Sinking of Blanco Encalada

Date: April 23, 1891 • Location: Caldera, Chile

Chilean Civil War: The armored frigate Blanco Encalada (pictured) was sunk at the Battle of Caldera Bay, the first ironclad warship lost to a self-propelled torpedo.

The Chilean Civil War of 1891, or the Second Chilean Civil War or Revolution of 1891, was a civil war in Chile fought between forces supporting Congress and forces supporting the President, José Manuel Balmaceda, from 16 January 1891 to 18 September 1891. The war saw a confrontation between the Chilean Army and the Chilean Navy, siding with the president and the Congress, respectively. This conflict ended with the defeat of the Chilean Army and the presidential forces, and with President Balmaceda committing suicide as a consequence of the defeat. In Chilean historiography the war marks the end of the Liberal Republic and the beginning of the Parliamentary Era.