The weather couldn’t have been better for travel. As Charlie made his way home by train, neither he nor his fellow passengers had any clue that they were headed toward an unspeakable […]
The Disaster That Haunted An Unlikely Hero
The Volcanic Disaster That Killed 30,000 People in 3 Minutes
The Caribbean nation of Martinique is a beautiful island of friendly people. Each year, more than half a million tourists flock to Martinique to soak up the sun’s rays on the pristine […]
Explore the Fiery Crater That Has Been Burning for Over 50 Years
What do you do when you accidentally ignite a fiery hellish conflagration that has been burning for half a century and shows no signs of ever stopping? Obviously, you promote it as […]
The Mistake that Made a Lake Vanish
Prior to 1980, there was little about Lake Peigneur of particular interest. The 1,300-acre freshwater lake near New Iberia, Louisiana was only 11 feet deep and attracted its share of fishing enthusiasts, […]
The Nation With a Ghost Town for its Capital
Not too many of us can name the nations of the Lesser Antilles from memory. Fewer can name the capital cities of those island nations. There is a chance you know someone […]
The Most Expensive Hyphen In History
It has been called the most expensive hyphen in history. That is a bit of a misstatement. It was actually the most expensive overbar in history, but since most of us have […]
The Worst Structural Failure in History Was Kept a Secret for 30 Years
When the Hindenburg exploded in 1937, killing 36 people, it made headlines around the world and earned a lasting place in history. Titanic’s sinking, causing the death of more than 1,500 people […]
Did a Missing Key Cause the Titanic Disaster?
After the sinking of the RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage, many people asked how such a tragedy could have been avoided. Over the more than 100 years since that fateful night […]
Perhaps She Should Consider Taking the Train Next Time
At what point does a person stop being considered lucky and is instead considered bad luck for others? Consider the case of Violet Constance Jessop, whose primary claim to fame was her […]
How “Herbie Goes Bananas” Led to a Radioactive Disaster
Herbie Goes Bananas, the 1980 film about a Volkswagen Beetle that is seemingly alive, is widely regarded as the worst of the Herbie movies. Some might even call it a disaster. Few […]
Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire. Really. As in, “Help! Fire!”
Every year the firemen of Gillingham, in Kent, England, would construct a makeshift house out of wood and canvas for the popular fire-fighting demonstration at the fundraiser for St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.
Looking for Gas Leak with Open Flame… Anyone Else See a Problem with This?
The largest cylindrical gas container in the world in 1927 was in the heart of the industrial center of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On the morning of November 14, 1927, it developed a leak, so […]
Commonplace Fun Facts 