On what date did the Battle of San Juan Hill take place?

The Battle of San Juan Hill took place on July 1, 1898. More precisely, the fighting formed part of the Battle of the San Juan Heights, a major U.S. victory near Santiago de Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

The name “San Juan Hill” is often used for the entire engagement, although the San Juan Heights included two key elevations: San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill. American forces attacked both positions after advancing inland from the Cuban coast. The fighting was intense, and U.S. troops suffered heavy casualties while overcoming Spanish defensive fire.

The American force included regular infantry, the 9th and 10th Cavalry, and the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, popularly known as the Rough Riders. Theodore Roosevelt became closely associated with the battle, although many regular and Buffalo Soldier units played crucial roles.

July 1 is sometimes confused with July 3, when the Spanish fleet was destroyed in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, or July 17, when Santiago’s Spanish garrison surrendered. Those were separate events in the same campaign.