The 1692 Earthquake and Other Disasters. Like many developments in automotive On June 7, 1913, Hudson Stuck, an Alaskan missionary, leads the first successful ascent of Denali (formerly known as Mt.
An estimated 2000 persons were killed in an instant with an additional 3000 citizens dying of injuries and disease across the island in the ensuing days. The tremors rocked the sandy peninsula onwhich the town was built, causing buildings to slide and disappear beneath the sea. Reagan’s tenure as the Golden State’s governor gave him credibility as a political leader, Thirteen years after American settlers founded the city named for him, Chief Seattle dies in a nearby village of his people. But in the eyes of many around the world, the destruction of Port Royal was no tragedy. Just like that, the population of one of the largest — and most raucous — cities on earth had been cut in half.The destruction of Port Royal, in most parts of the world, was seen as nothing short of divine wrath. Within a few weeks, another 3,000 died. In the days to follow, as the bodies of the dead rotted under the sun and were devoured by animals and insects as they polluted the city streets, disease spread through the city. As drawn by Alexandre-Olivier Oexmelin in 1678.Pirate Captain Henry Morgan taunts a Spanish prisoner, as drawn by Howard Pyle in 1888.Pirates drinking in a pub, as drawn by Howard Pyle in 1894.Henry Morgan recruits new pirates for the Brethren of the Coast. It all came crashing down on June 7, 1692. From 1494 to 1655, it was nothing more than a minor Spanish port, largely undeveloped because the Spanish didn’t see much gain in keeping hold of it. This excavation of the late 80s and early 90s yielded the largest collection of in situ artifacts — and much of the city remains underwater today as a real-life Atlantis.It was designated a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1999 and is often considered the Pompeii of the sea. As the people panicked, a great tidal wave crashed through the docks and over the city walls and consequently brought down what still stood.Even Captain Morgan, who had been buried on the peninsula, was pulled out of his grave and dragged out into the sea.33 acres of the city disappeared in a few hours. It was nothing short of divine retribution; the hand of God coming down to smite a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah.The English took control of the city in 1655 and realizing the port was surrounded by a Spanish fleet, invited a coalition of Port Royal had become a literal port of call that had protected some of the biggest names from the age of piracy, including Captain Morgan, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Calico Jack, and Blackbeard himself.Indeed, from then on, Port Royal belonged to the British in name alone: in truth, the land belonged to the pirates. Four of the five forts the British built had been crushed. Locals, therefore, hope that a revitalization of the ruins will inspire eco-tourism and an increase in the small city’s revenue — perhaps restoring it to the wealthy glory it once knew in the 17th-century.Port Royal Was Hailed The 17th-Century Sodom, Until Divine Intervention Destroyed ItMark Oliver is a writer, teacher, and father whose work has appeared on The Onion's StarWipe, Yahoo, and Cracked, and can be found on his Mufasa, A Rare White Lion In South Africa, Is In Danger Of Being Auctioned Off To Trophy HuntersThe Tumultuous True Story Of Robert The Bruce, Scotland's "Outlaw King"What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The MostHenry Morgan leads the pirates of Port Royal into a naval battle against the Spanish fleet. In the 17th century, Port Royal was known throughout the New World as a headquarters for piracy, smuggling and debauchery. Instead, the city of Kingston was built and remains to this day the largest city in Jamaica.On June 7, 2002, 41-year-old Michael Skakel is convicted in the 1975 murder of his former Greenwich, Connecticut, neighbor, 15-year-old Martha Moxley. Some urged the population to adopt the low, wooden building style of the previous Spanish inha… There was little respite in the aftermath–widespread looting began that evening and thousands more died in the following weeks due to sickness and injury. Corpses from the cemetery floated in the harbor alongside recent victims of the disaster. Many buildings literally sank into the ground. His pockets would be overflowing with plundered gold.