On this day in 1973, a team from Duke University's Marine Laboratory uncovered the wreck of the USS Monitor, lying 230 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, 16 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Led by John G. Newton, the researchers employed sonar technology to scour a 5-mile by 14-mile section of the ocean floor. During their search, they identified 21 shipwrecks, but none matched the Monitor's description. On the final day of their expedition, the sonar revealed a 22nd wreck, which they believed might be the Monitor. The team noted a hull shape consistent with the Monitor's unique design. The USS Monitor, an ironclad warship, played a pivotal role in the 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads, ushering in a new era of naval warfare. The ship remained lost at sea for over a century before its rediscovery in 1973. #Duke100