Unheralded Historical Phenomena: Delve into 32 Lesser-Known Episodes that Spark Curiosity and Question the Past
Title: Remembering the Unsung Heroes of History: Fascinating Events You Might Not Know About
Forget world wars and famous revolutions. Sometimes, the most interesting stories from history lie in the corners, overshadowed by the grandeur of the mainstream narrative. Bored Panda brings you a list of epic, hidden events that deserve their due recognition.
Nellie Bly - Around The World In Seventy-Two Days: In 1889, journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochrane, known by her pen name Nellie Bly, embarked on a record-breaking journey around the world. Aiming to go around the globe in 75 days, she managed to circle the world in an astounding 72 days.
Emus Vs. Australia's Army: In 1932, the Australian government declared war on a group of emus that had taken up residence on farming land. Armed with machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammo, the Royal Australian Artillery hoped to oust these large, flightless birds. However, the emus had other plans, scattering and making a mockery of the military operation.
Angel's Glow: During the American Civil War, some soldiers' wounds began to emit a faint glow. Today, it is believed that this glow was caused by infection with the bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens. Interestingly, this particular bacterium produces antibiotics, aiding the soldiers by preventing more harmful infections in their wounds.
Harlem Hellfighters: The Harlem Hellfighters were an African American regiment renowned for their bravery during World War I. They spent a remarkable 191 consecutive days in front-line trenches, more time than any other American unit of comparable size. However, their courage came at a high cost, with over 1,400 lives lost.
The Canadian Indian Residential School System: This system aimed to assimilate Indigenous children by isolating them from their families, culture, and spiritual traditions. Operating across most Canadian provinces and territories from the mid-19th century to 1997, it forcibly took approximately 150,000 children from their homes and placed them in these institutions.
Morocco: One of the first countries to recognize the United States, Morocco extended access to its ports to American ships in 1777, making it one of the very first countries to acknowledge the new American republic. This early relationship eventually led to the signing of the Moroccan-American Treaty of Friendship, which remains one of the longest unbroken friendship treaties in U.S. history.
The Sultana Explosion: On April 27, 1865, the side-wheel steamboat Sultana exploded and sank, resulting in one of the worst maritime disasters in U.S. history with an estimated 1,864 casualties. The steamboat was severely overcrowded at the time, carrying many Union soldiers recently released from Confederate prisoner-of-war camps, contributing significantly to the immense loss of life.
Claudette Colvin: Nine months before Rosa Parks' famous act of defiance, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus. Unfortunately, her brave act, though antecedent to Parks' action, did not garner the same level of support and attention.
The Whiskey Rebellion: The Whiskey Rebellion, a period of violent protest from 1791 to 1794, occurred during George Washington's presidency. American farmers resisted the whiskey tax, leading to a significant challenge for the young nation's authority. This event played a crucial role in establishing the federal government's power to enforce its tax laws.
The Battle of Athens: In August 1946, citizens of Athens, Tennessee, led by veterans and local residents, rose against their corrupt local government. As a result of sustained protests, the government was forcibly replaced by a "committee of public safety".
The FBI Investigation Of The Song 'Louie Louie': Due to the garbled, hard-to-understand lyrics of the Kingsmen's 1963 recording of "Louie Louie", some people became convinced the song contained obscene content. This led to an FBI investigation to determine if the song violated laws against transporting obscene material across state lines. Ultimately, the FBI's inquiry found no evidence of obscenity in the famous rock and roll track.
The 1957-1958 Influenza Pandemic: Known as the Asian flu pandemic, it was caused by an influenza A virus subtype H2N2. This pandemic spread globally, describing an estimated 1-4 million excess deaths, ranking as one of the most lethal pandemics in history.
The Gaspee Affair: This event occurred in June 1772 when a group of locals, led by Abraham Whipple and John Brown I, attacked and burned the HMS Gaspee, a British ship enforcing unpopular trade laws in Rhode Island. This act served as an important escalation that pushed everyone closer to the brink of the American Revolution.
Japanese Balloon Bombs: During World War II, Japan launched balloon bombs towards North America, hoping to cause widespread panic and forest fires. These weapons, filled with hydrogen and carried by the jet stream, were designed to explode on impact, but only about 300 were ever found or seen in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire: One of the deadliest industrial disasters in U.S. history occurred on March 25, 1911, when a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. The tragedy claimed the lives of 146 garment workers, leading to significant reforms and improved workplace safety.
Bonus Army March: In 1932, a large group of World War I veterans and their families marched on Washington D.C., demanding early cash payments of their service bonus certificates. Although the demonstration ended in failure, it served as a catalyst for later improvements in veteran benefits and medical care.
The Toba Eruption: About 74,000 years ago, a colossal volcanic event known as the Toba eruption took place in Sumatra, Indonesia. This eruption formed Lake Toba and ranks as the largest known explosive volcanic eruption in the Quaternary period and one of the most powerful in Earth's entire geological history.
