The Death of Sitting Bull

 

In the late 1880s, the Ghost Dance movement swept through Native American communities, offering hope of a spiritual renewal that would restore traditional ways and expel white settlers. Sitting Bull, though not a primary leader of the movement, supported its message of cultural revival. On December 15, 1890, Indian Agency police, acting on orders to arrest him, arrived at Sitting Bull’s cabin on the Standing Rock Reservation. The attempt to apprehend him turned violent when his followers resisted. Sitting Bull was shot and killed. He was around 59 years old.  He is buried at Fort Yates, North Dakota.

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The Death of George Washington

 

George Washington died on December 14, 1799.  Fearing premature burial, he requested of his doctors to be “decently buried” and to “not let my body be put into the Vault in less than three days after I am dead.”  In his last will he expressed the desire to be buried at Mount Vernon. George Washington was entombed in the existing family vault, now known as the old Vault on December 18, 1799.  In his last will, George Washington directed the building of a new family burial vault.  In 1831, Washington’s body was transferred to the new tomb. 

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Japan’s Secret Submarine Bomber

 

Designed in utmost secrecy for the I-400-class submarine carriers, the Aichi M6A Seiran (“Mountain Haze”) was a sleek, single-engine floatplane bomber capable of 295 mph and carrying an 800 kg (1,764 lb) bomb or torpedo. To fit inside the I-400’s hangar, wings folded backward, horizontal stabilizers folded down, and the entire aircraft assembled in under seven minutes on the sub’s deck.

Only 28 were built by August 1945. Intended to strike the Panama Canal or American cities, none saw combat. Six surviving Seiran were captured; one beautifully restored example is displayed at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center.

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Japan’s Underwater Aircraft Carriers

 

During World War II, Imperial Japan developed the massive I-400-class submarines, the largest non-nuclear subs ever built until the 1960s. Displacing 6,500 tons and stretching 400 feet, each carried three Aichi M6A Seiran floatplane bombers folded in a 100-foot watertight hangar. With a 37,500-mile range—1½ times around the world—they were designed for surprise strikes on the U.S. mainland or the Panama Canal.

Only three entered service. The war ended before their planned attack on the Panama Canal (Operation PX) could launch. Surrendered in 1945, they revealed Japan’s audacious vision of global submarine aviation.

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The Sky Baby: The World’s Smallest Airplane

 

In 1952, stunt pilot and aircraft designer Ray Stits built the Stits SA-2A Sky Baby, aiming to create the world’s smallest fully functional airplane. The biplane measured just 9 feet 10 inches long with an 7-foot 2-inch wingspan and weighed only 452 pounds empty. Powered by a 65-hp Continental engine, it reached 150 mph yet needed only 200 feet to take off.

Stits himself flew the tiny craft successfully several times, proving nimble handling despite its diminutive size. Recognized by Guinness as the smallest aircraft from 1952 until 1984 (when his son built an even smaller one), the Sky Baby remains an iconic testament to bold aviation ingenuity.

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Tecumseh

 

Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief born around 1768 in present-day Ohio, was a pivotal figure in Native American resistance against U.S. expansion in the early 1800s. He sought to unite diverse tribes into a confederacy to preserve Native lands and culture. His vision emphasized unity and resistance against encroaching settlers. Allied with his brother, Tenskwatawa, the Prophet, Tecumseh built a movement rooted in native religion, cultural revival and military strategy. He fought alongside the British in the War of 1812, hoping to secure Native sovereignty. Tecumseh was killed in 1813 at the Battle of the Thames.

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The Death of General Wolfe at Quebec (1759)

 

On September 13, 1759, British Major-General James Wolfe led a daring nighttime ascent of the cliffs west of Quebec City, surprising French forces under Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham. In the brief, decisive battle, Wolfe, 32, was struck by musket balls—first in the wrist, then fatally in the chest. Supported by aides, he lingered long enough to hear “They run!” and reportedly murmur, “Now, God be praised, I die in peace.” His death secured British victory, tipping the Seven Years’ War and paving Canada’s path to British rule. Benjamin West’s iconic painting immortalized the moment.

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