THE WORLD FAMOUS HISTORY AND PAST EVENTS

Ötzi, as he was found in the ice in the Hauslabjoch pass in 1991. Why are ice mummies so rare? People did not realize initially that Ötzi was a very old ice mummy. Back in 1991, people had no idea that ice could preserve human bodies for such a long time. This lack of understanding led to unfortunate damage to the mummy and the artefacts during the recovery. To avoid such calamities, we have prepared a mummy-kit and a contingency plan if an ice mummy should appear in our own mountains here in Norway. However, the chances of finding an ice mummy are low and our mummy-kit is still unused. The absence of ice mummies is not for the lack of people dying in the high mountains. Obviously, people died in the high mountains in the past – in blizzards, accidents, due to violence, or for purely natural reasons (more here). So why are there not more finds like Ötzi? The answer is that it would take a number of preconditions for their bodies to preserve until today. First, the body would hav...

Looking right at you is Zofia Dąbrowska, 19, medic in the Home Army "Zośka" Battalion, photographed three days before she suffered wounds that would kill her within twenty-four hours. ➡ The Warsaw Uprising, which broke out 1 August 1944, was the Polish Underground’s effort to liberate the capital city from the Germans, and to show the approaching Soviets that we'd taken it, we had it, and we’d keep it. No need to bring us a government cause we already have one, thank you very much. ➡ 50,000 people fought, many more helped; 16,000 to 18,000 underground soldiers perished, and at least ten times that number of civilians lost their lives. 17,000 combatants went into POW camps, up to 450,000 non-combatants into concentration and work camps.  ➡ The city was razed to the ground, most of it after the Uprising. On Hitler’s express orders, Brandkommandos, flamethrower operators, and Sprengkommandos, explosives teams, went street after street and block after block. In addition to th...

The man who posted himself home...world history and facts Reginald James Spiers was born on the 14th of December, 1941 in Adelaide. He is a former Australian javelin thrower who competed in the 1962 Commonwealth Games. In 1964 Reg Spiers found himself stranded in London with no money to buy a plane ticket home. Desperate to get back to Australia in time for his daughter's birthday, he decided to post himself home in a wooden crate.   "I just got in the thing and went. What was there to be frightened of? I'm not frightened of the dark so I just sat there. "It's like when I travel now if I go overseas.  There's the seat. Sit in it, and go." Reg Spiers makes it sound very straightforward more than half a century later, but it caused a media storm in Australia at the time. He explains his attitude like this: "I've come up with this mad scheme to get back to Australia in a box. Who can say it won't work? Let's give it a shot." Spiers had ...

From the July 4, 1863 issue of  Harper’s , as digitized by sonsofthesouth.net. THE EXECUTION OF WILLIAMS AND PETERS. We are indebted to Mr. James K. Magie, of the 78th Illinois Regiment, for the sketch of the execution of the two rebel spies, WILLIAMS and PETERS, who were hanged by General Rosecrans on 9th inst. The following account of the affair is from a letter written by the surgeon of the 85th Indiana: HEADQUARTERS POST, FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE Last evening about sundown two strangers rode into camp and called at Colonel Baird’s head-quarters, who presented unusual appearances. They had on citizens’ overcoats, Federal regulation pants and caps. The caps were covered with white flannel havelocks. They wore sidearms, and showed high intelligence. One claimed to be a colonel in the United States Army, and called himself Colonel Austin; the other called himself Major Dunlap, and both representing themselves as Inspector-Generals of the United States Army. They rep...

Thomas Nash executed– for the murder of his daughter 24th of November 1885. 38 year old Thomas Nash was convicted of the murder of his six year old daughter, Martha Ann on the 24th of November 1885 on Swansea Pier. Nash had been born in Pembrokeshire in 1847 and as an adult had moved to Swansea to find employment. He was married to Martha and they had two children, Sarah and Martha Ann.  His wife had died soon after giving birth to Martha Ann. On the 16th of November 1885 Nash had re-married without telling anyone. Nor had he told his new wife about his two daughters.   He moved out of his rented accommodation, leaving the girls in the care of his land lady, Eliza Goodwin. Eliza told Nash that she could not look after them indefinitely and asked him for money for their maintenance, which was not forthcoming.  On the afternoon of the 24th of November, Mrs. Goodwin took Martha Ann to the Swansea Guild Hall pay office where Nash was due to receive his wages, as he worke...

