Fascinating Facts & Weird True Stories

Freefalling...

Vesna Vulović - holds the Guinness Book of Records world record for surviving the highest fall without a parachute

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Back In The Water...

http://www.headington.org.uk/shark/index.htm The Shark became the most famous resident of Headington when it landed in the roof of 2 New High Street on 9 August 1986.

An Amazing Escape

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A20460782 - an unfortunate event caused the flight not to reach its destination. Some serious skill and bravery gave cause for a celebration of one of the greatest recoveries in aviation history. Read on to be amazed by the turn of events onboard the BAC 1-11.

True Grit & Determination

Ernest Shackleton Although Shackleton failed to achieve his goal of crossing the Antarctic continent on foot, he demonstrated the leadership for which he is now known when the ship Endurance became trapped in the ice and was destroyed. 

An Inspiration to Us All

http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=nelsonMandela thanks to the self-sacrifice of Nelson Mandela, apartheid has been outlawed. The notorious Rivonia Trial, as his sentencing was called, is now seen as nothing more than a cruel ploy used by the white South African government to silence Nelson Mandela once and for all. After 27 years of imprisonment, Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and elected president of South Africa.
 
We Are Al Realted to a Man in Africa

(http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/i7442.html) - Geneticist Spencer Wells spends his life traveling the globe taking blood samples from men and women in order to unravel the secrets of the human story: Where did humans come from?

Look After The Pennies and the Pounds Look After Themselves

Hetty Green in 1864, the 'Witch of Wall Street' inherited 1 million dollars from her father when she was 30 years old. Once, when her son suffered a bad sledding accident, Hetty tried to have him admitted in a charity ward.  When she was recognized, she stormed away vowing to treat the wounds herself.   The wounds eventually turned gangrenous and her son, Ned, had to have his leg amputated.

Inner Strenghth & Vision

news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0730_030730_everest.html 
Blind Mountain Climber on Summiting Everest

Whght! - the Story of BA