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On July 28, 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber of the United States Army Air Forces accidentally crashed into the north side of the Empire State Building in New York City while flying in thick fog. The crash killed fourteen people (three crewmen and eleven people in the building), and an estimated twenty-four others were injured. Damage caused by the crash was estimated at US$1 million (equivalent to about $17 million in 2024), but the building's structural integrity was not compromised.
The crash spurred the passage of the long-pending Federal Tort Claims Act, which was signed into law by President Harry S. Truman in August 1946, initiating retroactive provisions into the law and allowing people to sue the government for the accident.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1945_Empire_State_Building_B-25_crash#cite_note-NPR-7"><span>[</span></a>
 
In 2007, scientists made a stunning discovery off the coast of Alaska—a Bowhead whale was found with the tip of a 19th-century harpoon embedded deep in its neck. The harpoon fragment was identified as a bomb lance manufactured around 1890, revealing that the whale had survived a human hunting attempt over a century earlier. This extraordinary find provided rare, tangible evidence of the Bowhead whale’s incredible longevity. Known to be one of the longest-living mammals on Earth, Bowhead whales can live well over 100 years, with some estimates suggesting lifespans reaching up to 200 years. The embedded harpoon not only told a story of survival and resilience but also offered a glimpse into the past—an era of intense commercial whaling. Despite facing industrial-scale hunting, this whale managed to escape, heal, and continue its journey through Arctic waters for more than 100 years. The discovery serves as a powerful reminder of the deep history these majestic creatures carry within them, and the silent tales that swim beneath the surface of the sea.

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During World War II a B-17 Flying Fortress that landed outside of Kortenberg, Belgium came to be known as the Phantom Fortress.

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The event happened November 1944, just over three weeks before the start of the Battle of the Bulge. A Royal Air Force antiaircraft unit stationed at a field outside of Kortenberg, Belgium witnessed a B-17 of the 91st Bombardment Group land near them, its gear down. No such landings were scheduled to take place and the plane landed so roughly that props were snapped of. Because there were no landings scheduled, the RAF personnel thought this was an emergency landing and that one or more of the crew was either injured or dying. However, no one exited the plane. When they investigated, they found there was no-one aboard. The plane's log/code book contained the only clue to be found, the last entry stating the plane had run into "bad flak". However, the only damage the plane showed was from the landing. The crew members were eventually found alive in Belgium, having bailed out of the plane. The crew reported the plane had taken heavy damage that had forced them to turn back to England. However, none of the damage they reported could be tied to the Phantom Fortress itself. For more, see War History Online's article "Phantom Fortress: The Crewless Landing of a B-17".
 
Archaeologists may have just unearthed the final resting place of one of history’s most legendary figures—Genghis Khan himself. In Mongolia’s remote Khentii province, near the banks of the Onon River, road construction workers stumbled upon a mass grave of 68 skeletons atop a mysterious stone structure. Forensic experts now believe these were the laborers who built the tomb, sacrificed to ensure its location remained a secret.
Even more astonishing were the twelve horse skeletons buried alongside glittering gold and silver artifacts—clear offerings for the afterlife. Carbon dating and historical analysis place the site firmly between 1215 and 1235 CE, matching the era of Genghis Khan’s reign and suggesting that this could indeed be his long-lost burial chamber.
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While preparing costumes for The Wizard of Oz, the wardrobe team searched for a coat that would suit the eccentric and slightly mysterious character of Professor Marvel. They eventually found one that perfectly matched their vision - worn, dignified, and timelessly elegant. It’s the very coat we see Frank Morgan wearing in the film. But what seemed like a simple vintage wardrobe choice turned out to be something far more remarkable.
One day on set, Morgan was fiddling with the coat and discovered a label sewn inside. It read: “Tailored for L. Frank Baum.” Yes, that L. Frank Baum, the original author of the Oz books. As it turns out, Baum had lived in Los Angeles during the silent film era, making it entirely possible the coat had been his. This incredible coincidence was kept quiet by the studio at the time, fearing no one would believe it. But what a magical twist: the creator of Oz, quite literally woven into the fabric of its most iconic film.
 
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