7th November: The Mary Celeste

In 1872, the Mary Celeste set sail from New York. About a month later, she was discovered drifting abandoned off the coast of Portugal. Nobody knows what became of her crew. 10 facts you may not know about this legendary ship:

1. She was built in Nova Scotia and initially registered as a British ship, named Amazon.
2. Her maiden voyage in 1861 encountered a few problems - the captain fell ill and died, and there were a couple of collisions with fishing equipment and a brig. After that, however, the ship made numerous voyages without incident.
3. In October 1867, at Cape Breton Island, Amazon was driven ashore in a storm, and was so badly damaged that her owners abandoned her as a wreck. However, some businessmen in America saw her potential, bought her and spent $8,825 repairing her. When this was done, the ship got a new American registration and a new name: Mary Celeste.
4. In 1872, before the fateful voyage, the ship underwent a major refit, making her bigger.
5. The captain on this voyage was called Benjamin Briggs. He came from a seafaring family and was a committed Christian. He was also a shareholder of the Mary Celeste, having invested his savings in her. He had sailed with the first mate, Albert G. Richardson before, and he wrote to his mother before setting sail that he was satisfied with the ship and the crew. Also on board was Brigg's wife and two year old daughter. His son, Arthur, was left at home with his grandmother, possibly because they didn't want to take him out of school. His mother promised to write a report of the voyage for him.
6. The Mary Celeste was bound for Genoa, Italy, with a cargo of 1,701 barrels of poisonous denatured alcohol.
7. On December 4 1872, Mary Celeste was found abandoned by another vessel, Del Gratia. Her captain, David Morehouse, probably knew Benjamin Briggs and they could even have been close friends. A boarding party found: the sails and rigging were partly set, and badly damaged; some hatches had been opened; the lifeboat was gone; the most recent entry in the ship's log was nine days before, reporting a position 400 nautical miles from where she was found; about 3.5 feet (1.1 m) of water in the hold, a significant but not alarming amount for a ship this size, and a makeshift sounding rod (a device for measuring the amount of water in the hold) abandoned on the deck; cabins in good order aside from water damage from open skylights; Briggs's sword, sheathed and under his bed with possible traces of Blood on it; the ships papers and navigational equipment missing; galley equipment neatly stowed away and plenty of food in the stores.
8. A more detailed inspection by experts and divers noted cuts on the bow which may have been caused by a sharp instrument; no evidence of a collision or encountering particularly bad weather; possible blood stains on the railings and a mark which could have been caused by an axe.
9. After the inquest in Gibraltar, Mary Celeste continued in service under new owners for over ten years. In 1885, her captain deliberately wrecked her off the coast of Haiti, as part of an attempted insurance fraud.
10. Although Marie Celeste has become synonymous with mysterious abandonment and is the most famous mystery of this type, it wasn't the only one. Rupert Gould, a naval officer and investigator of maritime mysteries, lists several such occurrences between 1840 and 1855.

So what happened? A bonus ten: theories which have been put forward over the years:

