Meet the Woman Who Finally Wore Pants onto the Senate Floor – It Wasn’t Until 1993

With pantsuits all the rage among high-profile female representatives these days, it never occurred to me to wonder about a time when they were all but forbidden on the Senate floor.

Which is silly, maybe, given that there were few public places prior to the 1970s where you would catch a woman wearing pants, but still – this is the 90s, we’re talking about. Bill Clinton was president.

But still women followed the unwritten “no pants allowed” rule.

That is, until one woman – the first African-American woman to serve as a U.S. Senator – went in for her first day of work.

Carol Moseley-Braun, the Democratic Senator from Illinois, hadn’t thought twice about donning one of her many pantsuits (her “nice outfit) and heading to the Capitol. When she arrived, however, “the gasps were audible” and she was left wondering what faux pas she’d committed on her very first day.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

It was her pants.

Since the beginning of the legislative branch, members have dressed in a dignified manner befitting the office, though no official dress code was written. And when women began to seek and win political office in 1912, they followed suit (heh), typically choosing dark colors and conservative cuts to eschew unwanted attention. The trend continued into the 40s, as more and more women joined the ranks of representatives. Reps. Mary Norton and Frances Bolton would even patrol female fashion choices on the floor.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

In the 1970s, slacks and pantsuits became acceptable office and formalwear attire, and were also allowed at federal agencies around the same time (except at the FBI, where J. Edgar Hoover reigned).

In 1972, Pat Nixon became the first sitting first lady to be photographed wearing trousers, and Rep. Charlotte T. Reid became the first woman to wear a “black wool, bell-bottomed pantsuit” in “the annals of the U.S. Congress.” One male colleague even told her he “was told there was a lady here in trousers, so I had to come over and see for myself.”

Pat Nixon
Image Credit: Wikipedia

The Senate, however, was much slower to embrace the trend of letting women wear whatever the hell made them the most comfortable.

It is perhaps not surprising, knowing what we know about the Senate, that even in the 1980s women were warned to dress appropriately before showing up for work – not just Senators, but temps, secretaries, or anyone else who might find themselves in the chamber.

“We’ve heard from women staff that in the 1980s, if they came in to work – if they were called in on an emergency basis – they needed to keep a dress to put on quickly or they had to borrow one if they had to appear on the Senate floor,” says historian Richard A Baker.

Though, again, it was not an official or written rule, the Senate employed “doorkeepers” that decided who did and did not look appropriate to appear. They were part security guard, part “protocol monitor,” and still today they make sure that everyone who enters is supposed to be there and is dressed appropriately.

A 1972 request for a written dress code, so that women weren’t thrown off by a different door monitor on any given day, was ignored.

By 1993, things were shifting. For the first, time, more than two women were serving Senate terms at the same time (there were 4). One of them was Moseley-Braun, who was simply unaware of the unwritten rule.

“It was one of those unwritten rules that they don’t tell you about unless you’re part of the circle. And nobody was talking to me about these things, so I had no clue.”

She might not have meant to start a revolution, but when staffers started to thank her for taking up the fight to wear pants on the floors, Moseley realized she had done just that.

“What happened next was that other people started wearing pants. All the women staffers went to their bosses and said, ‘If this senator can wear pants, then why I can’t I’ And so it was the pantsuit revolution.”

For what it’s worth, Senator Barbara Mikulski had also made up her mind to fight the outdated norm that same session, on a day when a bad snowstorm was forecast.

“It was a snowy day,” she told Vice. “I found out more bad weather was coming. I just really wanted to be comfortable. I’m most comfortable wearing slacks.”

Aware of the tradition she would be flipping the bird, Mikulski went to Robert Byrd, president pro tempore of the Senate, and told him she would be wearing pants. After checking the official rules to make sure that pants on women weren’t explicitly outlawed, Byrd gave her the nod.

“He didn’t say yes,” Mikulski recalls, “but he gave a nod.”

Soon after, the Senate sergeant at arms, Martha Pope (the first ever woman to hold the job) amended the written policy manual from “women are required to wear business attire, i.e. dress, skirt and blouse, or business suit” to read “women are required to wear business attire, i.e. dress, skirt/blouse, business suit, coordinated pantsuit (slacks and matching blazer; no stirrup pants).”

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Gotta love the 90s for that last tidbit.