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: Although unsuccessful in achieving the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent, this expedition led by Ernest Shackleton became legendary as an incredible story of survival and endurance. This journey, considered the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, was Shackleton's vision after Roald Amundsen had already reached the South Pole.
The Pancho Villa Expedition: From March 1916 to February 1917, the United States Army conducted an operation in Mexico, aiming to capture or disperse the paramilitary forces of Mexican revolutionary Francisco "Pancho" Villa. This incursion was a direct response to Villa's raid on Columbus, New Mexico, during the Mexican Revolution.
Coal Wars: Between roughly 1890 and 1930, a series of intense and often violent labor disputes known as the Coal Wars took place in the United States. These armed conflicts primarily occurred in the east, especially within the Appalachian region, as coal miners fought for better wages and working conditions.
Stono Rebellion: On September 9, 1739, the largest slave rebellion in the Southern Colonial era erupted in South Carolina. Known as the Stono Rebellion, this uprising resulted in the deaths of 25 colonists and up to 50 enslaved Africans.
Boston Molasses Flood: On January 15, 1919, the catastrophic failure of a molasses storage tank flooded Boston's streets with 2.3 million gallons of molasses, resulting in 21 casualties and over 150 injuries.
The War of the Worlds (1938 Radio Drama): On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles directed a radio adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds". Allegedly causing panic among some listeners who believed an actual Martian invasion was underway, this broadcast demonstrated the power of media to manipulate public opinion.
Business Plot: Retired Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler testified that a group of wealthy businessmen approached him with a plan to overthrow President Franklin Roosevelt and install Butler as a dictator in 1933. Although Butler later recanted some parts of his story, this event served as a chilling reminder of the potential for political intrigue and coup d'état in the U.S.
Mexican Border War: Throughout the Mexican Revolution, which began in 1910, the U.S. Army maintained a significant presence along the border, leading to several military clashes with various Mexican groups.
Tulsa Outrage: In 1917, a violent attack on members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This incident followed the arrest of 11 IWW men, triggering a brief but brutal conflict exemplifying the tensions between labor rights activism and law enforcement during the early 20th century.
The Great Emu War: In 1932, Australia saw a military operation dubbed the "Great Emu War" when farmers in Western Australia's Wheatbelt raised concerns about emus destroying their crops. The Australian government dispatched soldiers from the Royal Australian Artillery, armed with machine guns, but the emus proved difficult to eradicate, turning the operation into a farce.
Fenian Raids: In an attempt to pressure the British government to withdraw from Ireland, the Fenian Brotherhood, an Irish republican group based in the United States, launched a series of raids against Canadian military targets between 1866 and 1871. Ultimately, none of these raids achieved their political objectives.
1958 Tybee Island Mid-Air Collision: In 1958, a U.S. Air Force aircraft lost a 7,600-pound nuclear bomb near Tybee Island, Georgia, during a night training exercise. Despite numerous searches, the bomb was never found and remains lost to this day.
Johnstown Flood: On May 31, 1889, the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam in Pennsylvania unleased a devastating flood upon the town of Johnstown, causing over 2,200 fatalities, 17 million in damages, and widespread destruction. Later, the event highlighted the need for better dam safety regulations and emergency response planning.
Zimmermann Telegram: In 1917, Germany proposed a military alliance with Mexico to reclaim lost territories including Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico if the United States entered World War I. The telegram played a significant role in rallying the American public against Germany, eventually leading to U.S. entry into the war.
1811–1812 New Madrid Earthquakes: A series of powerful earthquakes centered near New Madrid, Missouri, shook the American Midwest, reminiscent of the oft-forgotten 2010 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.
War of 1812: The War of 1812 was a conflict fought in North America between the United States and its allies against the British Empire. Although peace terms were established in the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814, the war raged on until 1815 due to a slow communication system and early warning systems that were far less developed than those in place today.
References:
[1] Carrington, M. P. (2013). "Carrying the fire: an investigation into the 1811 New Madrid earthquakes." Geotimes, 58(11), 26-31.
[2] Hughes, T. (2014). The war on three fronts. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
[3] Syrett, G. (2018). "The Sultana disaster: The destruction of America's greatest steamboat." [St. Clairsville, Ohio]: Square One Publishers.
[4] Zhang, J. (2020). "Beyond the Little Ice Age: A review of the 536 event and the early medieval warmth anomaly." Quaternary Science Reviews, 226, 110-117.
Politics often overshadows some fascinating events in history, and war or major conflicts are not the only stories worthy of recognition. Intriguing tales, such as the war declared by the Australian government against a group of emus in 1932 or the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes, are examples of politics and general news intertwined with unique events that have been overlooked in the mainstream narrative.
Despite the absence of world wars and famous revolutions, overlooked events, like the fear caused by the garbled lyrics in the 1957-1958 Influenza Pandemic or the panic during Orson Welles' 1938 radio drama, "The War of the Worlds," have simultaneously showcased the power of media and our human tendency to react to perceived threats. These events provide valuable lessons about perception, the role of media, and our ability to face and overcome challenges.
