37 Sobering Facts About the Greatest Tragedies in History

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26Armero tragedy

Armero tragedy

The Nevado del Ruiz volcano that erupted in 1985 caused a volcanic mudslide that buried the town of Armero, Colombia and killed approximately 23,000 people.


27. The Carnival tragedy of 1823 was a human crush which occurred in 1823 at a Convent in Malta. About 110 boys who had gone to the convent to receive bread on the last day of carnival celebrations were killed after falling down a flight of steps while trying to get out of the convent.


28. During the Colfax Massacre, approximately 150 Black men were murdered by white men with guns and cannons for trying to freely assemble at a courthouse.


29. The red flag, when used by pirates, came to mean "no quarter given", meaning that no mercy would be shown, and no life would be spared, while a black flag usually meant that those who surrendered without a fight would be allowed to live.


30. In 2007, Russia planted its national flag underwater in hopes of securing the arctic's potential natural resources. “This isn’t the 15th century,” one foreign minister said. “You can’t go around the world and just plant flags and say, ‘We’re claiming this territory.’


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31USA flag

USA flag

According to the United States Flag Code, the flag “should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever.” This includes paper napkins or plates printed with the design.


32. Bhutan, Wales, and Malta are the only countries in the world whose flags have dragons on them.


33. The American flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission was inserted only seven inches deep and was placed about 27 feet from the Eagle landing craft. As a result, it was blown over by the blast of the rocket exhaust during the takeoff back to Earth.


34. The flag of the Philippines is flown with the red side on the upper side in times of war and the blue side on the upper side during times of peace.


35. The flag of Nova Scotia was only officially adopted in 2013, even after 155 years of use, when an 11-year-old girl researching a project realized that it had never been officially recognized in all that time.


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36Hawaii flag

Hawaii flag

The Hawaii state flag has existed in its current form since the islands were a monarchy, and was commissioned by King Kamehameha to resemble both the US and UK flag in order to avoid being dragged by either side into the War of 1812.


37. Using a white flag as a ruse to approach and attack an enemy is considered a war crime according to the law of war.

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