Though recent events suggest that there are plenty in Washington who would love to turn back the clock on many things – including the role of women in politics – pants, pantsuits, and powerful women aren’t going anywhere.

The post Meet the Woman Who Finally Wore Pants onto the Senate Floor – It Wasn’t Until 1993 appeared first on UberFacts.

You Might Not Know These 10 Things About the British Royal Family

Even if you’re one of those people who is really into (meaning obsessed) with the British royal family, I bet there’s still a lot you don’t know about them.

Cause they are some quirky folks, let me tell you.

Let’s look at 10 facts about these royals.

1. That’s odd

View this post on Instagram

Wishing all our Canadian followers a very happy Canada Day #CanadaDay As Queen of Canada, Her Majesty has a deeply held affection for and loyalty to a country that she first toured as Princess Elizabeth in 1951 and to which she has returned over twenty times since. Members of the Royal Family also represent Her Majesty The Queen when they visit Canada. Swipe to see photographs of The Royal Family in Canada. The Queen is a constitutional monarch, acting entirely on the advice of Canadian Government ministers. Her Majesty is represented in Canada on a day-to-day basis by a Governor General at the federal level and by a Lieutenant Governor in each of the ten provinces, and is fully briefed by means of regular communications from her ministers, and has face-to-face audiences with them where possible.

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on

Queen Elizabeth II travels with her own supply of blood. I guess that makes sense and might be common among leaders around the world, but still…kind of strange.

2. The secret documentary

The royal family filmed a documentary that aired once in 1969 and never aired again. The reason? Queen Elizabeth thought that showing how the royals lived their everyday lives could be potentially dangerous.

3. Entourage

View this post on Instagram

Today is #ArmedForcesDay! As Sovereign, The Queen is Head of the Armed Forces and maintains a close relationship with serving members and veterans of the Armed Forces, both in the United Kingdom @BritishArmy @RoyalNavy @royalairforceuk and in the Commonwealth. In 1945 The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS), learning to drive and maintain vehicles, becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member #ArmedForcesDay Over the years The Queen, as Commander-in-chief, has met many servicemen and women of all ranks, and their families, both at home and overseas. In 2009 HM spoke about how "deeply thankful" she, and the entire nation, are for those who serve in the Armed Forces. #ArmedForces #SaluteOurForces

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on

The Queen travels with her doctor and 34 other people, including her hairdresser, secretary, press officers, and bodyguards.

4. Not ever gonna happen

This is a weird one. When the Queen gets off of an airplane, you’ll never see her skirt fly up because all of her skirts are weighted. Smart, very smart.

5. BYOB

View this post on Instagram

Today, The Duke of Rothesay (as The Prince of Wales is known when is Scotland) was in Caithness. He toured @wolfburn_whisky, the most northerly whisky distillery on the Scottish mainland, originally opened in 1821. Master distiller Iain Kerr, who has over 20 years’ experience, explained to HRH how the craftsmen at the distillery use traditional methods to produce fine spirit. His Royal Highness also opened Scotland’s largest wind farm – Beatrice Offshore Windfarm, whee he met staff and local residents at the Operations and Maintenance Base. The wind farm’s 84 turbines will generate enough energy to power 450,000 homes and is Scotland’s single largest source of renewable energy.

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on

On their trips abroad, Prince Charles and Camilla have a bodyguard carry a bag of their favorite drinks. Gin and tonic for Charles and red wine for Camilla.

6. Fill ’em up

Harry and William love American fast food. Once when they were young boys, their mother Princess Diana asked the family chef to cancel lunch because the boys wanted to eat McDonald’s.

7. Two birthday parties

The Queen’s birthday is actually celebrated twice. The sovereign’s birthday has been celebrated on the second Saturday of June for over 260 years in an official ceremony. But the Queen’s actual birthday is April 21, so that’s double the fun.

8. No seafood

When the royal family travels, they are not allowed to eat seafood because the chances of someone getting sick from shellfish are high.

