The Fir-Tree - by Hans Christian Andersen
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"The Fir-Tree" (: Grantræet) is a by the Danish poet and author (1805–1875). The tale is about a so anxious to grow up, so anxious for greater things, that he cannot appreciate living in the moment. The tale was first published 21 December 1844 with "", in , in , by C.A. Reitzel. One scholar (Andersen biographer []) indicates that "The Fir-Tree" was the first of Andersen's fairy tales to express a deep pessimism.
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Canals on Mars
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During the , it was erroneously believed that there were "" on the planet . These were a network of long straight lines in the equatorial regions from 60° north to 60° south latitude on Mars, observed by using early telescopes without photography. They were first described by the Italian astronomer during the of 1877, and attested to by later observers. Schiaparelli called these canali (""), which was mistranslated into English as "canals". The Irish astronomer made some of the earliest drawings of straight-line features on Mars, although his drawings did not match Schiaparelli's.
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Great Feasts
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The Field of the Cloth of Gold (: Camp du Drap d'Or, pronounced ) was a between King and King from 7 to 24 June 1520. Held at , between in and in the English , it was an opulent display of wealth by both kings.
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Storm Chasers
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National Geographic article on Storm Chasing called Chasing Tornadoes.
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Robert Maxwell
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Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovak-born British and politician. Of , he escaped the and joined the during . He was decorated after active service in the . In subsequent years he worked in publishing, building up to a major academic publisher. After six years as a (MP) during the 1960s, Maxwell again put all his energy into business, successively buying the , and , among other publishing companies.
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Collar Bomb Heist
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On August 28, 2003, pizza delivery man Brian Douglas Wells a near his hometown of , , United States. Upon being apprehended by police, Wells died when an locked to his neck detonated. The investigation into his death uncovered a complex plot described as "one of the most complicated and bizarre crimes in the annals of the FBI".
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Penis Theft
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Koro is a delusional disorder in which individuals have an overpowering belief that their are retracting and will disappear, despite the lack of any true longstanding changes to the genitals. Koro is also known as shrinking penis, and was listed in the .
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Balloon Fest 1986
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Balloonfest '86 was a event in , , United States, held on September 27, 1986, in which the local chapter of set a by almost 1.5 million . The event was intended to be a harmless . However, the released balloons drifted back over the city and and landed in the surrounding area, causing problems for traffic and a nearby airport. In consequence, the organizers faced lawsuits seeking millions of dollars in damages, and cost overruns put the event at a net loss.
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Nutmaxxing
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Mostly taken from this GQ article here:
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Time travel claims and urban legends
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Multiple accounts of people who allegedly have been reported by the press or circulated online. These reports have turned out to be either or else based on incorrect assumptions, incomplete information, or interpretation of fiction as . Many are now recognized as .
info_outlineEssex was an American whaling ship from Nantucket, Massachusetts, which was launched in 1799. On November 20, 1820, while at sea in the southern Pacific Ocean under the command of Captain George Pollard Jr., the ship was attacked and sunk by a sperm whale. About 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km) from the coast of South America, the 20-man crew was forced to make for land in three whaleboats with what food and water they could salvage from the wreck.
After a month at sea the crew landed on the uninhabited Henderson Island. Three men elected to stay on the island, from which they were rescued in April 1821, while the remaining seventeen set off again for the coast of South America. The men suffered severe dehydration, starvation and exposure on the open ocean, and the survivors eventually resorted to cannibalism. By the time they were rescued in February 1821, three months after the sinking of Essex, only five of the seventeen were alive.
First mate Owen Chase and cabin boy Thomas Nickerson later wrote accounts of the ordeal. The tragedy attracted international attention, and inspired Herman Melville to write his 1851 novel, Moby-Dick.