A Brief History On April 27, 1865, the paddle-wheel steamboat, SS Sultana was carrying 2427 people when she blew up, killing 1800! Digging Deeper The Mississippi steamboat was jammed with soldiers returning North from the Civil War, mostly Union soldiers who had been in Confederate prisoner of war camps (especially Cahawba and Andersonville). Crowded onto the riverboat designed to carry only 376 people, many of the soldiers were emaciated and ailing from their time in the horrendous prison camps.  The ship had started from New Orleans and had made a stop at Vicksburg (Mississippi) in order to repair a boiler. …

A Brief History On April 26, 1933, the Nazi secret police force known as the Gestapo was founded.  No strangers to torturing and executing people, firing squads, hanging by piano wire, and death by torture were Gestapo favorites.  We continue what we started on April 25 when we told you about 10 ways people have been executed with no regard for humanity, intentional or unintentional. Here are 10 more ways people have executed other people and were not so nice about it. Digging Deeper 10. Poison Gas. Used today and recently for individual executions, the condemned have been known to…

A Brief History On April 26, 1986, the Soviet nuclear power plant in Pripyat, The Ukraine, suffered an explosion and fire resulting in the worst nuclear disaster in history. Digging Deeper A Soviet nuclear plant complex constructed for the purpose of providing electric power was the setting of the disaster. The disaster was not the first accident at the Chernobyl plant, nor would it be the last.  There had been a partial core meltdown of Reactor #1 in 1982, something kept secret in typical Soviet fashion for 3 years.  Later, in 1991 a major fire broke out in the still…

A Brief History On April 25, 1792, the guillotine was served its first victim.  Meant to be a humane form of capital punishment, other modern forms have also attempted to achieve a quick and painless death for the condemned.  Other methods have been purposely designed to cause pain and terror, both to the condemned and to potential violators. H ere are 10 methods of execution that are not very humane, even if they were intended to be. Obviously, there are many more interesting methods of execution, so stay tuned for a sequel list on this website. 10. Smashing the Head.…

A Brief History The French Revolution was easily one of the most significant political revolutions in history and Napoleon was one of the greatest military leaders of all time.  Their era in history is not surprisingly full of bizarre moments as captured in the following timeline. Prologue On September 29, 1758 (New Style Calendar), one of the greatest naval heroes of all time was born, Horatio Nelson, the man that would become Vice Admiral and 1st Viscount Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar. On August 15, 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte was born.  He would later go on to be known for many things,…