There are many events in the world that repeat themselves over and over again. For example, solar eclipses are quite rare, but predictable. The Olympic Games return every four years, bringing together athletes from all over the world. Thanks to technological progress, even such large-scale events as space flights are becoming more and more commonplace. But in the history of mankind, there were events that happened only once and never repeated. They amaze with their uniqueness and leave a mark on world history, causing surprise and many questions. What events are we talking about? Let's figure it out.
Contents
- 1 In 1969, Niagara Falls was left without water
- 2 The 1814 London Beer Flood
- 3 The only successful airplane hijacking
- 4 A girl changed her blood type
- 5 The most powerful magnetic storm in history
In 1969, Niagara Falls was left without water
In 1969, Niagara Falls, considered one of the most famous natural wonders in the world, was left without water. This grand natural wonder, located on the border of the United States and Canada, attracts millions of tourists every year.
But that year, scientists decided to stop the flow of the Niagara River to study the geological features beneath the falls. Over three days, using more than 1,200 truckloads of rock, they blocked the flow of water on the American side (the falls are made up of three parts) and temporarily diverted the flow of water to the Canadian side.
It was expected that such an experiment would scare away tourists, but the opposite happened – more than 10 thousand people came to see the unique spectacle. They not only looked at the dried-up waterfall, but also collected coins that other tourists had left over the centuries.
During the investigation, engineers discovered both years of accumulation of rocks and debris, as well as two bodies – a man and a woman, whose identities were never established. The experiment helped to strengthen the rocks and prevent future destruction of the waterfall, and five months later the waterfall returned to its usual power, delighting millions of people to this day.
The London Beer Flood of 1814
On October 17, 1814, London suffered one of the most unusual and tragic floods in history – a beer flood. The Horse Shoe Brewery at the junction of Great Russell Street and Tottenham Court Road caused over 320,000 gallons (about 1.5 million liters!) of hot beer to spill onto the streets. It all started when an iron ring holding a huge wooden tank of beer burst, and an hour later the giant container burst, destroying the wall of the brewery and releasing a torrent that destroyed several neighboring buildings.
A beer wave up to 4.5 meters high instantly flooded nearby streets and houses in the St. Giles area, which at that time was a poor area of London. As a result of the collapse of houses and flooding, eight people died, including a mother and daughter who accidentally fell under the stream, as well as several people who attended a wake in one of the houses. Despite the tragedy, some locals took advantage of the situation, scooping up beer in buckets and even drinking it right from the streets.
Read also: Which beer destroys the body and causes obesity, and which is the most harmless?
The only successful hijacking of an airplane
One of the most daring and mysterious hijackings of an airplane occurred on November 24, 1971. A man named Dan Cooper boarded a flight from Portland (USA) with a bomb in his briefcase, then demanded $200,000 and two parachutes. When his demands were met, the hijacker released the passengers and forced the crew to take off. After a while, he opened the back door and jumped out with a parachute, disappearing forever. Despite many years of searching, he was never found.
In 2016, the FBI officially closed the case without revealing Cooper's identity. The money later found, believed to belong to the hijacker, is the only lead. The case remains one of the most mysterious and successful adventures in aviation history.
Girl Changed Her Blood Type
In 2008, something incredible happened to 9-year-old Australian Demi-Leigh Brennan after she received a liver transplant. Her blood type changed, and doctors discovered that her white blood cells now resembled those of the donor, the man from whom she received the organ. As doctors explained, stem cells from the donor liver replaced the girl’s own blood cells, and along with the liver, she received the donor’s immune system.
The most amazing thing is that after this, Demi-Lee no longer needs to take medications so that her body does not reject the transplanted organ. This is a unique and still unrepeatable case in medicine, and she has been living without these drugs for many years.
Related article: What your blood type can tell you – check yourself right now
The most powerful magnetic storm in history
The Carrington Event was a major solar storm that occurred in early September 1859. English amateur astronomer Richard Carrington was observing sunspots when he suddenly saw a bright flash of light. It was a manifestation of a coronal mass ejection – a powerful ejection of plasma from the surface of the Sun. In just 18 hours, the ejection reached the Earth, causing a geomagnetic storm of unprecedented strength.
The world literally stopped: telegraph systems failed, sparks flew from devices, and auroras appeared in the sky, which could be seen even in the tropics. People were shocked: some thought the end of the world had begun. Scientists realized that solar flares can cause such destructive effects on Earth. Today, the Carrington Event reminds us that similar storms can happen again and cause enormous damage to modern technology.
In recent years, solar storms have become more frequent, and scientists are closely monitoring the activity of our star. Although events of the Carrington scale are rare, there is a chance that they will happen again. If such a storm happens in our time, it could seriously affect satellite communications, navigation systems, and even cause large-scale power grid failures.
Be sure to subscribe to our Telegram channel. There are posts there that will never appear on the site!
How prepared are we for such a scenario? The answer to this question may not be so obvious. To learn more about how magnetic storms can affect us, check out our article “What is a magnetic storm and how does it affect our lives?”