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Whether it’s oversight, instinct or good luck, here are some examples of decisions that could have gone in any direction.

Time zone confusion ruined America’s relationship with Cuba

In April 1961, Cuban exiles were trained and ready to execute the CIA’s secret plan to attack Cuba’s Bay of Pigs to overthrow Fidel Castro’s. However, after a failed air strike, President Kennedy sent in six American fighter planes to help but the pilots failed to sync their watches to Cuba time and arrived an hour late.

The key to a titanic disaster

On the night of April 14, 1912, the watchman assigned to the crow’s nest post atop the Titanic couldn’t access the binoculars he needed to keep an eye out for large obstacles because they were inside a locked locker and the key was missing. This is because the ship’s second officer David Blair forgot to hand over the keys to the locker.

The monk who almost destroyed calculus

A 13th-century monk couldn’t find any fresh paper to write his prayers, so he decided to erase the contents of an ancient text written by Archimedes, the Greek mathematician. Scientists later determined that the text was from a previously unknown book, now called the Archimedes Palimpsest, that laid out foundations of calculus long before Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz, who are credited with discovering calculus.

To celebrate Black History Month we have rounded up some of the most notable quotes from history.

"The time is always right to do what is right."

- Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., activist

"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear."

- Rosa Parks, activist and "the mother of the freedom movement"

"Have a vision. Be demanding."

- Colin Powell, the first African American appointed as the U.S. Secretary of State

"Never be limited by other people's limited imaginations."

- Dr. Mae Jemison, first African American female astronaut

The battles that count aren't the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself--the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us--that's where it's at."

- Jesse Owens, U.S. track and field athlete

"The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression."

- W.E.B. Du Bois, author and activist

"In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute."

- Thurgood Marshall, first African American on the U.S. Supreme Court

"Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us."

- Susan L. Taylor, journalist

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us."

- Wilma Rudolph, U.S. track and field athlete

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed."

- Booker T. Washington, author and politician

"For Africa to me... is more than a glamorous fact. It is a historical truth. No man can know where he is going unless he knows exactly where he has been and exactly how he arrived at his present place."

- Dr. Maya Angelou, author and poet

"God gives nothing to those who keep their arms crossed."

- African Proverb

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope... and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

- Robert F. Kennedy, politician

Here are some quotes from different historical leaders that have made their mark on history to inspire you to make yours as well.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.” — Alexander Hamilton

“I will have here but one mistress and no master.” — Queen Elizabeth I

“Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.” — Benjamin Disraeli

“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.” — John F Kennedy

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” — Benjamin Franklin

“If what you have done yesterday still looks big to you, you haven’t done much today.” — Mikhail Gorbachev

“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” — Nelson Mandela

“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt

“I may be crazy, but that don’t make me wrong.” — Marsha P. Johnson

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” — Abraham Lincoln

“Hope will never be silent.” — Harvey Milk

“I am not afraid. I was born to do this.” — Joan of Arc

“The first lesson I ever learned was never to wait for a man’s rescue.” — Catherine de Medici

“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” — Ida B. Wells

“Better bitch than mouse.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“Even the greatest was once a beginner. Don’t be afraid to take that first step.” — Muhammad Ali

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.” — Winston Churchill

“I had no idea that history was being made. I was just tired of giving up.” — Rosa Parks

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” — Booker T. Washington

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world?” — Anne Frank

“The best protection any woman can have is courage.” — Elizabeth Cady Stanton

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” — Marie Curie

“I cannot do everything, but I can do something. I must not fail to do the something that I can do.” — Helen Keller

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” — Dr. Seuss

“We are what we repeatedly do.” — Aristotle

“If one man can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it?” — Malala Yousafzai

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” — Billie Jean King

“Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” — Harriet Tubman

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” — Princess Diana

Here are some quotes from the greatest minds in history on success.

1. “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” —Dale Carnegie

2. “Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” —Albert Einstein

3. “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”—Booker T. Washington

4. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” —Truman Capote

5. “The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do, well.” —Henry W. Longfellow

6. “I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.” —George S. Patton

7. “Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result.” —Oscar Wilde

8. “Action is the foundational key to all success.” —Pablo Picasso

9. “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” —Henry David Thoreau

10. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” —Winston Churchill

11. “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” —Thomas A. Edison

12. “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing.”—Abraham Lincoln

13. “The secret of success is to do the common thing uncommonly well.” —John D. Rockefeller Jr.

