Heathen, n.: A benighted creature who has the folly to worship something that he can see and feel.
Ambrose Bierce
Back in the day
The Courrières mine disaster, the worst mining accident in European history, killed 1,099 miners in Northern France. It is generally agreed that the majority of the deaths and destruction were caused by an explosion of dust which swept through the mine, however, it has never been ascertained what caused the coal dust to ignite in the first place. A group of thirteen survivors, later known as the rescapés, was found by rescuers twenty days after the explosion. How had they survived?
Feature
El Dorado is the legendary golden city sought by 16th- and 17th-century explorers in the New World. The legend is said to derive from a custom of the Chibcha people of Colombia who each year anointed a chieftain and rolled him in gold, which he ceremonially washed off in a sacred lake while casting offerings of emeralds and gold into the waters. The supposed location of the fabled city shifted as new regions were explored and ruled out. In what places did the conquistadors search for El Dorado?
Born on a day like today
Carlos "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and action star best known for his titular role on the television series Walker, Texas Ranger. After serving in the US Air Force, Norris became a martial arts champion and an actor, starring in many action films. In 2005, Norris became the subject of an Internet phenomenon known as "Chuck Norris Facts," which document fictional, often absurdly heroic feats and characteristics about him. Which "fact" is reportedly Norris' favorite?
Last updated on Thursday, 11th March 2010