9. That’s bright

View this post on Instagram

Today The Queen visited Cambridge on a day of engagements including to visit The National Institute of Agricultural Botany, The Royal Papworth Hospital and Queens’ College, Cambridge. #RoyalVisitCambridge In the morning The Queen helped The NIAB to celebrate its 100th anniversary. NIAB is one of Britain’s oldest, and fastest growing, crop science research centres. Her Majesty learned about the work The NIAB does, saw visitor books which had been signed by King George V and Queen Mary, and The Duke of Cambridge. In the afternoon, Her Majesty visited The Royal Papworth Hospital where she was joined by The Duchess of Gloucester, who is Patron of the hospital. Her Majesty met transplant patients, consultants and visited the new hospital which has been built and will include 300 new beds for patients. At Queens’ College Cambridge The Queen met staff and graduates, as Patroness of the college.

A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on

The Queen wears bright colors so people can spot her from far away in crowds.

10. Breaking protocol

Kate Middleton broke the royal protocol in Germany when she hugged children while visiting a charity. There is usually a handshake only rule.

The post You Might Not Know These 10 Things About the British Royal Family appeared first on UberFacts.

French People Have Spent 20 Years Building a Castle with Medieval Techniques, and It’s Almost Done

This is spectacular!

You don’t need to be a fan of history or obsessed with the Middle Ages to appreciate the hard work and determination that went into this incredible project.

The Guédelon is a castle built over the past 20 years in Burgundy, France, with only technology and materials that were available during the 13th century.

Posted by Guédelon on Saturday, July 13, 2019

That means stones are transported by cart, and specially designed cranes (13th-century style, of course) are used to get heavy rocks to the top of the castle.

Posted by Guédelon on Saturday, July 13, 2019

The project began in 1997 with Michel Guyot and Maryline Martin, who spearheaded the effort to get the castle built. Final completion is expected around 2023.

Posted by Guédelon on Tuesday, June 25, 2019

During the lengthy construction phase the site drew 300,000 curious visitors each year. Guédelon even has a historically accurate backstory attached to it as well, which he uses to guide all the castle’s design and construction decisions.

The backstory begins in 1228, and with each year that passes, the researchers and volunteers who work on the castle must adapt to changes in technology that actually occurred. The backstory now places the castle in 1248.

One of the guides at the castle said that the backstory somehow needed a little extra something to get visitors excited:

“The rule is that only what we know from documents that existed at the time is allowed. Funnily enough, we found that even though we knew we were being accurate, somehow the castle lacked soul. So we invented a character – the owner – who would have likes and dislikes, wanting this and not wanting that.”

Les préparations pour la nouvelle saison continuent !Preparations for the coming season are under way!

Posted by Guédelon on Thursday, March 6, 2014

So the “owner” of the castle is Seigneur Guilbert, a middle-ranking feudal lord who was allowed to build his castle on the land because he sided with the French crown during a rebellion. Clever, isn’t it?!?!

What a wonderful project.

The post French People Have Spent 20 Years Building a Castle with Medieval Techniques, and It’s Almost Done appeared first on UberFacts.

The Darth Vader Hot Air Balloon Makes a Trip Back Home

According to Wikipedia, the 12 Star Wars films have totaled more than $9.323 billion in the box office…which is a lot.

So it comes as no surprise that someone created a Darth Vader hot air balloon. And it’s awesome.

As a part of the largest annual festival of hot air balloons, the Vader balloon made its way to Bristol International Balloon Fiesta that ran from Aug. 8-11.

Who cares? Glad you asked. While the Vader ballon has previously popped up all over the world, Bristol was one location it had never flown.

“The Darth Vader special shape hot air balloon was built in Bristol by Cameron Balloons but has never flown in this fine city. (We know!)”

In an effort to transport the Darkside, the festival committee started a crowdsourcing campaign, successfully raising over $6,300 to make this special event (even though the campaign is over, you can still donate in support of the festival itself).

Photo Credit: Youtube

This is particularly significant because Bristol is the birthplace of the man that played Darth Vader in Star Wars, David Prowse. Hint: Not James Earl Jones that did the voice, but the actual actor in the suit!

This was even hat-tipped by Luke Skywalker, himself, Mr. Mark Hamill.

Just awesome.

The post The Darth Vader Hot Air Balloon Makes a Trip Back Home appeared first on UberFacts.

10 Facts You Might Not Know About 1994’s ‘The Lion King’

And, as I’m sure most of you know, this summer saw a new remake version of the classic Disney film.

The original version of Disney’s The Lion King was released in theaters on June 15, 1994.

For the hardcore fans of the original, here are 10 facts about the 1994 version that you might not know.

