| |
Return to Northern Maritime Research Famous Shipwrecks of the Last 400 Years | Hundreds of thousands of vessels have been lost over the last 400 years. This list of `Famous Shipwrecks of the Last 400 Years' details just a few of them. Northern Maritime Research has been documenting shipwrecks for the last 23 years in the Northern Shipwrecks Database.
Copies of the Northern Shipwrecks Database featuring more than 139,000 North American shipwrecks North American are available on CD-ROM. For details, use the link in the left column. |
| Date | Vessel | Type | Tons | Place | | 1989.03.24 |
EXXON VALDEZ | Am. tanker | - | stranded in Prince William Sound, AK. |
| 1982.02.15 | OCEAN RANGER | Am. oil rig | 18,818 | storm off Cape Race, NF. |
| 1979.03.15 | KURDISTAN | Liberian oil tanker | - | ice off Cape Breton, NS. |
| 1976.12.15 | ARGO MERCHANT | Liberian tanker | - | lost off Nantucket, MA. |
| 1970.02.04 | ARROW | Liberian oil tanker | 11,379 | stranded off Arichat, NS. | | 1967.04.28 |
COSTARICAN TRADER |
Liberian freighter |
4,141 |
stranded entering Halifax, NS. |
| 1965.11.13 |
YARMOUTH CASTLE |
Am. liner |
5,002 |
fire near Berry Is., Bahamas |
| 1963.02.04 |
MARINE SULPHUR QUEEN |
Am. tanker |
7,240 |
missing off Florida |
| 1956.07.25 |
ANDREA DORIA |
Italian liner |
29,100 |
collision off Nantucket, MA. |
| 1952.02.18 |
PENDLETON |
Am. tanker |
10,448 |
gale off Cape Cod, MA. |
| 1945.05.06 |
U-853 |
German sub |
740 |
sank near Block Island, RI. |
| 1942.11.02 |
P. L. M. 27 |
Brit. freighter |
5,633 |
torpedoed near Bell I., NF. |
| 1942.11.02 |
ROSE CASTLE |
Cdn. freighter |
7,803 |
torpedoed near Bell I., NF. |
| 1942.10.14 |
CARIBOU |
Cdn. ferry |
2,222 |
torpedoed off Port Aux Basques, NF. |
| 1942.09.05 |
LORD STRATHCONA |
Cdn. freighter |
7,335 |
torpedoed near Bell I., NF. |
| 1942.09.05 |
SAGANAGA |
Brit. freighter |
5,454 |
torpedoed near Bell I., NF. |
| 1942.02.18 |
TRUXTUN (USS) |
Am. destroyer |
1,193 |
stranded near St. Lawrence, NF. |
| 1942.02.18 |
POLLUX (USS) |
Am. supply ship |
6,085 |
stranded near St. Lawrence, NF. |
| 1942.02.09 |
NORMANDIE |
French liner |
83,423 |
fire at New York, NY. |
| 1942.01.17 |
SAN JOSE |
Brit. freighter |
3,358 |
torpedoed off Atlantic City, NJ. |
| 1941.05.27 |
BISMARCK |
German battleship |
35,000 |
torpedoed off Brest, France |
| 1941.02.09 |
BRITANNIC |
Brit. merchant |
2,490 |
bombed by Germans off Casablanca |
| 1940.11.16 |
SWORDFISH |
Brit. sub |
640 |
lost off Brest, France |
| 1934.09.08 |
MORRO CASTLE |
Am. liner |
11,520 |
fire off Asbury Park, NJ. |
| 1933.04.04 |
AKRON |
Am. dirigible |
- |
lost in storm off Barnegat, NJ. |
| 1923.05.21 |
MARVALE |
Brit. liner |
11,438 |
ashore near Cape Race, NF. |
| 1918.10.25 |
PRINCESS SOPHIA |
Cdn. liner |
2,320 |
reef in Lynn Canal, AK. |
| 1918.07.19 |
SAN DIEGO (USS) |
Am. cruiser |
13,680 |
hit mine off Fire Island, NY. |
| 1918.06.13 |
ASCANIA |
Brit. liner |
9,121 |
stranded off Petites, NF. |
| 1918.03.13 |
CYCLOPS (USS) |
Am. collier |
19,360 |
missing in Bermuda Triangle |
| 1917.08.01 |
LETITIA |
Brit. Hospital ship |
8,991 |
stranded entering Halifax, NS. |
| 1917.07.15 |
KRISTIANIAFJORD |
Norw. liner |
10,669 |
struck near Cape Race, NF. |
| 1915.05.07 |
LUSITANIA |
Brit. liner |
31,550 |
torpedoed along coast off Ireland |
| 1914.05.30 |
EMPRESS OF IRELAND |
Brit. liner |
14,191 |
collision in St. Lawrence River |
| 1912.04.14 |
TITANIC |
Brit. liner |
46,329 |
hit iceberg off Cape Race, NF. |
| 1909.01.23 |
REPUBLIC |
Brit. liner |
15,379 |
collision off Nantucket, MA. |
| 1904.06.15 |
GENERAL SLOCUM |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
1,284 |
fire off New York City, NY. |
| 1901.08.15 |
ISLANDER |
Cdn. steamer |
1,495 |
hit iceberg near Juneau, AK. |
| 1901.02.22 |
CITY OF RIO DE JANEIRO |
Am. liner |
3,548 |
hit rocks near San Francisco, CA. |
| 1900.06.30 |
