During WWII, America was seeking a way to avoid the German submarine fleet that prowled the waters of the Atlantic. Businessman Henry Kaiser would team up with aviation pioneer and film director Howard Hughes to find a way to bypass to this problem. That solution was the largest plane ever constructed. And the amazing thing is that they were going to construct it out of wood. This is the story of the Spruce Goose.

Sources

https://www.evergreenmuseum.org/exhibit/the-spruce-goose/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hughes_H-4_Hercules

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H-4_Hercules_2.jpg

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On May 24, 1941, the German battleship Bismarck faced off against the pride of the British Navy - the HMS Hood. The Hood lasted eight minutes - sending the British admiralty into a frenzy. If the new, powerful Bismarck could get into the shipping lanes in the North Atlantic - Great Britain could be choked off of critical supplies from Canada and the United States. And so word was sent from the highest sources, Sink the Bismarck.

Sources

https://www.kbismarck.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_battleship_Bismarck

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_193-04-1-26,_Schlachtschiff_Bismarck.jpg

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We all love a good silly pun name. There are the classics, such as Harry Pitts, or Seymour Butts. But one of the best was also a real person - Ima Hogg. Born in the late 1800’s to the governor of Texas, she would - either despite or because of her interesting name - lead a remarkable life. She became a patron of the arts, contributor to historic preservation, and an early proponent of mental health research and care. This is the story of Ima Hogg.

Sources

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/hogg-ima

https://www.humanitiestexas.org/programs/tx-originals/list/ima-hogg

https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/hall-of-fame/ima-hogg/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ImaHogg.jpg

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On Aug. 24, 1970, a bomb went off outside of Sterling Hall, the home of the Army Math Research Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The destruction damaged 26 buildings, killed one man, and injured several others. It was, until 1995, the most destructive act of domestic terrorism in United States History. This is the story of the Sterling Hall Bombing.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Hall_bombing

https://mediamilwaukee.com/special-projects/sterling-hall-bombing/

https://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/the-blast-that-changed-everything/

Images

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sterling_Hall_bombing_after_explosion_1.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sterling_Hall_Bombers.jpg

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Born in 1892, Rafael Hernández Marín rose from humble origins to one of the greatest musicians in history. He started playing professionally at the age of 14, served in a military band in WWI, and ended up touring the world. His style took influences from African American music, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and others. He wrote over 3,000 songs, and is one of the greatest Latin American artists of all time. This is the story of Rafael Hernández Marín.

Sources

https://en.enciclopediapr.org/content/rafael-hernandez-marin/

https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/rafael-hernandez

"Preciosa" by Marc Anthony - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbbB1BFL-qg&list=RDRbbB1BFL-qg

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In 1893, a newspaper in northern Wisconsin reported the discovery of a Hodag - a mythical creature associated with Paul Bunyan. Reports of the creature would continue to pop up over the next few years - until one was captured and put on display at the local county fair. However, interest from the scientific community quickly revealed the Hodag to be a hoax. But that did not stop the Hodag from cementing its place in American folklore.

Sources

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS2321

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodag

Image: by Gourami Watcher - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hodag_002.jpg

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Under a hot afternoon sun in 216 BC, the great Carthaginian general Hannibal scored one of the greatest victories in military history. Outnumbered by 30,000 men, he lured the Roman army into a trap, surrounded and destroyed the entire army. This is the story of the Battle of Cannae.

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In the early 1900s, one man proved essential to polar exploration. This man took part in multiple expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic - including the first traversing of the Northwest Passage by ship, and the first journey to reach the South Pole. Explorer Roald Amundsen said the man, “has rendered greater and more valuable service to the Norwegian polar expeditions than any other man.” The amazing thing is that this man was a cook. This is the story of Adolf Lindstrøm - the Polar Chef.

Sources

https://amundsen.mia.no/en/person/adolf-henrik-lindstrom-2/

https://frammuseum.no/polar-history/explorers/adolf-henrik-lindstrom-1866-1939/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adolf_Lindstrøm_med_prøver_av_fisken_på_King_William_Island,_1904.jpg

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In 1667, the Treaty of Breda was signed, ending the Second Anglo Dutch War. However, this treaty was so impactful that it solidified the golden age of the Dutch Republic for the next century, and gave England control over what would become the United States. This is the story of the Treaty of Breda.

Sources

https://opil.ouplaw.com/page/492

https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Breda

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Congress_of_Breda.jpg

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Alcohol and ships have gone hand-in-hand ever since humans have set out onto the oceans. In time, drinking became an honored ritual - and even a right. But in the 1600s, alcohol consumption within the British Navy became so troublesome a new concoction was developed to curb the excesses of the sailors. This was the combining of rum with water. This is the history of Grog.

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grog

https://vinepair.com/articles/the-definitive-history-of-grog/

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Royal_Navy_during_the_First_World_War_Q17966.jpg

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