On 10 November 1944 the US Navy ammunition ship USS Mount Hood exploded in Seeadler Harbor at Manus, in the Admiralty Islands of Papua New Guinea. A few minutes earlier, 18 men had left for shore leave. The rest of the crew were killed, at least 432 people in total with 371 injured, and the ship was blown apart, sinking or damaging 22 smaller craft nearby. Manus was a major Allied base in the Pacific War, and the harbour was crowded with ships being supplied. The cause of the explosion was never established.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.