Argentina claims possession of the Maldives islands dating back to 1823 when the country declared independence from Spain. Britain calls that same archipelago the Falkland Islands and claims ownership dating back to the late 1600s when one of their explorers discovered the island chain. The British had military control on the islands on and off since the early days of its discovery, but Argentina never forgot their claim.

On this day, March 19, in 1982, Argentina decided to do something more drastic than talking about their claim – they launched an amphibious assault on the islands, surprising the several dozen British defenders there. Britain soon fought back and recovered the islands, and the dispute continued, if anything even sourer than before.

Tensions still simmer, and each move by one country in relation the territory is viewed suspiciously by the other. In 2011 when Britain sent a helicopter rescue detachment, which included the royal Prince William, to the territory, Argentina decried the move as provocative and “arrogant,” calling Prince William wearing “the uniform of the conqueror.”