Top 5 Historical Events That Are More Than Just Movies

I've been a bit of a History geek since 8th grade. My teacher at the time made it fun and interesting; he'd traveled all across the U.S. and collected various things, especially from the Civil War. I still keep in touch with him via social media and he's still quite the History geek himself.

Recently another friend of mine shared a link with me showcasing tweets from people who didn't realize some movies exist that are based on actual historical events, thus inspiring today's post.

5. Guy Fawkes

Most people see the Fawkes-inspired mask and instantly think of the film based on Alan Moore's graphic novel, V for Vendetta. What some people don't know is that Guy "Guido" Fawkes was a real person. Born in 1570 to Edward and Edith Fawkes in Stonegate, York, Fawkes grew up to become the infamous vigilante upon whom the title character of Moore's graphic novel is based. Fawkes was involved in a plot, now known as the Gunpowder Plot, to assassinate the Protestant King James. He and other conspirators attempted to blow up Parliament, but the plot was foiled when a letter warning fellow Catholics of the intended "terrible blowe" was discovered and brought to King James's attention.


4. Pearl Harbor

Aside from being a 2001 film directed by Michael Bay, the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7th in 1941. Attacking in two waves, the Japanese launched bombers, torpedo planes, and fighters from six aircraft carriers in a preventative strategic attack to keep the U.S. Pacific Fleet from interfering in the Japanese Empire's plans to take military actions against  U.S., U.K., and Netherlands territories. Eight damaged U.S. Navy battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and a minelayer were all either sunk or damaged; 188 aircraft were completely destroyed. 2,403 Americans died while another 1,178 were wounded. Until that point, the U.S. had not been directly involved in World War Two.


3. Pirates

While this isn't a particular historical event, pirates are much more than a staggering buffoon with a soft spot for rum and a ship with black sails. Maritime piracy, defined as an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea, dates back to about the 14th century BC. Another historic example of piracy is privateers, or corsairs, which were basically pirates with government permission (letters of marque) to attack foreign ships during wartime.


2. Chernobyl

Aside from being the setting for a cheesy horror flick and another place for John McClane to beat bad guys, the meltdown of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine on April 26th of 1986 remains one of the largest events in History. Reactor four had a massive power increase, which caused explosions in its core. The explosions allowed for the dispersal of radioactive fuel and core materials into the atmosphere, that, in turn, ignited the combustible graphite moderator, increasing the emission of radioactive particles. The city of Pripyat was evacuated the next day on April 27th and no one has lived in the area since. The Exclusion Zone (30 km or 19 mi) remains in place today.


1. Titanic

Nearly 85 years before Rose and Jack "flew" on the bow of the ship, the RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage. The collision created holes in the hull under the waterline, causing five of the vessel's previously watertight compartments to take on water, and the "practically unsinkable" Titanic began sinking bow-first. Nearly three hours after striking the iceberg, the liner began sinking faster as the forward deck dipped under water, causing the water to flow in through open hatches and grates. As the stern came up out of the water, the ship began to break in two due to strain on the keel.


Bonus:

What do Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Jame Gumb have in common? Aside from being fictional killers, they're all inspired by one man: Ed Gein. Since Gein's crimes are far more gruesome and grisly than we typically like for our content, you can read more about him here at your own discretion: Ed Gein.