Amazing Tales About History

In part two of our story about the sinking of the Sea Surveyor, we learn the fate of the 12-man crew that had to abandon ship 300 miles from the nearest land, in 25-foot seas, gale force winds, and a rubber lifeboat.

Fifty years ago, 12 men departed on a secret military mission in the Atlantic. Before long, the Sea Surveyor - a ship ill-equipped to handle rough seas - found itself in trouble. We hear from one of only two survivors of that ill-fated outing in part one of a two-part series.

In World War 1, General John Pershing in Europe had his top-secret documents carried by special couriers who raced motorcycles through enemy territory and dodged gunfire. Top speed in 1918 was just 45 miles per hour, but daredevil Carlton Stevens made it.

He does "Jumble" - the most syndicated word puzzle in the U.S. He also does "Word Round-up" and "Up and Down Words." How do you become the leading word puzzle maker in the U.S.?

It’s the oldest town green in North America – laid out 400 years ago in grid format and continuously maintained since colonial days. The New Haven, CT Green holds many secrets and memories, including forgotten cemeteries and famous visits.

Stonewalls. Beautiful rows of rocks piled in lines along fields or through the woods. Yet, the 240,000 miles of New England stonewalls hide a more scientific purpose – namely, classifying them in ways similar to wetlands to make future land use decisions.

More than 2 dozen American ships sunk in one night. The British did it during the War of 1812 near Long Island Sound. It was the worst loss of ships in a single military event, until Pearl Harbor.

The hanging of witches started in Connecticut in the 1600s. Decades later, the more famous Salem Witch Trials occurred. At the beginning, nearly a dozen women and men were hanged for witchcraft, until young Colony Governor John Winthrop used his political expertise to get the state to end executions entirely.

The "Old Woodbury Path" connected some of America's earliest farms with one of its earliest and nearly forgotten ports. Most of it is paved over now, but if you know where to look, parts of this 350-year-old cart path can still be hiked.

Ivory. It meant quality, class, and refinement. And, it put the town of Ivorytown on the map. That's where 90% of the material was imported into the U.S. and manufactured into piano keys, combs and buttons, taking advantage of huge demand for its smooth, glassy touch.