1. Sean Connery was the first choice to play Mufasa.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

2. Tim Rice, who co-wrote the lyrics for the songs in The Lion King, wanted ABBA to be on the soundtrack. When they declined, he asked Elton John.

3. Can You Feel the Love Tonight was almost cut from the film because it didn’t fit the father-and-son theme of the film.

4. Disney wanted Patrick Stewart for the role of Zazu.

5. All the lion roars in the film were done by voice actor Frank Welker, who growled into a metal garbage can to get distinct sounds.

Photo Credit: Disney

6. Animators studied real lions for reference.

7. Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella originally auditioned for the roles of Banzai and Shenzi, hyenas in the film.

Photo Credit: Disney

8. The artist who animated adult Simba wanted to give him a mane that looked like Jon Bon Jovi’s…then Matthew Broderick was cast and the plan was nixed.

9. Rob Minkoff and Don Hahn, the director and producer of 1994’s version, say that Scar and Mufasa weren’t actually brothers.

Photo Credit: Disney

10. The first part of the movie, from when Simba wakes up Mufasa to when he runs away after Mufasa’s death, takes place over two days.

The post 10 Facts You Might Not Know About 1994’s ‘The Lion King’ appeared first on UberFacts.

Learn Some Great New Information with These 10 Facts

Ready to exercise that brain? Ready to learn?

Then let’s get to work!

1. I need one of these

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

2. Where the bodies were buried

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

3. That makes sense

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

4. Ouch…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

5. Nice and quiet

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

6. WOW

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

7. Improvement

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

8. No more, no less

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

9. Double rainbows!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

10. Wild animals

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

That was some good learnin’!

The post Learn Some Great New Information with These 10 Facts appeared first on UberFacts.

Learn Some Great New Information with These 10 Facts

Ready to exercise that brain? Ready to learn?

Then let’s get to work!

1. I need one of these

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

2. Where the bodies were buried

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

3. That makes sense

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

4. Ouch…

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source

5. Nice and quiet

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

6. WOW

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

7. Improvement

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

8. No more, no less

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

9. Double rainbows!

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2

10. Wild animals

Photo Credit: did you know?

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

That was some good learnin’!

The post Learn Some Great New Information with These 10 Facts appeared first on UberFacts.

12 Fascinating Facts About the Sistine Chapel

If you’ve ever gazed up at the Sistine Chapel, you know it’s a one-of-a-kind experience.

The famous artwork that defines the Sistine Chapel has drawn tourists and landed on travel bucket lists since, well, probably since Michelangelo and his crew (including one Sandra Botticelli) completed work in 1481. They created the whole thing in less than 5 years, and it has stood the test of time, both architecturally and artistically.

But whether you’ve visited or not, there’s a good chance you’ve missed at least some of these facts about the famous Vatican City monument.

12. Adult Jesus is not depicted.

None of the ceiling murals feature an adult Jesus, and the reason for that is that the scenes are all from the Old Testament, when the Christ only appears as a figure to come in the future.

He is depicted as a young man in the altar mural The Judgement Day.

11. There was a special scaffolding built in order to allow for the height of the ceilings.

Michelangelo himself designed the vertical scaffolding, which attached to beams on the walls of the chapel, allowing him to work over the entire surface of the ceiling while also letting people to move about on the chapel floor. In fact, services went on during the painting – though the people below wouldn’t have been able to see the master’s work until after the scaffolding was removed.

10. Michelangelo didn’t paint the ceiling lying down.

You might have an image in your mind of the artist lying on his back, paint dripping in his face, but in reality he stood and craned his neck back. The process earned Michelangelo ear infections, arthritis, and scoliosis that he lived with for the rest of his life.

9. Some of the symbolism only made sense at the time.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The oak leaves and acorns, for example, are a reference to the family crest of Pope Julius II – the pope at the time.

8. Michelangelo was one of the first people to imagine the face of God.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The famous image of God in The Creation of Adam was the first in history to depict the deity in motion – he was typically seen as a symbol (like a hand alone).

7. Not all of the images are Christian.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Along with the 7 prophets of Israel, some of the side pictures are of 5 of the 10 Sibyls – oracles of Ancient Greece who were believed to be able to predict the future.

6. It contains the lineage of Jesus – or most of it.

The lunettes (the space under the arches above the windows) feature the ancestors of Jesus, though 2 were removed to make room for the entire Last Judgement mural.