1. A mutiny - the crew got drunk and murdered the officers before escaping in the lifeboat. Or, as suggested in a famous story by none other than Arthur Conan Doyle, then a 25-year-old ship's surgeon, a hijacking by a passenger who hated the white race and had the crew killed so he could take the ship to Africa (Doyle never suggested his story was anything other than a fictional tale, albeit possibly inspired by the incident, but the then US consul in Gibraltar did look into the possibility it may have been true).
2. A scam, possibly insurance, on the grounds of newspaper reports that Mary Celeste had been heavily over-insured. The insurance companies did not initiate any enquiry, however. Or a conspiracy by the two captains to stage the whole thing and share the proceeds of salvage. Or Briggs was staging his own death and intended to disappear with his wife and daughter - but if this was the case, why did they leave their son behind?
3. Pirates - but the ship hadn't been looted. Or, the crew of the Del Gratia lured Briggs and his crew aboard their own ship, killed them and then claimed they'd found the Mary Celeste abandoned. However, Del Gratia left port several days later, and was slower, so there was no way they could have caught up. A similar theory has Briggs and his crew cast as pirates who board another deserted ship with £3,500-worth of gold and silver in its safe. They split the money and escape to Spain in the lifeboats to start a new life. Again, seems unlikely as Briggs had left his son behind.
4. Briggs had had a fit of religious mania and killed everyone and then himself.
5. The crew had believed the ship to be in danger and had evacuated in a panic. Perhaps the sounding rod on deck had been used to evaluate how much water was being taken on and the danger had been over-estimated. Or the captain feared she was going to run aground after being becalmed (but the setting of the sails didn't support this theory).
6. The volatile cargo was emitting noxious fumes and there had been fears it might explode. This was thought to be unlikely as in most scenarios, the passengers would have a better chance of survival in the ship than in the lifeboat, and an experienced captain and crew would have known this.
7. The entire crew were drowned or eaten by Sharks after a temporary platform, set up for a swimming contest, collapsed into the sea.
8. The entire crew were picked off one by one by a giant squid. According to the Natural History Museum, giant squid, or Architeuthis dux, can reach 49 feet (15 m) in length and they have been known to attack ships. However, they wouldn't have taken the lifeboat or the missing navigational instruments.
9. Something paranormal, like the Bermuda Triangle, although the ship was nowhere near it.
10. Everyone on board was abducted by aliens.

6th November: Blackfriars Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge opened on this date in 1869. Here are ten things you might not know about Blackfriars Bridge:

1. Blackfriars Bridge was the third bridge to be built over the Thames after London Bridge and Westminster Bridge.
2. Its original name was "William Pitt Bridge" after the Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder, but people generally referred to it by the informal name relating to the area in which it stood.
3. The first bridge on the site was built of Portland stone, but the workmanship was rubbish and it constantly needed repairing and eventually it was decided to tear it down and start again. The result was the bridge which stands there today and which was opened by Queen Victoria in 1869.
4. The present bridge is 923 feet (281 m) long and 105 feet (32 m).
5. It is owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation.
6. The bridge was given Grade II listed status in 1972.
7. On the piers of the bridge are stone carvings of water birds by sculptor John Birnie Philip. On the East (downstream) side (i.e. the side closest to the Thames Estuary and North Sea), the carvings are of marine life and seabirds; those on the West (upstream) side are of freshwater birds – because Blackfriars is the tidal turning point.
8. The bridge was dedicated to Queen Victoria and there is a statue of her on its north side.
9. The River Fleet empties into the Thames under the north end of Blackfriars Bridge.
10. In June 1982, the body of Roberto Calvi, a former chairman of Italy's largest private bank, was found hanging from one of its arches with five bricks and around $14,000 in three different currencies in his pockets. Calvi's death was initially treated as suicide, but in 2002 forensic experts concluded that he'd been murdered by the Mafia. In 2005, five suspected members of the Mafia were tried in Rome for Calvi's murder, but all were acquitted in June 2007 due to lack of evidence.

5th November: El Salvador

Today in El Salvador they celebrate the first Cry for Independence in Central America, which took place on November 5, 1811 in San Salvador.

1. El Salvador is smallest country in continental America, (about the size of Wales or the US state of Massachusetts) and because of this is affectionately called Pulgarcito de America (the "Tom Thumb of the Americas").
2. Its population is nearly seven million, making it the most densely populated country in the Americas.
3. The country was named by Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in honour of Jesus Christ. The translation of El Salvador is "The Saviour". The full name was "Provincia De Nuestro Señor Jesus Cristo, El Salvador Del Mundo" ("Province of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World"), but it was subsequently abbreviated to its current name.
4. El Salvador has more than twenty volcanoes, with two, San Miguel and Izalco, being active in recent years. From the early 19th century to the mid-1950s, Izalco erupted so often that it was called "Lighthouse of the Pacific" because it could be seen for miles out at sea.
5. It is the only Central American country that has no Caribbean coastline.
6. The capital and largest city is San Salvador; the highest point is Cerro El Pital, at 2,730 metres (8,957 ft), on the border with Honduras.
7. Four of the world's eight species of sea Turtle nest on the coast of El Salvador.
8. The national Flag is based on that of Argentina, since they played a part in the struggle for independence from Spain. It is white and cobalt blue stripes. There are two versions of the flag, one for civil purposes and one used by the government. The government one bears the national coat of arms with the words Republica De El Salvador En La America Central (Republic of El Salvador in Central America). The civic one bears the words Dios Union Libertad (God, Union, Liberty).
9. The country has one UNESCO World Heritage Site - Joya de Cerén. It is a pre-Columbian Maya farming village preserved under layers of volcanic ash. It is often referred to as the "Pompeii of the Americas".
10. The national bird is known as the torogoz (turquoise-browed motmot), and the national dish is the pupusa, a hand made corn tortilla stuffed with Cheese or refried beans and sometimes loroco, a vine flower bud native to Central America.

