Quirky History facts!

[Jay-qu]

The more I think about it the more I think its wrong. In terms of order of magnitudes each, going backwards in time adding up the previous populations will just add a decreasing value that would never pass the most significant digit.

[Michaelangelica]

Mark Twain and Halley's Comet

Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."

 

Talk about writing your own script!

 

The 21st, a bad day for King Louis XVI

When King Louis XVI of France was a child, he was warned by an astrologer to always be on his guard on the 21st day of each month. Louis ws so terrified by this that he never did business on this day. Unfortunately Louis was not always on his guard.

• On June 21st 1791, following the French revolution, Louis and his queen were arrested in Varennes, whist trying to escape France.
  
• On September 21st 1791, France abolished the institution of Royalty and proclaimed itself a republic.
  
• Finally on January 21st 1793, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine.
  

Both from

20 Most Amazing Coincidences

Read the Titanic one at that site

[Qfwfq]

Is that reasoning enough to show that figure is out by at least an order of magnitude?

Clever argument, but based on boldly assuming an overly simplified model. It can't be conclusive.

[Michaelangelica]

10 Things You Didn't Know About Hitler

 

by J. Kersey, Sep 3, 2007

The everyday life of one the most horrific dictators in history.

 

1.

His Nazi Rallies were Inspired by Harvard Cheerleaders:

Hitler's good friend, Ernst Hanfstaengl, had been sent to study at Harvard by his parents. When he returned, he described the cheerleaders to Adolf, who became obsessed with the idea of stirring blind enthusiasm in this way. "'Rah, rah, rah' became "Sig Heil, Heil Hitler," Hanfstaengl recalled later. "That is the origin of it, and I suppose I must take my part of the blame."

2.

He was a draft dodger:

As an Austrian, he was required to register for the draft at the age of 20. Historians believe that his failure to do this is the reason he changed addresses so frequently in this period. After five years, Austrian authorities finally tracked him to Munich.

They returned him to Austria, where he promptly failed his military physical, was judged unfit for combat, and let go.

3.

more at

10 Things You Didn't Know About Hitler

[Freddy]

When Hitler was evading the draft he was trying to be a painter. There was no war at the time and as stated above Hitler was deemed non-suitable to serve. When war did break out in 1914 Hitler wrote to Austria's king asking to be allowed to fight. His wish was granted and for the Austrian Corporal and the world, "the rest is history", and bad history it was!

[eric l]

... Hitler wrote to Austria's king asking to be allowed to fight.

 

A minor correction is needed here : In 1914 both Austria and Germany had an Emperor, but Bavaria (though part of the German Empire) was a kingdom. And Hitler served in a German regiment, not an Austrian.

The end of WW1 was also the end of those emperors and kings - Ludwig III of Bavaria abdicated in november 1918.

[Freddy]

A minor correction is needed here : In 1914 both Austria and Germany had an Emperor, but Bavaria (though part of the German Empire) was a kingdom. And Hitler served in a German regiment, not an Austrian.

The end of WW1 was also the end of those emperors and kings - Ludwig III of Bavaria abdicated in november 1918.

Yes, I should have said the Bavarian King. But Austrian corporal was not meant to make it look as if he did not serve in the German army, but that he was from Austria.

[Moontanman]

Not many people know it but At the beginning of WW2 Great Britain had plans to attack the US because they feared we might side with the Germans.We would have kicked their butts! :hihi: Our battleships were far better than theirs or the Germans and they planned a navel blockade using their atique battle ships Our industrial output exceded theirs and the Germans and the Japanese too, that's really why the allies won. We also offered to sink the Bismark with our "then" new battle ship North Carolina which had the first computer controlled 16 inch guns and were deadly accurate. But the Brits wanted that for themselves. I wonder how the North Carolina would have faired against the Bismark, the North Carolina could place 16" shells dead on target from almost 20 miles away and it had radar. Not a contest in my opinion.

 

Michael

[Qfwfq]

We also offered to sink the Bismark with our "then" new battle ship North Carolina which had the first computer controlled 16 inch guns and were deadly accurate. But the Brits wanted that for themselves. I wonder how the North Carolina would have faired against the Bismark, the North Carolina could place 16" shells dead on target from almost 20 miles away and it had radar.

I'm sure the Brits were able to make a ship like that themselves if necessary, they had the best radar of the time and Turing was one of the main pioneers of computers. Spitfire + radar + Turing: before the V2 rocket the Nazi were hardly denting the British defence.

 

The idea of attacking the US may have been considered as an alternative to trading strategic positions of the British Empire for the badly needed materials, which were abundant in America. From this follows an obvious reason why it would have likely been a failure. What happened instead was a shift from British to US hegemony in the world.

[Moontanman]

I'm sure the Brits were able to make a ship like that themselves if necessary, they had the best radar of the time and Turing was one of the main pioneers of computers. Spitfire + radar + Turing: before the V2 rocket the Nazi were hardly denting the British defence.

 

The idea of attacking the US may have been considered as an alternative to trading strategic positions of the British Empire for the badly needed materials, which were abundant in America. From this follows an obvious reason why it would have likely been a failure. What happened instead was a shift from British to US hegemony in the world.

 

 

Yes the Brits could have done it but they didn't, only the US had radar controled computer operated 16" guns at the time. The Brits paid for being behind the times by loosing the Hood. It's also true the mico electronics (of a sort compared to today) did as much to win the war in the pacific as the A-bomb did. We developed shells with a micro radar in the tip so they would explode from a near hit instead of actually having to hit the attacking fighter planes. The japanese didn't know what hit them and the war turned drastically against them from that time because we killed all their experienced pilots in short order. These things were above top secret at the time but now are known. BY the way, the Brits and the Aussies are thought of rather highly in the US. I would say the hegmony is an association of nations not a one nation show.

