Lesser known historical events 16:42 - Jan 6 with 1869 views | okeh_for_some | The book thread got me thinking of a couple of lesser known pieces of history that to me are pretty incredible. I was in New York in Oct and visited Liberty State Park. In the little museum in the old railway station there were some artefacts from an explosion on Black Tom Island. Apparently there was a munitions store on a small man made island that was blown up by German spies. The US were selling munitions to both the German and Allied forces, but a British naval blockade meant only the Allied armaments were getting through. German spies, possibly dock workers of German heritage, took exception and blew the island to smithereens. It was one of the contributory factors to the US entering WW1. This led me onto the other piece of history which I was totally unaware. The Zimmermann Telegram was a diplomatic communication intercepted by British Intelligence in which Germany pledged to handover part of Texas to Mexico, if Mexico supported the German war effort. America was so incensed when it became public knowledge it was the final straw. I’d always thought the sinking of US shipping and of the Lusitania was the deciding factor. | ![](/images/avatars/24826.gif) | | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Lesser known historical events on 16:56 - Jan 6 with 1859 views | Lala | You know a lot more than me Okeh, interesting. We were talking all things historical at work recently and I really need to up my game. It's on my 2019 bucket list to be learn more and more about the past. I did read up on WW1 last year, Franz Ferdinand and all that, but I've forgotten a lot of it already 🤔 New York was fab I bet. | ![](/images/avatars/16750.gif) |
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Lesser known historical events on 17:09 - Jan 6 with 1853 views | BringBackTheRedRoom | There's a Japanese war cemetery on Malta (I think?) for their sailors that died on the Allies side in WW1. Also check out the German - Russian peace treaty of Mar 1918 (called Brest-Litovsk). Russia gave up huge areas of territory, and population to the Germans. (It was voided after the end of WW1). Also in WW2 Japan managed to bomb the American mainland, by sending bombs tied to balloons up into the jet stream. (Think they killed about 4 people). If you do podcasts, try Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, Blueprint For Armageddon (in 6 parts) about WW1. He's a bit shouty in parts, but it's a fairly good starting point for dipping into this subject. | ![](/images/avatars/15449.gif) |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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Lesser known historical events on 17:15 - Jan 6 with 1850 views | okeh_for_some |
Lesser known historical events on 16:56 - Jan 6 by Lala | You know a lot more than me Okeh, interesting. We were talking all things historical at work recently and I really need to up my game. It's on my 2019 bucket list to be learn more and more about the past. I did read up on WW1 last year, Franz Ferdinand and all that, but I've forgotten a lot of it already 🤔 New York was fab I bet. |
Lala - knew nothing of Black Tom Island and The Zimmermann Telegram before I visited the museum so I can’t claim to be a historical guru, but it does interest me. We also stumbled on another great piece of history when touring round New Hampshire. Driving in the middle of nowhere we came upon a huge imposing hotel. We went for breakfast (and a nosey) and it turned out to be Bretton Woods where the IMF was created after WW2. If you’ve not done NY it’s another to add to your bucket list. | ![](/images/avatars/24826.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Lesser known historical events on 17:22 - Jan 6 with 1845 views | okeh_for_some |
Lesser known historical events on 17:09 - Jan 6 by BringBackTheRedRoom | There's a Japanese war cemetery on Malta (I think?) for their sailors that died on the Allies side in WW1. Also check out the German - Russian peace treaty of Mar 1918 (called Brest-Litovsk). Russia gave up huge areas of territory, and population to the Germans. (It was voided after the end of WW1). Also in WW2 Japan managed to bomb the American mainland, by sending bombs tied to balloons up into the jet stream. (Think they killed about 4 people). If you do podcasts, try Dan Carlin's Hardcore History, Blueprint For Armageddon (in 6 parts) about WW1. He's a bit shouty in parts, but it's a fairly good starting point for dipping into this subject. |
Cheers BBRR - some more historical facts to research and a podcast to listen. Sounds like you’re a bit of a history aficionado. | ![](/images/avatars/24826.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Lesser known historical events on 17:28 - Jan 6 with 1841 views | BringBackTheRedRoom |
Lesser known historical events on 17:22 - Jan 6 by okeh_for_some | Cheers BBRR - some more historical facts to research and a podcast to listen. Sounds like you’re a bit of a history aficionado. |
Love the subject. Listening to History Of The Roman Empire podcasts at the moment. Next time you're in the USA, remind them we burned down the White House in 1814, always goes down well!!! | ![](/images/avatars/15449.gif) |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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Lesser known historical events on 17:39 - Jan 6 with 1836 views | okeh_for_some |
Lesser known historical events on 17:28 - Jan 6 by BringBackTheRedRoom | Love the subject. Listening to History Of The Roman Empire podcasts at the moment. Next time you're in the USA, remind them we burned down the White House in 1814, always goes down well!!! |
