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Click for part 2 Apia Cyclone, 1889 It was during the peak years of Western-state nationalism when countries like the USA, Britain, Germany and Italy strutted around the world with their chests puffed out that a small US Naval squadron was wrecked in rueful circumstances. A storm had been brewing in the Samoan Islands since... Continue Reading →
"Modern American war is as easy to script as a B-movie" quipped one US Army officer, referring to the predictability of US victories against its enemies in the late 20th Century. Yet, it wasn't always smooth sailing for the Yanks. Presented, the worst US military disaster of every decade spanning the Declaration of Independence til... Continue Reading →
Seven men who were famous for their colossal height, size and strength, including the 'Cape Breton Giant', 'Canadian Colossus' and 'Childe of Hale' Robert Wadlow is the tallest human being to have ever existed as verified by science, towering over all at 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m). Yet the same condition which made him... Continue Reading →
'We lose every battle but the last one' is a proverb referring to how the British prevailed in a catalogue of conflicts from the British Empire's inception in 1707 until its end in the 1950s, yet were mauled on many an occasion. This 4-part article includes the worst military calamity of every decade - failures... Continue Reading →
The view of sharks as cold-blooded man-eaters goes even further back than Jaws. In the summer of 1916, five bathers were viciously attacked, transforming the reputation of these apex-hunters forever. Death from Below Fond memories are made frolicking around summertime seashores. Yet, in temperate waters dangers lurk. Rip currents and jellyfish are to be wary... Continue Reading →
Eccentric Annie Taylor was so desperate for a nest-egg, she attempted the most dangerous stunt she could think of - to become the first woman to ride over the Niagara Falls... in a barrel. In the picture a woman stands, a face wrinkled and unsmiling. She has dark wavy hair and the build of a... Continue Reading →
History and Things 