5. There’s a lot of debate surrounding the images of God.

Some people believe that the silhouette of fabric around God resembles the human brain, and that the people crowding God symbolize the different parts of the brain.

Others argue that the clothing represents the womb, with the green scarf meant to be the severed umbilical cord, and that the entire image is meant to show how Adam was “born” (and explains his belly button in the process).

4. Michelangelo didn’t create the ceilings alone.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Data collected during the restoration undertaken between 1980-1994 revealed that at least 3 other people helped draw the putti (boys common in the Renaissance period) and different architectural parts.

3. There are some issues with the scenes depicting Adam and Eve.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Bible does not specify what kind of fruit Adam and Eve ate, but the tree in The Expulsion from Paradise mural is a fig tree. Also, it’s interesting to note that Adam and Eve are frowning and unhappy before they try the apple and beautiful and inspired after they disobey God, leaving one to wonder as to Michelangelo’s thoughts on Christian dogma.

Not so subtle? The fact that the serpent is drawn as a woman.

2. There might be a self-portrait inside the Judgement Day rendering.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

It is said that Michelangelo drew his own portrait in the skin held by Bartholomew because he was suffering at the hands of the church – he didn’t want to paint the murals at all.

Most experts deny this assessment.

1. The artists used a technique known as “fool-the-eye.”

The technique is more commonly known as Trompe-l’œil, and when used it causes murals to give the impression that the stories are separated by architectural elements like pilasters, edges, and ledges that are in fact, pseudo-3D images painted onto a flat surface.

 

These just make me want to visit even more!

The post 12 Fascinating Facts About the Sistine Chapel appeared first on UberFacts.

Take a Look at These Commonly Used Words That Are Actually Acronyms

Did you know there are words in the English language (recognized by Webster) that were once acronyms? I suppose they could still be considered acronyms, but our lexicon has adopted them as pieces of vocabulary in their own right.

Here are a few interesting words that were once abbreviations.

5. L.A.S.E.R

Photo Credit: Pixabay

LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The first laser was invented in 1960, but had a different name: LOSER. The “O” stood for ocsillation, because a laser (light) is technically an optical oscillator not an optical amplifier. But as the acronym rapidly spread, oscillation was later replaced by amplification. For obvious reasons.

4. C.A.R.E. Packages

Photo Credit: Pixabay

CARE packages started in 1945 after the end of World War II. Care stood for the Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe, a group that started preparing packages filled with leftover “humanitarian aid to millions starving in post-war Europe.”

History.com explains, “These first ‘CARE Packages’ contained everything from whole-milk powder and liver loaf to margarine and coffee. The contents of CARE Packages soon expanded to include soap, diapers, school supplies, and medicine as well as fabric, thread, and needles to allow recipients to make and mend clothes.”

3. Navy S.E.A.L.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

The SEALs are a group of America’s toughest and most elite navy professionals. Their name stands for “SEa, Air, and Land”. This special operations force adopted the name “SEAL” because of their training and duties spanned “all environments (sea, air, and land)”.

2. S.C.U.B.A.

This well-known activity has been around since 1939. It was first used in military applications, but is now widely enjoyed by vacationers for entertainment, biologists for scientific research, and in many other circumstances. But it wasn’t coined “SCUBA” until 1952.

Wikipedia states, “In the U.S. Major Christian J. Lambertsen invented an underwater free-swimming oxygen rebreather in 1939. In 1952 he patented a modification of his apparatus, this time named SCUBA (an acronym for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus“).

1. Z.I.P. Codes

As we all know, this term is used to help the post office designate what township or region a building or home location resides. It means Zone Improvement Plan Code.

The ZIP code “was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently and quickly (zipping along) when senders use the code in the postal address.”

Before ZIP codes’ inception, delivering mail was taxing. Robert Moon, a career postal employee, created the first codes, consisting of only 3 numbers that notated each central mail processing facility. It wasn’t until 1963 that the ZIP codes expanded to five numbers so as to have more combinations available to accurately reflect area.

The post Take a Look at These Commonly Used Words That Are Actually Acronyms appeared first on UberFacts.

The Worst Shark Attack on Record Happened During World War II

When you think of shark attacks, you probably imagine surfers, divers, or other people who choose to be in the water with the giant predators when they’re mistaken for food – but the worst shark attack in history is actually the result of an event far more sinister.