14. “All successful men have agreed in one thing—they were causationists. They believed that things went not by luck, but by law; that there was not a weak or a cracked link in the chain that joins the first and last of things.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson, The Conduct of Life

15. “The secret of success is to know something nobody else knows.” —Aristotle Onassis

From Shakespeare to Aristotle, take a look at how these famous writers have expressed the power of love throughout history.

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. –Aristotle

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. –Lao Tzu

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite. —William Shakespeare

If I had a flower for every time I thought of you … I could walk through my garden forever. –Alfred Tennyson

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. –Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable. –Henry Ward Beecher

Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age. —Anais Nin

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction. –Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires; To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully. –Kahlil Gibran

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. –Helen Keller

Love consists of this: two solitudes that meet, protect and greet each other. —Rainer Maria Rilke

Love does not dominate; it cultivates. –Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.– Zora Neale Hurston

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love.– Leo Tolstoy

Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it, and it darts away. –Dorothy Parker

Love is the voice under all silences, the hope which has no opposite in fear; the strength so strong mere force is feebleness: the truth more first than sun, more last than star. —E.E. Cummings

I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart.– Alice Walker

We're all a little weird, and life's a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. —Dr. Seuss

There is no remedy for love but to love more. — Henry David Thoreau

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this: where I does not exist nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep. –Pablo Neruda

It’s a tradition which is over 100 years old and for many Americans, it’s not New Year’s Eve without it, but how much do we actually know about the New Year’s Eve ball drop at New York’s Times Square.

Here are some facts you may not know about this ritual which has captured the public’s imagination for generations.

1. Before the ball drop, the owner of the New York Times Adolph Ochs would hold a fireworks display at the newspaper’s new building which also served to promote the paper as well.

2. The ball was designed by Artkraft Strauss and was first ‘dropped’ on New Year’s Eve 1907. The original ball was made of wood and iron and was lit up using around 100 light bulbs.

3. Only twice since 1907 has there been no ball drop. That came in 1942 and 1943 when there were enforced blackouts in the city due to World War II.

4. Around one million people attend the annual celebrations in Times Square and the event is broadcast live across the United States with entertainment usually beginning around 6pm in the city.

5. It takes 60 seconds for the ball to travel down the 141-foot flagpole and the descent begins exactly one minute before midnight.

6. Each year the ball drop is activated by a well-known figure, such as a local official or celebrity. In the past, guests have included former New York mayors Rudy Giuliani and Bill de Blasio, Muhammad Ali, Lady Gaga and Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Love history but short on time to read? No problem. Select from these history podcasts and tune in whenever you can and wherever you are.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

This podcast never disappoints. From subjects such as a Brief History of Doughnuts or the story of the nine-day reign of “Queen” Lady Jane Grey, this female-narrated podcast is fun and that’s why it was given a 4.2 out of 5 rating.

Revolutions

Rated a 4.8 out of 5 on Apple Podcasts, this podcast explores the history of our world and how it has been shaped by revolutions against the status quo. For example, learn about the reign of England’s King Charles I and continue chronologically through to the 1900s. Change definitely comes with a price and you will realize this when listening to this podcast.

The History of England

If you love British history and culture then you will love this podcast. Rated 4.8 stars out of 5, this podcast looks at the history of England from a chronological standpoint from the fall of Roman Britain to the present day. It also ventures into useful tidbits of information such as the difference between beer and ale.

History based novels give us an insight into different eras and our past, something a lot of haven’t experienced whether it’s world wars or revolutions. If you’re a history geek, these fiction books are for you.

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly - Set in 1914, the talk of war is so common, many New Yorkers treat the subject as a passing interest. Two friends, one of American descend the other Russian are traveling to St Petersburg to experience its history and watch the famous ballet. However, when Austria declares war on Russia, the American goes home and the Russian flees to their country estate. The Russian family hires a fortune teller to help the family but it brings danger into their home, whilst in America the best friend tries her best to help the Russian families find safety.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn - Nina Markov has always dreamt of flying but when the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment against the Germans. However, when she gets stranded on enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress. Only Nina’s bravery will keep her alive.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff - Set in 1946, the novel follows the story of Grace Healey who one morning discovers an abandoned suitcase in Grand Central Terminal. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she looks through the suitcase and soon learns it belonged to a woman called Eleanor Trigg, leader of a network of female secret agents deployed out of London in the war.

A unique tale of social conflict and family struggles, Jazz presents a troubled love triangle against a backdrop of childhood trauma and violent tensions. Here we look at violence and motherhood in Toni Morrison’s Jazz.

