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Naval
borndied
1802, Jan 311831, Feb 5
a Dutch naval lieutenant who became a hero in the Netherlands for his opposition to the Belgian Revolution. On February 5, 1831, a gale blew his gunboat into the quay at the port of Antwerp. The Belgians quickly stormed his ship, demanding Van Speijk haul down the Dutch flag. Rather than surrender his ship, he fired a pistol (some versions say he threw a lighted cigar) into a barrel of gunpowder in the ship's magazine.
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02/05/1831-Jan van Speyk blows up his gunboat in Antwerp, killing about 30
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