 

Michael

[Michaelangelica]

Not many people know it but At the beginning of WW2 Great Britain had plans to attack the US because they feared we might side with the Germans.

I would be surprised if this was true.

Do you have a source?

 

Churchill was certainly concerned about Kennedy (the brit-us diplomat) telling Rosevelt that GB was "finished" and that Hitler was wonderful.

 

Roosevelt was secretly giving aid to GB long before US got into the war.

If anyone had found out he would have been Impeached.

The Brit. Secret Service were active in Canada and US keeping tabs on the Germans. I think they even broke into the US/ German embassy and copied code books (?)

The Germans were pretty unhappy with what was happening so this may have influenced their support of Japan (?)

 

GB (Churchill) certainly wanted someone to get the US into the war and I might believe they had advance warning of the Pearl Harbour attack.

 

But to attack USA themselves -Nah- They were having enough trouble keeping their heads above water.

 

On Radar

Again you surprise me. The Brits. invented it!

They had to tell the lie that they were feeding their pilots on carrots to help their night vision. Carrots had only been used as horse food up to then. The myth still persists today. Certainly it was the reason my mum told me I had to eat my carrots as a kid.

I would have though Brit. Radar was superior unless they gave their technology to the Yanks.

Again do you have a source?

A lot of new stuff keeps being released from the archives.

One day we will really know what happened.

 

Australians are more Yank than Yanks.

Most believe that they were saved in WW2 at the Battle of the Coral Sea. Although really no one really "won" that battle -in terms of the damage done to both sides-It did show that the Japanese could be stopped or at least given a bloody nose. Australians are still pathetically grateful and and have fought along side you in every silly war you have been in since.

Iraq and Afghanistan being the latest insanity. (An Australian was killed in Afghanistan yesterday the second this month. I'll bet good money that that was not reported in the USA)

The fierce and bloody Oz/Jap battles in Kokoda Trail in the jungles of New Guinea and the very long Jap supply lines, by this stage, were starting to weaken the Japanese push south.

 

PS

A strange personal footnote

I was looking at my father's digitalised war records a few days ago and came on an envelope marked 'not to open until 1999'. Strange? I have sent an email to the War Memorial in Canberra to ask about it.

BTW The War Memorial Museum is probably the best reason to visit Canberra.

It is fantastic.

[Moontanman]

I would be surprised if this was true.

Do you have a source?

 

Churchill was certainly concerned about Kennedy (the brit-us diplomat) telling Rosevelt that GB was "finished" and that Hitler was wonderful.

 

Roosevelt was secretly giving aid to GB long before US got into the war.

If anyone had found out he would have been Impeached.

The Brit. Secret Service were active in Canada and US keeping tabs on the Germans. I think they even broke into the US/ German embassy and copied code books (?)

The Germans were pretty unhappy with what was happening so this may have influenced their support of Japan (?)

 

GB (Churchill) certainly wanted someone to get the US into the war and I might believe they had advance warning of the Pearl Harbour attack.

 

But to attack USA themselves -Nah- They were having enough trouble keeping their heads above water.

 

Actually it was just as the war started not very far into the war. I saw it on the History channel Where they reveal things that used to be top secret. Hitler also tried to get mexico to attact the USA but they declined.

 

Michael

[eric l]

Actually it was just as the war started not very far into the war. I saw it on the History channel Where they reveal things that used to be top secret. Hitler also tried to get mexico to attact the USA but they declined.

 

Michael

 

"Just as the war started..." would that mean in '39 when Hittler invaded Poland, or in '40 when he invaded anmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Begium and France. 1940 would be extremely inprobable because the UK simply didn't have any troops left after Dunkirk that were fit enough to start something like an invasion.

Or have you been reading "The mouse that roared" (they made a movie of it, too, with Peter Sellers).

Or do you thake the anexation of Sudetenland as the start of WW2 (october 1938), or maybe even the "Anschluss" of Austria (march 1938)?

[Moontanman]

"Just as the war started..." would that mean in '39 when Hittler invaded Poland, or in '40 when he invaded anmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Begium and France. 1940 would be extremely inprobable because the UK simply didn't have any troops left after Dunkirk that were fit enough to start something like an invasion.

Or have you been reading "The mouse that roared" (they made a movie of it, too, with Peter Sellers).

Or do you thake the anexation of Sudetenland as the start of WW2 (october 1938), or maybe even the "Anschluss" of Austria (march 1938)?

 

 

Actually they didn't intend to invade, they planned to blockade our harbors and attck us on the high seas if we started to supply Germany with materials. And I think it was just a just in case senerio. but Hitler tried very hard to get mexico to invade the US.

 

Michael

[eric l]

Actually they didn't intend to invade, they planned to blockade our harbors and attck us on the high seas if we started to supply Germany with materials. And I think it was just a just in case senerio. but Hitler tried very hard to get mexico to invade the US.

 

Michael

 

I thaught that these efforts to make Mexico start a war with the US was something from WW1 - the Zimmerman telegram and more of that (Zimmermann Telegram - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

[Moontanman]

I thaught that these efforts to make Mexico start a war with the US was something from WW1 - the Zimmerman telegram and more of that (Zimmermann Telegram - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

You could be right about that, it has been awhile since i saw the show and I am old. My memory could playing games with me. Actually both senerios coudhave been from ww1, makes more sense that way.

 

Michael

[Moontanman]

check out this steam powered airplane!

 

The Besler Steam Plane 1933 - the first (and probably only) plane which successfully went into the air under steam power!