A 200-year-old portrait of George Washington has been stolen from a storage unit in Colorado, prompting a joint investigation by the Englewood Police Department and the FBI. The painting, considered a "national treasure," was taken from a storage facility in Englewood, and authorities are seeking information from the public. The thieves' motive and whether they specifically targeted the painting remain unclear, and a reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for tips leading to its recovery.
A 4-year-old girl named Henley Wollak and her father discovered a 152-year-old shipwreck, believed to be the George L. Newman, on Lake Michigan. The shipwreck, which had been largely forgotten, was exposed and located by the Wollaks during a boating trip last summer. The vessel sank in 1871 while navigating through heavy smoke from the Peshtigo Fire, the deadliest forest fire in U.S. history. The discovery has been deemed significant by historians, and while Henley may not fully grasp its historical importance, she is excited for future adventures on the lake.
Rhode Island claims that the burning of the HMS Gaspee in 1772, 18 months before the Boston Tea Party, was the first major armed act of rebellion by American colonists and played a significant role in unifying the colonies for the war to come. However, the Gaspee affair has been largely forgotten outside of Rhode Island and remains little studied by historians of the American Revolution. Rhode Island-based historians argue that the state's own contributions to the revolution, including being the first colony to declare independence from Britain, have been overshadowed by Massachusetts and Virginia. Efforts are now being made to ensure that the burning of the Gaspee is not forgotten and receives more recognition in history textbooks.
Halley's Comet, the famous periodic comet, reaches aphelion, its farthest point from the sun, on December 9th. This marks the midpoint between its last appearance in 1986 and its next expected appearance in 2061. At aphelion, the comet is located 35.14 AU (almost 3.3 billion miles or 5.3 billion kilometers) from the sun, beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is too far for amateur or professional telescopes to observe, and there are no plans for NASA to image it at this point. Halley's Comet has a rich historical significance and has been observed since ancient times.
Austria plans to convert Adolf Hitler's birthplace in Braunau am Inn into a police station, aiming to rid it of its neo-Nazi pilgrimage site status. However, this decision is met with resistance from various groups, including a citizens' association and a filmmaker who made a documentary about the town. The search for an appropriate use of the house has been ongoing for years, with a commission recommending a socially charitable or official-administrative use to break through the symbolism of the site. The proposal to permanently display a traveling exhibition about courageous non-Jewish people who saved Jews during the Holocaust is also being considered. Construction work on the police station is set to begin in October.
Austria plans to convert Adolf Hitler's birthplace in Braunau am Inn into a police station, aiming to rid it of its neo-Nazi pilgrimage site status. However, the decision is met with resistance from citizens and activists who argue that a police station sends the wrong message and that the house should be used intelligently and responsibly in terms of contemporary history. The search for an appropriate use for the house has been ongoing for years, with suggestions ranging from educational projects to contemporary history exhibitions. The conversion to a police station is set to begin in October.
Christian Agostino von Hassell, the grandson of an aristocrat, lost a collection of family heirlooms, including an 18th-century French writing desk with historical significance, when his storage unit in Queens, New York was sold due to missed payments. The desk, worth $39,000, had been passed down through generations and was stored alongside other valuable items such as oil paintings, samurai armor, and books dating back to World War I. Despite efforts to recover the items, von Hassell has been unsuccessful, and his health issues have taken priority.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured a stunning image of the lenticular galaxy NGC 3156, located 73 million light-years away in the constellation Sextans. Sextans, a small constellation named after the navigational instrument sextant, holds historical significance as Islamic scholars developed astronomical sextants centuries before their use in navigation. While modern astronomy no longer relies on sextants, NGC 3156 continues to be studied for its globular clusters, recent star formation, and the impact of a supermassive black hole at its center. Sextants, shaped like one-sixth of a circle, were crucial tools for accurate navigation over vast expanses of ocean and air.
As the 22nd anniversary of the September 11th attacks approaches, a new generation of Marine recruits, who were born several years after the attacks, are joining the military. The fading memory of 9/11 is evident as even their instructors have vague recollections of that day. The focus has shifted towards future threats, such as China and Russia, and the recruits are motivated by personal improvement, benefits, and service to the nation rather than a desire to fight terrorists. The historical significance of 9/11 is becoming more distant for these recruits, who see it as a date to mark rather than a lived experience.
An op-ed argues that the first Artemis lunar mission should prioritize the lunar south pole over returning to Tranquility Base, citing historical significance, lower mission risk, and the opportunity for polar exploration. However, the authors counter that sentimental value should not outweigh the need to move forward and utilize resources efficiently. They argue that returning to Tranquility Base may cause irreparable harm to the site and artifacts, and that securing it as a historical site requires international recognition. They emphasize the importance of focusing on finding and utilizing lunar resources to facilitate longer missions, and highlight the advancements in technology and risk analysis that make the lunar south pole a viable and beneficial destination.