BBRR - yeah the Star Spangled Banner was written as we were shelling the White House. Shame it was a few years too early for Donald’s residency! | ![](/images/avatars/24826.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Lesser known historical events on 17:55 - Jan 6 with 1828 views | Wizaard | The White House is only painted to cover up the scorch marks where we set it alight. | ![](/images/avatars/15067.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) | Login to get fewer ads
Lesser known historical events on 20:07 - Jan 6 with 1809 views | spell_chekker |
Lesser known historical events on 17:15 - Jan 6 by okeh_for_some | Lala - knew nothing of Black Tom Island and The Zimmermann Telegram before I visited the museum so I can’t claim to be a historical guru, but it does interest me. We also stumbled on another great piece of history when touring round New Hampshire. Driving in the middle of nowhere we came upon a huge imposing hotel. We went for breakfast (and a nosey) and it turned out to be Bretton Woods where the IMF was created after WW2. If you’ve not done NY it’s another to add to your bucket list. |
Some interesting history stuff from Okeh and Red. However, the thing I want to know is Okeh - What did you have for breakfast at the hotel in New Hampshire? | ![](/images/avatars/15146.gif) |
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Lesser known historical events on 20:24 - Jan 6 with 1805 views | okeh_for_some |
Lesser known historical events on 20:07 - Jan 6 by spell_chekker | Some interesting history stuff from Okeh and Red. However, the thing I want to know is Okeh - What did you have for breakfast at the hotel in New Hampshire? |
SC - I’d really like to say something typically American, like peach waffles, however just coffee and toast/preserves. My wife was much more adventurous and went for fruit, muesli and yoghurt. The fruit came pre-sliced on a plate big enough for a turkey with just about every type of fruit you can imagine - enough to feed an army of hungry bears. The only downside was the bill. I nearly fell off my chair. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_Hotel [Post edited 6 Jan 2019 20:30]
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Lesser known historical events on 20:31 - Jan 6 with 1798 views | spell_chekker |
Lesser known historical events on 20:24 - Jan 6 by okeh_for_some | SC - I’d really like to say something typically American, like peach waffles, however just coffee and toast/preserves. My wife was much more adventurous and went for fruit, muesli and yoghurt. The fruit came pre-sliced on a plate big enough for a turkey with just about every type of fruit you can imagine - enough to feed an army of hungry bears. The only downside was the bill. I nearly fell off my chair. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington_Hotel [Post edited 6 Jan 2019 20:30]
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Cheers Okeh!!!!! Sometimes, the fun is in the small deatails. | ![](/images/avatars/15146.gif) |
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Lesser known historical events on 01:25 - Jan 7 with 1790 views | BringBackTheRedRoom | Never knew this https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-46348917 I've seen some, but had been told they were connected to old aerodromes. Mystery solved. | ![](/images/avatars/15449.gif) |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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Lesser known historical events on 17:44 - Jan 7 with 1755 views | janegallagher |
Didn’t we have some fabulous buildings. Sadly some no longer here. | ![](/images/avatars/15071.gif) |
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Lesser known historical events on 17:54 - Jan 7 with 1753 views | BringBackTheRedRoom | Much of the American Bill Of Rights, and the right to bear arms, come from the English Bill Of Rights 1689. The "right to bear arms" really only started to die out from about 1920 in Britain, when various laws have brought in stricter gun controls. | ![](/images/avatars/15449.gif) |
| ‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’ |
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Lesser known historical events on 20:13 - Jan 7 with 1744 views | okeh_for_some |
Great photos Spell Chekker. I haven’t trawled through them all but one of my favs of old Blackpool is a picture of BFCs first ‘stadium’at Stanley Park. I have a photo on my wall of Blackpool prom in the 1950s I really like, complete with teddy boys and all. It’s a copy of a photo taken by a friend’s uncle who had a seafood stall on the front. | ![](/images/avatars/24826.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
Lesser known historical events on 15:30 - Jan 8 with 1734 views | 3goalsfred | On holiday in North Wales a couple of years ago we went to Red Wharf Bay on Anglesey. There’s a memorial there to c100 soles lost on HMS Thetis, a submarine, just before WW2. New sub on sea trials out of Birkenhead they had a problem and couldn’t resurface near the bay. I think 1 or 2 escaped but the remainder slowly ran out of oxygen and died. It’s reported that most could have been saved by simply cutting a hole in the few feet of the hull sticking out of the water, but they didn’t. RIP The sub was refloated, refitted and re named HMS Thunderbolt, had an impressive fighting history before being sunk again, in the Med. during WW2 by an Italian corvette. History is all around us Fred | ![](/images/avatars/0.gif) | | ![](/images/icons/ignore-user.png) |
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