Warship Vasa Capsizes: Sweden's Pride Sinks on Launch
The Swedish warship Vasa capsized and sank in Stockholm harbor barely twenty minutes into her maiden voyage, drowning dozens of crew and onlookers. Top-heavy from excessive gunports demanded by King Gustavus Adolphus, the ship became history's most spectacular engineering failure and, after salvage in 1961, one of the world's best-preserved 17th-century vessels.
August 10, 1628
398 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 10
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