Mikhail Speransky

   Mikhail Speransky was one of the most powerful statesman during the reign of Alexander I of Russia.

   Remarkable for:   He was a reformist and idealist. Despite his immense power, he did not use it for personal gain. He is also credited with creating the first unified Code of Law of the Russian Empire.

Source: Wikipedia

The Nuragic Civilization

   The Nuragic Civilization was a civilization of Sardinia.

   Remarkable for:   They left behind large stone constructions. They are also believed to have some connection with the little known Sea People who invaded Egypt.

Source: Wikipedia

The Highland Potato Famine

   The Highland Potato Famine was a famine caused by potato blight that struck the Scottish Highlands in the 1840s.

   Remarkable for:   This famine is one of several such incidents in the area in the 1840s. They resulted in great hardship and in the migration of some of the population to Canada and Australia.

The Battle of Agnadello

   The Battle of Agnadello was one of the major battles of the Italian Wars.

   Remarkable for:   It was one of the more significant battles of the War of the League of Cambrai, part of the conflicts collectively known as the Italian Wars. The battle itself is remarkable for showing how disagreement between army commanders and disobeying orders can lead to disaster. The War of the League of Cambrai is also interesting, because nobody seemed to be able to make up their mind!

Manfred von Richthofen

   Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen was a German flying ace of World War I.

   Remarkable for:   Manfred von Richthofen, also known as the Red Baron, was the top flying ace of the war. He was credited with 80 victories, more than any other pilot, thus becoming the most widely-known fighter pilot of all time.

Donald Cunnell

   Donald Charles Cunnell was a British flying ace of World War I .

   Remarkable for:   Donald Cunnell was credited with nine victories, one of them against the famous Red Baron.

The Battle of Jutland

   The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, during the First World War.

   Remarkable for:   The battle was the largest naval battle and the only full-scale clash of battleships in the war, with the two fleets totaling a combined force of 250 ships. By the end of the engagement 15 British and 11 German ships were sunk, with great loss of life. Both sides claimed victory.

The Nazi UFO Conspiracy Theory

   Nazi UFOs were rumored to be advanced German flying machines unlike anything anyone had seen before.

   Remarkable for:   The stories and the conspiracy theories abound on the subject, even if there is no evidence that there ever were such machines. It is safe to say that some of the stories were fueled by the obsession of the German leadership with the occult, while others were fueled by the seemingly unlimited engineering capabilities of the German scientists. Below is a documentary on the subject. It is not to be taken too seriously, yet the story is quite remarkable, nevertheless.

The Year 1950 in Science

   The year 1950 in science. If you are so inclined.

   Remarkable for:   Dutch astronomer Jan Oort postulates the existence of an orbiting cloud of planets (the Oort cloud) at the outermost edge of the Solar System. No, that's not what it is remarkable for... Yes! No. Yes! No. Hmm...

The History of Communism

   The history of communism stretches from the Paleolithic to the present day. Or so they say.

   Remarkable for:   Communism is a fascinating subject, and a good knowledge of it might help. Especially in the voting booth. Someone said to me once: "As long as people have to work for their bread, communism is impossible." Nope, nope, I just made that up.