Sara Janse Geldof - the last woman executed in Holland. The last woman executed in Holland, after being sentenced to death by a civilian court, was 33 year old Sara Janse Geldof, who was publicly strangled at Middelburg on Monday the 24th of September 1838.   Male criminals were hanged at this time but women were strangled at the stake for the sake of decency. The execution took place on a scaffold erected in front of the town hall. The Vlissingsche Courant of the 25th of September 1838 reported: "In the afternoon of September 24, 1838, Middelburg had the awesome ceremony of the execution of the sentence, passed on Sara Janse Geldhof, housewife of Pieter Johannes Huissoon, by the Court of Assise.  She was condemned to death, by strangling at the pole. Everything was completed in the best order, and a deep silence prevailed in execution. The convicted person behaved very well.” Sara had killed thirteen year old Catherina Block in March 1838 to rob her of the golden finery ...

The Nazi Occupation in Poland This picture has been taken by a German soldier... a "souvenir". W hen the German army invaded Poland in September 1939, the Nazis were determinated to transform Poland into a huge reserve of slave labor ready to be used by the German war industry. In order to reach this goal, the Nazis adopted a policy immediately: To exterminate the Polish elite (professors, lawyers, scientists, etc...). To exterminate any potential opponent. To close all places of education (school, college, universities) excepting professional schools. To forbid any cultural or political activities under death sentence. To create an exclusively German Zone by confiscating all private property and or simply killing the original Polish population. D uring the winter of 1939, the Polish elite and anybody who had a role in the cultural or scientific life in Poland is exterminated: "the slaves don't need culture". At the same time, the entire population of hundreds o...

On November 9, 2016. The Villagers of Ogbia community Killed a GIGANTIC Snake They Thought Had Eaten Livestock. Locals who killed a huge snake after suspecting it of having eaten a calf because of its swollen stomach discovered it was pregnant with dozens of eggs. The incident happened in Nigeria where local media said the snake had been killed over accusations it had been feasting on farmers’ livestock. However as these images show, the snake was not overweight because of its last meal, it was actually pregnant with many eggs The villagers killed the snake and cut it open to find dozens of eggs The Villagers in the West African country consider snakes' eggs a delicacy This is the worst case of human cruelty to animals I have heard of, they should have hire snake catcher to help them take the this massive creation to snake zoo, instead they killed and feast on the innocent animal.  This is terrible! Stop Killing Snakes! Were you taught that “The only good snake is a dead snake?” W...

“For him, just to save one life is equal to 1,000 lives. So he never imagined that he was doing any heroic action.” —Nobuki Sugihara speaking about his father, Chiune Sugihara.  After the German invasion of Poland in 1939, many Jews and other Polish citizens fled across the border to neutral Lithuania. However, not many of these refugees found diplomats stationed there who were willing to give them the visas needed to continue their flight to countries abroad. Then in 1940 the Soviets occupied Lithuania and ordered all consulates closed. The window for flight to safe havens—from war, and both Nazi and Soviet persecution—was disappearing. Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat posted to Lithuania who recognized the urgency of the refugees’ situation. Unlike many diplomats of this era, he was willing to bend the rules as he worked feverishly over a short period in tandem with the acting Dutch consul, Jan Zwartendijk, to provide an escape route.  After Zwartendijk provided dubio...

Japanese Prisoners of War Held by the Allies. There were relatively few Japanese prisoners of war: only around 20,000 were captured between 1939 and 1940. This was because it was considered shameful and sacrilegious to surrender rather than die.  Those that did become prisoner were found unconscious or wandering in the jungle or were lured out of the caves and bunkers by skilled negotiators. Some had simply had enough. The historian Peter Straus said, "It had been thoroughly planted in the minds of all Japanese that to become a prisoner of war was by far the worst thing that they could do, that they would cast dishonor not only on themselves but also on their families and nation."  In Japan the media made "a big deal of those who... had gone back to the Japanese lines and then killed themselves, or those who had heroically given their lives in suicide missions. Japanese POWs turned out to be an extraordinary intelligence coup for the Allies. Many felt they had already di...

