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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The Assassination of President Garfield

 

On July 2, 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot at a Washington, D.C., train station by Charles J. Guiteau, a delusional office-seeker enraged over a denied ambassadorship. Garfield, the 20th U.S. president elected in 1880, lingered for 80 days as doctors probed wounds with unsterilized tools, introducing fatal infections. He died on September 19 from blood poisoning and sepsis. Guiteau was convicted and hanged in 1882. The tragedy exposed patronage system flaws, spurring the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, mandating merit-based federal jobs.

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The Tucker Cross Treasure Heist

 

One of Bermuda’s most famous treasure stories revolves around the San Pedro. The ship was laden with gold, silver, and precious jewels bound for Spain. In 1955, Bermudian diver Teddy Tucker discovered what became known as “Tucker’s Cross”, a 22-karat gold cross studded with seven emeralds, believed to be from this wreck. Found with other artifacts like gold buttons, swords, and muskets, it’s considered one of the most valuable shipwreck finds ever.

 In 1975, the treasure from the San Pedro was transported from the Bermuda Aquarium to the Bermuda Maritime Museum, to be shown to Elizabeth II during her visit to the island.  Moments before the Queen arrived, Teddy Tucker inspected the display and noticed that the Tucker Cross had been replaced by a replica. The point at which the swap was made is unknown. Local lore attributes the theft to an international art thief because of the substitution of a replica rather than a straight theft.

Some believe the San Pedro still holds vast treasures locked in coral, with rumors of unrecovered gold and jewels scattered across the ocean floor.  Tucker’s find is well-documented, and artifacts are displayed at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI). 

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