The Mysteries of History (January 12 Edition)
Tragic Blizzard, Glorified Go-Cart on Ice, Joltin' Guarantee, and Hispaniola Earthquake
1888 — “Schoolhouse Blizzard” Kills 235
public domain image from wikimedia commons
235 people died in a blizzard on this date in 1888, many of them children trying to make it home from school or from out in the farm fields after the weather suddenly took a turn for the far worse. In the Northwest Plains, in a vast swatch of the United States stretching from Montana east to the Dakotas, and down to Texas, temperatures plunged nearly 100 degrees in 24 hours. Unseasonably warm weather the previous day quickly morphed into white-out conditions. There were many heroic rescues by teachers and parents and other adults, but also far too many tragic occurrences.
Questions: Besides the extreme cold (40 below in some of the affected areas), what other conditions led to the massive loss of life? What did a teacher in Pawnee City, Nebraska, do to protect his students? How can you prepare for such catastrophic events?1904 — Henry Ford Races A Go-Cart on a Frozen Lake
On this date in 1904, Henry Ford set a speed record on a frozen lake in Michigan, driving his “Quadricycle” (glorified go-cart) one mile in 39.4 seconds; otherwise stated, he reached 91 mph. He had just founded the Ford Motor Company the year before.
Questions: Did Ford race just for fun, or what were his motives? What model of automobile did Ford unveil in 1908? Which automobile in what year surpassed that Ford model in “lifetime” sales? How did Ford treat his employees when they tried to unionize? Which foreign leader did Ford have a portrait of on his desk?1969 — Joe Namath Guarantees Super Bowl Victory
public domain image from wikimedia commons
The AFL (an “upstart” league which was considered far inferior to the NFL) won its first Super Bowl in 1969 (the Green Bay Packers of the NFL won the first two Super Bowls, over the Chiefs and the Raiders) after the Quarterback of the New York Jets, known as “Broadway Joe” and “Joltin’ Joe” Namath, calmly guaranteed that his team would defeat the Baltimore Colts in the upcoming Super Bowl. Perhaps unnerved by Namath’s ice-in-his-veins assurance (“what does he know that we don’t know?”), the favored Colts fell to the Jets 16-7 on this date. The next year, the AFL merged with the NFL.
Questions: What former three-time MVP replaced the starting Quarterback for the Colts in the fourth quarter of the game, and was he effective? How many games had the Colts lost during that season leading up to the Super Bowl? What did Baltimore’s coach (Don Shula) say was the reason for his team’s loss? Which NFL team currently represents Baltimore? Where did the Colts franchise move, and when?2010 — Earthquake in Haiti
public domain image from wikimedia commons
Long-suffering, beleaguered, and can’t-catch-a-break Haiti endured yet another tragedy on this date in 2010. An enormous (7.0) earthquake caused widespread death and destruction. Estimates of how many died in the quake range from 40,000 to over 300,000.
Questions: In addition to those killed, how many were displaced by the 2010 Earthquake? What was done to help Haiti by other countries and organizations? On which part of Hispaniola is Haiti located? Why are the estimates of death from the earthquake so wide-ranging (the highest estimate being almost eight times greater than the lowest)? Who estimates the lowest number (40,000), and why? Who estimates the highest number (316,000), and why? What is happening in recent times ("today") in Haiti? 
