Charles Dwight Sigsbee was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. In his earlier career, he was a pioneering oceanographer and hydrographer. He is best remembered as the captain of USS Maine, which exploded in Havana Harbor, Cuba, in 1898 and set off the events that led up to the start of the Spanish–American War. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1899.

Maine was a United States Navy ship that sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in April. U.S. newspapers, engaging in yellow journalism to boost circulation, claimed that the Spanish were responsible for the ship's destruction. The phrase, "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!" became a rallying cry for action. Although the Maine explosion was not a direct cause, it served as a catalyst that accelerated the events leading up to the war.