SAALE |
German liner |
4,967 |
caught fire near Hoboken, NJ. |
| 1898.11.27 |
PORTLAND |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
2,284 |
missing off Cape Cod, MA. |
| 1898.07.10 |
DELAWARE |
Am. steamer |
1,646 |
fire off Manasquan, NJ. |
| 1886.03.14 |
OREGON |
Brit. liner |
7,375 |
collision off Fire Island Inlet, NY. |
| 1884.01.18 |
CITY OF COLUMBUS |
Am. liner |
2,200 |
stranded at Martha's Vineyard, MA. |
| 1883.07.25 |
MARCO POLO |
Norw. barque |
1,626 |
stranded off Cavendish Beach, PEI. |
| 1875.11.04 |
PACIFIC |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
1,003 |
collision off Cape Flattery, WA. |
| 1873.04.01 |
ATLANTIC |
Brit. liner |
3,707 |
stranded entering Halifax, NS. |
| 1872.12.04 |
MARY CELESTE |
Am. brigantine |
282 |
found deserted off Azores |
| 1865.07.30 |
BROTHER JONATHAN |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
1,359 |
lost in storm near Crescent City, CA. |
| 1865.04.27 |
SULTANA (USS) |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
1,719 |
explosion near Memphis, Mississippi R., TN. |
| 1864.02.17 |
H. L. HUNLEY |
Confederate sub |
- |
torpedoed HOUSATONIC but sank near Charleston, SC. |
| 1864.02.17 |
HOUSATONIC (USS) |
sloop-of-war |
1,240 |
torpedoed by HUNLEY near Charleston, SC. |
| 1863.04.27 |
ANGLO SAXON |
Brit. steamer |
1,750 |
stranded near Cape Race, NF. |
| 1862.12.30 |
MONITOR (USS) |
ironclad gunboat |
987 |
gale off Cape Hatteras, NC. |
| 1862.05.11 |
VIRGINIA |
Confederate ironclad |
3,200 |
sank near Norfolk, VA. (prev. MERRIMAC) |
| 1861.04.20 |
MERRIMAC (later VIRGINIA) |
Am. frigate |
3,000 |
scuttled to avoid capture near Norfolk, VA. (raised, rebuilt as
VIRGINIA) |
| 1857.09.12 |
CENTRAL AMERICA |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
2,141 |
hurricane off Cape Hatteras, NC. |
| 1854.10.01 |
YANKEE BLADE |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
1,767 |
ashore at Point Arguello, CA. |
| 1853.12.06 |
HUMBOLDT (USMC) |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
2,350 |
stranded entering Halifax, NS. |
| 1853.08.21 |
BREDALBANE |
Brit. barque |
428 |
ice in Northwest Passage, Arctic |
| 1848.04.22 |
EREBUS |
Brit. steamer |
372 |
ice in Northwest Passage, Arctic (Franklin expedition) |
| 1848.04.22 |
TERROR |
Brit. steamer |
326 |
ice in Northwest Passage, Arctic (Franklin expedition) |
| 1840.01.13 |
LEXINGTON |
Am. paddle-wheeler |
488 |
fire off Port Jefferson, NY. |
| 1802.10.29 |
JUNO |
Spanish warship |
- |
storm near Cape Charles, VA. |
| 1798.05.25 |
DE BRAAK |
Brit. sloop of war |
255 |
foundered near Cape Henlopen, DE. |
| 1797.11.16 |
LA TRIBUNE |
Brit. frigate |
916 |
stranded entering Halifax, NS. |
| 1785.09.02 |
FAITHFUL STEWARD |
Brit. frigate |
350 |
storm near Cape Henlopen, DE. |
| 1779.08.14 |
DEFENCE |
Am. privateer |
- |
scuttled to avoid capture at Stockton, ME. |
| 1779.03.11 |
DEFENSE (USS) |
Am. ship |
- |
stranded at Bartletts Reef, RI. |
| 1758.06.21 |
CELEBRE |
French frigate |
900 |
burnt in attack on Fortress of Louisbourg, NS. |
| 1757.09.24 |
TILBURY |
Brit. frigate |
1,124 |
hurricane off Cape Breton, NS. |
| 1750.08.18 |
LA GALGA |
Spanish warship |
- |
hurricane off Cape Charles, VA. |
| 1725.08.26 |
LE CHAMEAU |
French frigate |
600 |
squall near Louisbourg, NS. |
| 1718.11.-- |
QUEEN ANNE'S REVENGE |
Brit. pirate ship |
- |
stranded near Cape Lookout, NC. |
| 1717.04.26 |
WHYDAH |
Brit. pirate ship |
300 |
foundered near Nauset, Cape Cod, MA. |
| 1711.10.07 |
FEVERSHAM |
Brit. frigate |
372 |
wrecked at Scatarie I., NS. |
| 1635.08.15 |
ANGEL GABRIEL |
Brit. merchant |
- |
hurricane near Pemaquid Point, ME. |
| 1622.09.06 |
NUESTRA SENORA DE ATOCHA |
Spanish galleon |
600 |
lost in hurricane near Florida Keys, FL. |
| 1556.05.24 |
CONCEPCION |
Spanish galleon |
220 |
lost west of Havana, Cuba |
© 2021 Northern Maritime Research | | |