4th November: Aphrodite

The 4th day of the month is sacred to the goddess Aphrodite. So here are 10 things you might not know about her:

1. She is the Greek goddess of love, pleasure, beauty and procreation, the counterpart to the Roman goddess Venus and the Egyptian goddess Hathor.
2. One theory of the origin of her name is that it means "risen from the foam". This is probably because the most famous myth about her birth was that it came about when Cronus castrated Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea. Aphrodite formed from them and floated ashore on a scallop shell. According to versions of this myth, the Erinyes (furies), and the Meliae emerged from the drops of Uranus' Blood, making them her siblings.
3. Aphrodite is one of the few deities in the Greek pantheon to be married. Zeus insisted she be married off because he feared the gods would be continually fighting over her because she was so beautiful. The husband chosen for her was Hephaestus, the god of smithing. He was delighted and showers her with gifts of jewellery, including the cestus, a girdle that makes her even more irresistible to men. Aphrodite, however, is less enamoured and is known for having several lovers.
4. Her lovers include Ares, the god of war, Anchises and Adonis.
5. She has several children, none by her husband. They include Eros – god of love, Himeros – god of sexual desire, Pothos – god of longing and yearning and Himeros. The Graces or Charites are her children with Dionysus - the god of wine.
6. Ritual prostitution was a feature of her worship in ancient Greece. Having sex with one of her priestesses was an acceptable form of worship. Or one could make offerings of incense, fruit (particularly apples and pomegranates), flowers (particularly fragrant Roses), sweet dessert Wine (particularly Commandaria wine from Cyprus), and cakes made with Honey.
7. Aphrodite was associated with, and often depicted with, the sea, Dolphins, doves, Swans, Pomegranates, sceptres, Apples, myrtle, rose trees, Lime trees, clams, scallop shells, and Pearls.
8. She was often depicted as being vain, bad-tempered and easily offended.
9. The Venus de Milo, probably the most famous piece of Ancient Greek art, actually depicts Aphrodite, not Venus. The statue is famous for its missing arms. Originally the left arm held an apple while the right held a draped cloth and extension of the one wrapped around her legs.
10. Aphrodite was said to have a girdle with magical powers that was responsible for people falling in love.

3rd November: Dominica Independence Day

Today is Dominica Independence Day. 10 things you didn't know about Dominica:

1. The population was 72,301 at the 2014 census. That means Peterborough has a larger population than Dominica.
2. The name Dominica comes from the Latin word dies Dominica for Sunday, because it was a Sunday when Christopher Columbus first discovered it. The indigenous people, the Caribs, called it Wai‘tu kubuli, which means "Tall is her body".
3. Dominica became a republic almost immediately after independence was granted on 3 November 1978. At the first elections after independence, Eugenia Charles was elected Prime Minister. She was Dominica's first, and so far only, female prime minister, as well as the nation's longest-serving. She was the second female prime minister in the Caribbean after Lucinda da Costa of the Netherlands Antilles, and the first woman elected in her own right as head of government in the Americas. She was the world's third longest-serving female Prime Minister, behind Indira Gandhi of India and Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, and the world's longest continuously serving female Prime Minister ever. Charles was also Dominica's first female lawyer.
4. Its area is 750 square kilometres (290 sq mi) and the highest point is Morne Diablotins, at 1,447 metres (4,747 ft).
5. The capital is Roseau, located on the leeward side of the island.
6. The national bird is the Sisserou parrot, a bird only found in Dominica. They are known for being very shy and difficult to spot, and rarely seen in groups of more than three. They mate for life and when one of the pair dies, the remaining one may grieve to death rather than look for a new mate. The bird appears on the national flag.
7. Dominica is home to the ‘Boiling Lake’. This is a flooded fumarole around 195 feet deep, heated by gasses escaping from the molten lava below the earth’s crust. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
8. Dominica was the filming location for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, although in the film, it was known as "Pelegosto," a fictional island.
9. Famous people of Dominican descent include Trisha Goddard, host of Trisha; Moira Stuart, newsreader; Frank Bruno, professional boxer and cricketer Phillip DeFreitas.
10. Dominica is one of the countries in the world where citizenship can be achieved by donating large amounts of money. This meant Dominica had a team in the 2014 Winter Olympics: a husband and wife team, Gary di Silvestri and Angela Morrone di Silvestri who'd spent US$175,000 to register as Dominican citizens and enter the 15 km men's and 10 km women's cross-country skiing events, respectively. They weren't very successful - Angela did not start her race, and Gary pulled out several hundred meters into his. To date, they are Dominica's only Winter Olympic athletes.

