Tinian — English Dictionary

Proper noun

1. An island of the Northern Mariana Islands, United States.

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   When we were maroon’d in the uninhabited Iſland of Tinian, at the Diſtance of ſeven or eight hundred Leagues from the Continent of Aſia, and had little Hopes of ever recovering our Ship, the Commodre---[…] Guam, the Principal, South of Tinian, is inhabited by a few Spaniards, who claim the Property indeed of them all, and of all the other Iſlands in theſe Seas— But even Tinian, tho’ now deſolate, has formerly had more magnificent Maſters than thoſe Waſters of the World, as appears by the Ruins of ſeveral auguſt and venerable Fabricks, which diſcover a Taſte not unworthy of the greateſt Aſian Majeſty.

   There are uſually reckoned twelve of theſe Iſlands ; but it will appear, from the chart of the North part of the Pacific Ocean hereafter inſerted, that if the ſmall iſlets and rocks are counted in, then their whole number will amount to above twenty. They were formerly moſt of them well inhabited ; and, even not ſixty years ago, the three principal Iſlands, Guam, Rota, and Tinian together, are ſaid to have contained above fifty thouſand people : But ſince that time Tinian hath been entirely depopulated ; and only two or three hundred Indians have been left at Rota, to cultivate rice for the Iſland of Guam ; ſo that now no more than Guam can properly be ſaid to be inhabited.

   The Southern Island is called Guam, the next Rota, both of which are inhabited, and under the Spanish Government. Tinian, the next to the North, is occupied as a penal settlement, and Saypan, still farther North, is inhabited by natives from the Caroline group of Islands, and Gregan, the most Northern part of the chain, by some King's Mill group natives, and two white men, runaways.[…]Sometimes, also, ships in want of hogs stop a day at Rota, or Tinian, as they are getting rather scarce at Guam.[…]The principal city is situated five miles from the harbor, and contains about 2,500 inhabitants. The whole Island contains 8,000, and Rota 500. Formerly they contained a great many more; report says when first discovered, the 4 Southern Islands, Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saypan, alone, contained 60,000, the descendants of which have intermixed with the Spaniards, and are now reduced to about 8,500 souls.

   After shaking off a pre-dawn counterattack on Tinian Monday, the American forces that invaded that island Sunday broadened and deepened their hold. Heavy casualties were inflicted on the Japanese in breaking up the attack and five enemy tanks destroyed.

   A specialized B-29 unit, known as the 509th Composite Group, had been selected for the task, and seven of the modified B-29's, with pilots and crews, were ready and waiting for orders. Meanwhile ships and planes were rushing the materials for the bomb and specialists to assemble them to the Pacific island of Tinian in the Marianas.

   Coast Guard crews are also bringing supplies to the island of Tinian, which took a direct hit from the typhoon that was packing 180 mph (290 kph) winds when it struck Thursday morning.

   The tiny island of Tinian was the launch point for American planes carrying atomic bombs to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Now a new runway is being carved from the jungle, just south of World War II ruins inked with mildew. And on a blustery February morning a few hundred yards away at Tinian’s civilian airport, American airmen refueled Japanese fighter jets during a military exercise using more airstrips, islands and Japanese planes than the two enemies-turned-allies have ever mustered for drills in the North Pacific.