Martha Ballard was a midwife, healer, and diarist who lived in colonial Maine in the late 18th and early 19th centuries–world history and facts Her diary, which covers a period of 27 years, provides a rare and valuable window into the daily life, medical practices, and social customs of the time. Martha Ballard was born in 1735 and lived in Hallowell, Maine, which was a remote frontier town at the time. Despite the lack of formal medical training, she became a respected and skilled midwife, who was often called upon to attend births in her community.  Over the course of her career, she recorded information about each birth she attended, including the mother's name, the date of the birth, and any difficulties or complications that arose. Her diary provides an important record of the challenges faced by families on the frontier and the role of midwifery in colonial society. Martha Ballard was not only a midwife but also a healer and a valuable member of her community. Her diary provi...

Salamo Arouch literally fought for survival during World War II. But he wasn't a soldier, he was a boxer of Jewish-Greek descent. That means the All-Balkans Middleweight Champ ended up in Auschwitz when the Nazis rolled into his home city of Thessalonica, Greece, in 1943. That's where he started fighting for his life. Before his internment in the Nazi death camp, Arouch's boxing record was an undefeated 24-0. He likely never imagined how high that number would climb during his life — or what was in stakes throughout the 200-plus bouts he would have to fight. When the Nazis captured Thessalonica, they rounded up the city's 47,000 Jewish citizens and shipped them away. A young Salamo and his family ended up at Auschwitz. Almost the moment he arrived, a car drove up and out stepped the commandant, who asked if any of the new prisoners were boxers or wrestlers. Dutifully, the young Arouch rose his hand. He had been coached by his father and had won his first fight at 14. Bu...

Death of Marilyn Monroe On August 4, 1962, Marilyn Monroe, an American actress and sex symbol, died at age 36 of a barbiturate overdose inside her home at 12305 Fifth Helena Drive in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. Her body was discovered before dawn the following morning, on August 5. Monroe had been one of the most popular Hollywood stars during the 1950s and early 1960s, and was a top-billed actress for the preceding decade. Her films had grossed $200 million by the time of her death Monroe had suffered from mental illness and substance abuse, and she had not completed a film since  The Misfits , released on February 1, 1961; the movie was a box-office disappointment. Monroe had spent 1961 preoccupied with her various health problems, and in April 1962 had begun filming  Something's Got to Give  for 20th Century Fox, but the studio fired her in early June. Fox publicly blamed Monroe for...

"I suppose I was courageous,” Muriel Gardiner reflected in an interview decades later.  The American was living in Vienna in March 1938 when the Nazis took control of Austria. Muriel had already been part of a clandestine resistance group opposing Austria’s fascist dictatorship. But now, the country’s Jews and members of the resistance faced life-or-death danger. As many of the city’s residents poured into the streets, welcoming the installation of Nazi flags on storefronts and buildings, Muriel watched in horror.  As an American, she could have easily packed up and moved home, leaving Europe’s problems behind. Plus, Muriel came from a life of privilege, having inherited millions at the age of 11. But before fleeing Nazi Vienna, she smuggled forged papers and sheltered Jewish strangers in her apartment. Thanks to her wealth and connections, Muriel also helped dozens of Austria’s Jews and opponents of the Nazis escape the Gestapo’s clutches. After the war, she sent monthly care...

The execution of the Generals who weren't given a trail  Today in history! The beginning of the worst human rights abuse ever to be unleashed on the long suffering people of Ghana. This is June 4th 1979 ! The execution of the Generals who weren't given a trail was the most dastardly act ever . There were business tycoons who lost everything namely Boakye Mattress,  kawus motors and RT Briscoe.  These were local businesses, run by Ghanaians. GENERAL Acheampong had introduced the principle of promoting Ghanaian businesses - all businesses in Ghana should have 51 percent Ghanaian ownership.  If we had continued on that course we would have been just like Singapore 🇸🇬 or South Korea 🇰🇷  During the era of the Generals we produced cars namely Boafo and Adom . We made Tvs and radios 📻- Akasanoma.   And not to mention the host of factories and industries in Tema and North Kaneshie.  The above actions in 1979 ushered in a dark period in our history an...

