On this day in ...... 1914, after some of his off-duty personnel were taunted by citizens of Tampico, Mexico, the U.S. admiral in command of Navy vessels that had been situated offshore from the city for the previous 10 months "demanded that the Mexican Federal forces in Tampico salute the American flag"; their refusal and consequent detention of Marines touched off the Tampico Incident, as it became known. Later in the month the request of President Woodrow Wilson to use force against Mexico received Congress' OK.
(Prior April 9 posts are here, here, and here)
