'We lose many battles, except the last' - an adage referring to how the British prevailed in a myriad of military conflicts from the United Kingdom's inception in 1707 until the 1950s, yet were mauled on many an occasion. This article includes the worst military calamity of (almost) every decade - failures little and large... Continue Reading →
The 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks that Inspired the Jaws Movie
The view of sharks as cold-blooded man-eaters goes even further back than Jaws, but to the Summer of 1916 in New Jersey. There, five people were viciously attacked. Read about what happened to change the stereotype of sharks forever. Death from Below To bathe and frolic in Summertime seawater is when fond memories are made.... Continue Reading →
Annie Taylor’s Barrel Ride over the Niagara Falls, 1901
Oddball tales: When an eccentric named Annie Taylor was 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... Continue Reading →