African American Inventor: MARY KENNER (1912-2006) Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner is an inventor of numerous products we use today and has the most patents of any African American woman. Kenner was born on May 17, 1912, in Monroe, North Carolina. Her father was inventor Sidney Nathaniel Davidson, and her mother is unknown to the public records; she has one sibling, her sister, Mildred Davidson Austin Smith. Kenner patented multiple inventions in her ’40s, however, she began inventing at age six when she attempted to invent a self-oiling door hinge. Invention ran in the family. Her maternal grandfather Robert Phromeberger’s most notable inventions were a tricolor light signal for trains and a stretcher with wheels for ambulances. In 1914, her father patented a clothes presser that could fit in a suitcase. In 1980, her sister invented “Family Treedition,” a family board game. Mary Kenner had many ideas as a child, including a convertible roof that would go over the folding rumble seat of ...

Arthur Birkett - a sad case of “if I can’t have her nobody will.” 22 year old Arthur Birkett was a weaver at Jubilee Mill in Gate Street, Blackburn, Lancs.  He had fallen head over heels in love with a co-worker, 18 year old Alice Beetham.  The relationship lasted just five weeks until Alice ended it on the 16th of May 1912.  Birkett was heart broken and consumed with jealousy.   Both went to work as normal on the morning of Monday the 20th of May in the weft room of the mill.  Birkett tried to talk to Alice but she ignored him and began to walk away.  He ran after and grabbed round the neck.  To the horror of other employees Birkett had cut her throat with a shaving razor he had recently bought.  He then turned it on himself and inflicted two wounds on his neck, collapsing beside Alice.  The other workers tried to give first aid to both but Alice died almost immediately, the cut having severed her neck down to the spine.  Birkett w...

African, Caribbean nations join forces to call for reparations for slavery Representatives from various African and Caribbean entities joined forces at a historic event this week in the capital of Barbados, Bridgetown, to demand reparations for slavery and its legacy in today's society. The University of the West Indies (UWI), the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union (AU), Barbados' government, grant-making network Open Society Foundations and the Caribbean Pan African Network teamed up to "call for reparations for historical crimes". The meeting in Bridgetown, from Monday to Thursday, included strategy sessions and plenaries and marked the beginning of an "intercontinental campaign", the UWI said in a statement, describing it as "ground-breaking". Attendees included ambassadors and representatives from AU member states and the Caribbean Community political and economic union (CARICOM). "This is a historic moment... human...

In 1914, a young Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie in Sarajevo, triggering the outbreak of World War I. However, the assassination was not a simple act of fate, but rather a result of a series of coincidences and blunders. Princip was part of a group of six conspirators who had planned to kill the archduke as he drove through the city in an open car.  However, their first attempt failed when one of them threw a bomb that bounced off the car and exploded behind it, injuring some bystanders. The archduke's car sped away and the other conspirators lost their chance to shoot him. Princip, who had been stationed near a bridge, gave up and went to a nearby cafe to get a sandwich. Meanwhile, the archduke decided to visit the hospital where the bomb victims were taken, but his driver took a wrong turn and ended up on the same street where Princip was eating. As fate would have it, the car stopped right in front of...

It takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice for an athlete to attain his/her goals. This athlete would not give up even if his stomach was running (diarrhearing)!! The viral picture of Mikael Ekvall 🫣 After the 2008 Göteborg half-marathon, Sweden’s Micke Ekvall was nicknamed “bajsmannen,” which translates to “poop man.” He had finished the race at 21st, and photographs of him with a grimace on his face and brown liquid gushing down his legs immediately went viral after that.  Surprisingly, however, Ekvall has remained positive about the experience. When asked, “Did you ever consider stopping to clean off?” he answered, “No, I would lose time.  If you quit once, it’s easy to do it again and again and again.” And since then, the resilient runner has accomplished much more; in 2014, he set the national record for Sweden at the Copenhagen half-marathon. #JimmaxSports

South West African campaign (The Great War) The outbreak of hostilities in Europe in August 1914 had been anticipated and government officials of South Africa were aware of the significance of their common border with the German colony.  Prime Minister Louis Botha informed London that South Africa could defend itself and that the Imperial Garrison might depart for France; when the British government asked Botha whether his forces would invade German South West Africa, the reply was that they could and would. South African troops were mobilized along the border between the two countries under the command of General Henry Lukin and Lt Col Manie Maritz early in September 1914. Shortly afterwards another force occupied the port of Lüderitz. A first attempt to invade German South West Africa from the south failed at the Battle of Sandfontein, close to the border with the Cape Colony, where on 26 September 1914 German colonial forces inflicted a defeat on the Union Defense Force (UDF), a...