Category: Odd Facts
The St. Albans Raid – The Confederate ‘Invasion’ of Vermont
In the fall of 1864, Vermont seemed far removed from the bloody battlefields of the American Civil War. Although as many as a tenth of the state’s 300,000 residents were in uniform, the actual fighting…
Hitler’s Holdouts – Meet the Last German Troops to Surrender in WW2
“Small pockets German troops refused to give up and in some cases fought on for days, even weeks, before finally calling it quits.” IT WAS JUST after 2:30 a.m. on May 7, 1945 when Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, commander of what…
Toons on the March — How Hollywood Animators Turned Their Characters Loose on the Axis
“Most cartoons in the wartime genre were quickly pulled from circulation. In fact, few born after the 1945 ever saw any of them.” DO YOU REMEMBER time Daffy Duck gave a Nazi the hot foot?…
The Gustloff Incident – History’s Deadliest (and Mostly Forgotten) Maritime Disaster
The RMS Titanic is by far the most famous ill-fated ship of all time. Yet the unlucky luxury liner, which went down with more than 1,600 on board, can’t touch the doomed Nazi cruise ship…
Navies Without Oceans — Meet the World’s Landlocked Fleets
“More than a dozen nations maintain inland navies, most of which will likely never see service on (or even near) the world’s oceans.” ALTHOUGH IT MAY not enjoy the seafaring notoriety of say Great Britain,…
“Dear Mom, I Miss You!” – 1,800-Year-Old Letter Home From Roman Soldier Translated
“His emotions are really no different than those of soldiers today who are longing to go home.” AN AMERICAN GRADUATE student has translated fragments of a letter written by a 3rd Century Roman soldier, according to…
