During WWII, the US military turned Espiritu Santo into a military supply base, naval port, and airfield. After the war, they dumped everything they couldn’t carry home into the ocean, creating an underwater museum called Million Dollar Point. The island inspired the setting of the musical South Pacific. Espiritu Santo, the largest island in the […]
Krakatoa, a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean, erupted on August 26, 1883, releasing 2.9 cubic miles of magma and causing a tsunami that killed nearly 40,000 people. The island was destroyed, and prior to the eruption, showed signs of Plinian volcanic activity. The explosion was the loudest sound ever reported and was heard in […]
The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986, causing a devastating release of radiation and particulate matter. The cause was deemed gross negligence by some nations, resulting in 30 deaths and many illnesses. The reactor site has been cordoned off, but the tampon sealing it was ineffective. The accident was caused by a routine shutdown […]
The Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington state collapsed in 1940 due to a combination of design flaws, aerodynamics, and self-excitation. The collapse revolutionized bridge-building, and a new, safer bridge was built in 1950. On November 7, 1940, the big news of the day was the total failure and collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in […]
Isaac Newton’s inspiration for his law of universal gravitation came from an apple falling on his head. In 2010, a piece of the tree and an image of Newton were taken into orbit. The original tree still stands and produces apples. Most of us heard the story in elementary school: A young Isaac Newton is […]
Coins thrown into fountains are collected and donated to charity in many places, including Rome’s Trevi Fountain and fountains along the Las Vegas Strip. People toss coins for luck and to ensure they can return to the same place. “Three Coins in the Fountain” is a film and song about coin tossing in Rome. In […]
Bear Stearns, a successful investment bank, faced a rapid decline in 2008 due to subprime mortgage investments. Shareholders withdrew investments, leading to a merger with JPMorgan Chase and a reevaluation of financial regulations. The fate of the Bear Stearns company in the United States during the subprime mortgage crisis sparked a great deal of public […]