2nd November: Day of the Dead

As it's Day of the Dead today, always look on the bright side of death.

1. Even young children need to be informed about dying. Explain the concept of death very carefully to your child. This will make threatening him with it much more effective. PJ O’Rourke
2. If I could drop dead now, I’d be the happiest man alive. Sam Goldwyn
3. Hear about the Italian chef who died? He pasta way.
4. I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather - not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.
5. A telephone salesman died and went to heaven. He thought, “At last, I’m rid of phones!” Then an angel says to him, “You’re wanted on the Ouija board.”
6. Never knock on Death’s door. Ring the doorbell and run (he hates that).
7. I had a mate who was suicidal. He was really depressed and jumped under a train. He was chuffed to bits.
8. A man is sentenced to the death penalty. He responds in the dock by saying, “I want an England player to take it for me.”
9. It’s not that I’m afraid to die. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.
10. A man arrives at the gates of Heaven. St Peter asks him, “Did you do any good in your life?” “Yes,” says the man. “I saw a gang of thugs mugging an old lady and I defended her.” “When was this?” “About 40 seconds ago.”

1st November: Algeria National Day

Today is Algeria's National Day, marking the beginning of the war of independence.

1. Algeria is the largest country in the Arab world and also the largest bordering on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the tenth largest country in the world.
2. The two largest cities are Algiers, the capital, from which the country gets its name, and Oran, which comes from the Berber world for "two Lions" because lions were seen there in 900BC.
3. Algeria is the second-largest Francophone country in the world in terms of speakers, and French is the language used in government, education and the media, but it is not one of the official languages, which are Modern Standard Arabic and Berber.
4. Only 12% of the country is inhabited - 80% of it is Sahara Desert. 90% of the people live on the northern coast. 1.5 million people in Algeria are nomadic or partly nomadic.
5. There is one species of monkey native to Algeria - the Barbary macaque. The animal most associated with the country is the fennec, a type of fox. The national football team is known as "les fennecs".
6. While on the subject of football, the University of Algiers may well be the only university in the world to have had a Nobel Prize winning goal-keeper - Albert Camus, who won the Literature prize in 1957.
7. Other writers to hail from Algeria include Augustine of Hippo and Apuleius, who wrote the Metamorphoses, or The Golden Ass, believed to be the oldest Latin novel to survive completely. It’s the story of a person that gets changed into a Donkey and its following experiences. Talking of donkeys, I came across a story that in 2007, a court in Algeria had to rule on the ownership of a donkey which had eaten the money brought by a purchaser for its sale.
8. Petroleum and gas make up 98% of Algeria’s exports, although Algeria also has the largest oat market in Africa.
9. The highest point is Mount Tahat (3,003 m).
10. Pirates from Algeria used to prey on shipping in the Mediterranean Sea, taking crews and passengers to sell as slaves. According to Robert Davis, from the 16th to 19th century, pirates captured 1 million to 1.25 million Europeans as slaves. They were even known to range as far north as Iceland in search of slaves. Some of the Icelandic slaves were ransomed back to Iceland - but some chose to stay which suggests there are people in Algeria with Icelandic ancestors.