History Dispatches

Military units often have mascots, but not many are as impactful as Sgt. Gander, a massive Newfoundland dog donated to the Royal Rifles of Canada. Sgt. Gander was the quintessential military dog - and his actions during World War II saved many lives during the Battle of Hong Kong.

Sources

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canada/sergeant-gander-and-his-handler-memorial

https://www.hkvca.ca/cforcedata/indivreport/indivdetailed.php?regtno=X200#gsc.tab=0

Image: Canada. Dept. of National Defense / Library and Archives Canada - https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/fra/accueil/notice?idnumber=3241498&app=FonAndCol&resource=folderlist&ecopy=a116791-v6

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The Oseberg ship is one of the finest surviving examples of a viking longship. It was discovered - along with two bodies - in a large burial mound at the Oseberg farm near Tønsberg, Norway. This is the story of the Oseberg ship - one of the finest relics from the Viking Age.

Sources

https://www.vikingtidsmuseet.no/english/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oseberg_ship

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oseberg-ship

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Excavation_Oseberg_ship_1.jpg

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In late 1867, the Headmaster's house at Christ College, New Zealand, caught on fire. This was not uncommon at the time, but what is uncommon is this fire involved a quack fire chief, false accusations, and a comedy of errors.

Sources

"College!: a history of Christ's College" by Don Hamilton

Special thanks to Taurapa

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Gargoyles are creepy. They are twisted, leering, tortured looking statues. Their mouths are often wide open - and serve as the exit of a water spout. So what is the story behind this unnerving bit of architecture? Was the gargoyle a ward against evil? Or was it something more sinister? This is the story of the gargoyle.

Sources

https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-a-gargoyle/

https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/gargoyles-0012253

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gargoyle

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In September of 1987 two looters in Goiânia, Brazil, stole an unattended device carrying the highly radioactive Cesium 137. After breaking open the device, the radioactive material spread throughout the city, causing massive panic and taking four lives.

Sources

https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub815_web.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goi%C3%A2nia_accident

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