And in this case, the sharks weren’t making mistakes – the humans beings treading water were, in fact, their intended prey.

The USS Indianapolis had delivered components of the atomic bomb that would later level Hiroshima before leaving Guam. It sailed alone toward the Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, where it was supposed to meet the USS Idaho and prepare for an invasion of Japan.

View this post on Instagram

The USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was a heavy cruiser of the United States Navy in World War two. The ship was named after the City Indianapolis and was a ship of the Portland-class. The commissioning was on the 15th of November 1932 and had a length of 186m, a width of 20m and a draft of 7m. With her 8×White-Forster boilers, she had a maximum speed of 32.7 knots (60.6 km/h; 37.6 mph) and had a displacement of 10,110 tons. USS Indianapolis had a armament of 3×3-203mm guns, of 8×127mm AA guns, of 16×28mm AA guns, of 24×40mm AA guns, of 14×20mm AA guns and of 2×3-pounder 47mm guns. ======================================= After her commissioning, the ship was under the command of Captain John M. Smeallie and had a lot of training maneuvers, for example off the Chilean coast or in the Guantánamo Bay. She also escorted President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on three different cruises, one trip to the Campobello Island, one trip to a naval review and one trip to South America. During the last cruise, President Roosevelt underwent his crossing the line ceremony on the 26 November 1936 with the words: "an intensive initiation lasting two days, but we have all survived and are now full-fledged Shellbacks". After the beginning of World War two, USS Indianapolis operated together with carrier task forces in the South Pacific and supported the New Guinea campaign with the attacking of Lae and Salamaua. Then the ship was transferred in Alaska area and supported the Aleutian Islands campaign with the attacking of Kiska Island and other operations, for example the conquest of Amchitka. In February 1943, she was on a patrol with two destroyers in the near of Attu Island and had sank the Japanese cargo ship Akagane Maru (3,150 t). Later in 1943, USS Indianapolis became the flagship of 5th Fleet and took part in many operations, for example the conquest of the Gilberts, Marshalls and Marianas Islands. The ship also took part in a lot of attacks on Japanese positions, for example the bombarding of the Kwajalein Atoll in January 1944 and participated in the Peleliu invasion in September 1944. ??????????????????

A post shared by HIЅƬΘΓΨ_ΘF_ШΔΓЅHIƤЅ (@history_of_warships) on

A day later, shortly after midnight, a Japanese torpedo ripped the ship in half.

It sank in under 12 minutes, sending the 900 survivors (of 1196 crew) into the water.

There weren’t enough life rafts to hold everyone but there were life vests to go around, and as the men formed groups and began going through rations and trying to maintain some kind of order, they surely believed rescue would come – and soon.

They were wrong.

Instead, the sharks appeared, likely drawn by the blood and bodies in the water, ready to attack live victims. Their reported aggression leads most historians and experts to believe the sharks in question were oceanic whitetips – a particularly aggressive species that lives and feeds in open water.

The sailors did what they could, pushing the men who died away from the groups to draw sharks and moving away from anyone with an open or bleeding wound. The first person to open a can of SPAM paid the ultimate price, and the rest of the meat rations were tossed after that harrowing spectacle.

Days passed and the Navy did nothing, believing that reports of the ships sinking had been planted in an attempt to draw rescue ships into open water. The survivors dwindled, dying from thirst, heat, drinking seawater and suffering from salt poisoning. Those who were not in their right minds dragged healthy men into the water when they jumped, dooming even more to the depths.

After four-plus days in the water, a Navy pilot spotted the survivors and radioed for help, and when a second plane arrived, it dropped rafts and supplies before landing and attempting to gather the men most at risk – disobeying orders in the process.

Twelve hours later, the USS Doyle arrived and pulled 317 men from the water – nearly 600 had perished in the four days it took the Navy to respond. Not all of them were killed by sharks, with salt poisoning and exposure claiming lives, along with lack of access to clean water, but none of those men would have had to die had the Navy been quick to send rescue teams after the attack.

Lessons learned? Don’t expect that help will be there soon, and don’t mess with the oceanic whitetip shark.

And don’t eat SPAM, but you probably already figured that out on your own.

Also also, Nic Cage starred in a 2016 movie about the disaster called USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage.

The post The Worst Shark Attack on Record Happened During World War II appeared first on UberFacts.