James Riddle Hoffa

Jimmy Hoffa is pictured during his years as president of the Teamsters Union. In 1964 he was convicted of jury tampering, attempted bribery, and fraud. On July 30, 1975, Hoffa attended a meeting with top Detroit mobsters at the Markus Red Fox Restaurant in suburban Detroit. It would be the last time he would ever be seen. His disappearance remains a mystery to this day.

Famous Stairway

Located at the three way intersection of Canal Rd NW / M St. NW / and US 29  in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC, the famous stairway that was featured in the movie The Exorcist is pictured above. It was from the top of these stairs that the priest was pushed and fell to his death in the 1973 film. The location remains a tourist attraction, especially for the avid movie buff.

Basketball

Dr. James Naismith and the peach baskets

he used as the first basketball hoops

The game of basketball was invented in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Dr. James Naismith. As a physical education teacher, Naismith developed this indoor game as a student activity during the winter months. The first organized basketball game was played on December 21, 1891 at the YMCA in Springfield. Gaining instant popularity, the game remains virtually unchanged to this day.

The USS Cole

USS Cole aboard the MV Blue Marlin

While on a routine fueling stop in Aden, Yemen, the navy destroyer USS Cole was attacked by suicide bombers on October 12, 2000, killing 17 people and injuring 39 more. As suspected, the terrorist organization al-Qaeda took responsibility for the bombing.

A US judge ultimately awarded 13 million dollars of Sudanese frozen assets to the families of the victims. The Cole was eventually returned to the United States aboard the semi submersible heavy duty transport ship MV Blue Marlin.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa at 18

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu on August 26, 1910 in Macedonia. A world renown Roman Catholic nun and humanitarian with Indian citizenship, she founded the Ministries of Charity in Calcutta in 1950.

For over 45 years up until her death on September 5, 1997, she ministered to the sick, the poor, the orphaned and the dying. Mother Teresa would be beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta.  

                       Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II

Ayers Rock

Ayers Rock at Sunset

On July 19, 1873, surveyor William Goose discovered a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of Northern Territory, Central Australia. He named it Ayers Rock, after South Australia's Chief Secretary Sir Henry Ayers.

Originally called Uluru by the Aboriginal people, who consider the rock as sacred, Ayers Rock is 1,142 feet high and 5.8 miles in circumference, with most of its' bulk being underground.

Now Australia's most famous natural landmark is officially named Uluru/Ayers Rock. 

The Ilkley Moor UFO

After his retirement in 1987, Philip Spencer moved from London to Ilkley Moor, UK. While photographing his new surroundings, he snapped the above photograph of a four foot tall green creature. Under hypnosis, Spencer told a fascinating tale of his being brought aboard an alien spacecraft, interrogated and eventually released.

Experts from all phases of this investigation concluded that his accounts appeared to be credible. The photo itself was deemed authentic by experts who stated that it could not have been doctored up or super-imposed.

Truth or fiction?  What do YOU think?

Penicillin

A poster attached to a curbside mailbox in 1944 reminds US servicemen of the benefits of penicillin.

In 1928, Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, which became a successful treatment for previously dangerous diseases. During World War II, the use of penicillin on the battlefield resulted in major differences in the number of deaths and amputations caused by infected wounds, saving an estimated 12 to 15% of lives.

Ruth Brown Snyder

On January 12, 1928, Ruth Brown Snyder was executed in Sing Sing Prison's electric chair for the murder of her husband. The famous picture of the actual execution appeared on the front pages of the tabloids. Thomas Brown, a news photographer, wore an ankle camera while in the witness area,  and snapped this picture during the actual electrocution.

Friendship 7

The Launch of Friendship 7

On February 20, 1962, the Mercury-Atlas 6 Mission was launched, and became the first attempt by NASA to place an astronaut in orbit. The MA-6 mission was piloted by astronaut John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit the Earth.

Hitler's Art

Despite his apparent artistic abilities, Adolph Hitler was denied admission into art school. He believed that his rejection came from a Jewish professor at the institution. Many feel that this rejection is what eventually shaped Hitler's character.

A Welcome Home

A parade in Savannah, Georgia on March 4, 1919 commemorating the return of World War I soldiers.

Prisoner #7

          Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg (circa 1937)

Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg is credited for having saved more than 20,000 Jews from extermination during World War II. He was arrested by the Russians in 1945, and never seen or heard from again. The reasons for his arrest remain unclear.

In a recently released story, Wallenberg is said to have been seen several times in prison by eyewitnesses who referred to him only as 'Prisoner #7', long after his reported execution in 1947. His disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of World War II.