June 17 Archive By email List of historical anniversaries Today's featured picture Bever–Scuol-Tarasp railway