Category: Odd Facts
Fighting Spirits — Three Centuries of Rum in the Royal Navy
“Originally, the drink of choice aboard navy vessels was beer or ale and sometimes wine. All that changed when England captured Jamaica in 1655.” IN THE age of Lord Nelson, the ships of the Royal…
Acts of Defiance – A Short History of Mutiny in the U.S. Military
“In a number of cases, American soldiers, sailors and airmen have protested orders, defied their commanders and even risen in open rebellion. Consider these examples.” IN SEPTEMBER 2013, cyberspace was a-buzz with photos of what…
The Blue House Raid – North Korea’s Failed 1968 Commando Assault on Seoul
“The group’s objective was to storm the executive mansion, known as the Blue House, and assassinate President Park Chung-hee.” FOUR YOUNG SOUTH Korean brothers got more than they bargained for while out searching for firewood…
Global Conflicts — The First ‘World Wars’ Came Long Before 1914
“World War One was not history’s only recorded ‘Great War.’” THIS coming summer, the world marks a grim milestone – the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. The four-year conflict, which…
Shot Down — KAL Flight 007 and Seven Other Deadly Airliner Attacks
“While the incident captured the world’s attention, it wasn’t the only instance in which civilian passenger planes had fallen victim to military aircraft.” IN SEPTEMBER of 1983, the word was rocked by news that Soviet…
Meet The ‘White Tights’ – The Mythical Spandex-Wearing Bombshells of the Chechen War
“According to army folklore, rebel commanders recruited the female crack-shots from various Nordic biathlon teams.” FOR MONTHS, foreign fighters from the Muslim world have been flooding into Syria to take part in the two-year-old civil…
