The Mysteries of History (March 8 Edition)
Russian Revolution; Malaysian Airliner Vanishes
1917 — February (Russian) Revolution Begins in March
public domain image from wikimedia commons
Some had been attempting to overthrow the czarist autocracy almost forty years prior to this, even going so far as to kill Czar Alexander the Second in 1881.
Then, on March 8th, 1917, the so-called February Revolution began in Russia. The seeming discrepancy (similar to Oktoberfest occurring mostly in September in Germany) is caused by the use of two different calendars (Julian and Gregorian). According to the Julian calendar, used by Russia at the time, it was February; according to the Gregorian calendar, used by most countries (even Russia now), it happened in March. Exactly one year later, on March 8, 1918 (by which time Russia had switched to the Gregorian calendar), the Bolshevik party that fomented the revolution changed its name to the All-Russian Communist Party.
This revolution occurred during the latter half of World War 1, and Russia’s disastrous losses in that war played a key role in the anger and strong desire for regime change the majority of the Russian people felt. Riots had broken out throughout Russia over the scarcity of food, government corruption, a bad and worsening economy, and Czar Nicholas the Second’s dictatorial tendencies. This era of bad feelings led to an overthrow of not only Czar Nicholas the Second but the entire age-old system of Czars, or “Caesars,” ruling Russia. This dramatic change was the beginning of Communist rule in Russia, which would last until 1991.
Questions: Why did Czar Nicholas the Second renounce his throne? Who did he appoint as his successor? Did that person accept the offered position as Czar? What two cooperating groups at first ruled Russia after the end of rule by Czars? Where was Vladimir Lenin when the revolution took place? What was his role in the revolution and the new government following the revolution? Why did Russia give up communism in 1991?
2014 — Malaysian Airliner Vanishes
public domain image from wikimedia commons
Eleven years ago today, 239 souls aboard Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 went missing. They vanished in mid-air. Shortly after taking off from Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, communication with the plane was lost.
The craft then went off-course and mysteriously disappeared on its way to Beijing, China. An hour after Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 was supposed to land there, it was reported missing by the airline. Bad weather was not an issue; nor were there any signs of mechanical malfunction, nor any distress calls from the pilots.
It was eventually determined that the plane had drastically deviated from its scheduled course. Had the pilot gone rogue, perhaps committing not just suicide but mass murder of the rest of the crew and all of the passengers? But if so, why weren’t the rest of the crew able to stop him? If they were in cahoots with him, why? Or had the crew perhaps lost consciousness due to oxygen deprivation (authorities concluded that, after veering off course, the plane had flown on autopilot for hours before crashing into the ocean)?
Bits of the plane washed ashore in 2015 and 2016. It is still a mystery what exactly happened to Flight 370, how, and why. Was it an accident? If not, who was behind it?
Questions: Was there any connection between Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 and Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down a little over four months later, on July 17th? Who most likely shot Flight 17 down, and why? Is there anything to indicate that the pilot of Flight 370 might have deliberately sabotaged his craft? Was there anyone aboard the plane who might have been a high-profile target of terrorists or a government agency?