The first main event of Jazz is the murder of a young woman called Dorcas, shot by her spurned older lover Joe when she begins to see other men. Dorcas dies after she refuses medical help, implicating Joe irrevocably and threatening to expose their illicit affair that went on in secret out of their families’ sight. After her murder, Dorcas’ body is mutilated at her own funeral by Violet, Joe’s estranged wife, furious at the affair and representative of close-knit families and the lengths members go to protect them.

Though we may initially view Joe and Violet as a disgusting couple capable of appalling acts, we learn through the omniscient narrator that they are both results of troubled and abusive childhoods, particularly regarding their mothers. We are told that Violet’s mother Rose committed suicide, and with her father having abandoned her Violet grew up largely unguided. Joe conversely was an orphan, abandoned by both parents and spending his life pondering the identity of his mother, signifying a yearning for belonging and self-identity.

While their respective tales of anguish do not excuse their violent actions, we first see them committing, we are at last given cause for some kind of sympathy with Joe and Violet. The violence and the mental violence that precedes it are symbols shown by Morrison of a period of real strife in 1920s America.

Passover is one of the most important observed by Jews today. It was during a Passover feast that Jesus Christ celebrated what would come to be known as the last supper, with the origins of the celebration dating back to the time of Moses.

Although many contemporary historians have disputed the events which led up to the first Passover and later culminated in Moses leading the enslaved Jews out of Egypt, the name of the holiday derives its origin from those times.

It all started in ancient Egypt when a pharaoh became increasingly concerned about a group of Israelites who had settled in the Goshen province of Egypt. The had lived there peacefully for many years, but as they grew in number, the pharaoh saw them as a threat and had them all enslaved and ordered all their first-born sons to be drowned in the Nile. One of those first born to survive was Moses, who was rescued by the pharaoh’s daughter. After being raised by pharaoh’s family, Moses finds out his true identity and flees to the Sinai Peninsula. There he is instructed by the Hebrew God to return to Egypt and free the Israelites.

When the then-pharaoh rejects Moses’s request to free his people, God punishes the Egyptians by unleashing ten plagues, one of which involved sending an angel to kill the firstborn son of every Egyptian family.

In order to signify who they were, the Israelites painted their door frames with lamb’s blood so that the angel would ‘pass over’ their homes and spare their firstborn and Moses would eventually lead his people out of Egypt.

History is in every cell of our body, in the buildings we walk past and work in, our political system, our ideas around gender, our healthcare, the way we dress, the language we speak. History is the past, present and future, and we can learn practically everything we need to know from looking back through history’s pages.

If you’re fascinated by history and would like to be more informed, there are a few simple steps to take to make it happen.

Here’s how to easily add more history to your daily life.

Read More Books

Historical literature doesn’t mean dry schoolbooks; there are tons of well-researched historical novels as well as non-fiction books available that make history interesting and engaging. Add a few well-reviewed history books to your reading list - choose the periods or ideas that intrigue you the most - and you’ll find yourself learning more about history without even trying.

Check Out YouTube

YouTube isn’t only for cats and fail videos: these days there’s a wealth of engaging educational content about pretty any much subject you can wish for - and all for free. Have a browse for history channels, subscribe to the ones that interest you the most, and try and watch some of their videos a few times per week. It’s a fun and engaging way to learn about history which you can enjoy when you have a free 10 minutes.

It wasn’t just spring which heralded by the start of March, the first week of the third month was also the time of year when the US government began its new year of legislation. Traditionally March 4 was the day that Congress started its new term following elections and it was also the traditional date for Presidential inaugurations.

George Washington was inaugurated as the first US President on April 20, 1789, but that proved to the be an exception as every Presidential inauguration which followed took place on March 4, which usually fell on a Monday. On the occasion that March 4 wasn’t a Monday, March 5 was the day the new government began a business and, on those years when a new president had been elected, was the day they were sworn in.

However, the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution was adopted in 1933 and the traditional January date for Presidential inaugurations and the first sitting of the new House was established.

The intention behind the Amendment was to reduce the lame-duck period between an outgoing and incoming new president. Congress traditionally wound up its business in early December so the Amendment also meant that the time between the end of one Congress and the beginning of a new one was limited too.

The last Presidential inauguration to take place in March was the 1933 swearing in of Franklin D Roosevelt, which took place on March 4. FDR immediately declared a 10-day bank holiday and held a special sitting of Congress to start his now-famous first 100 days in office aimed at turning the country around following the Great Depression.

History is filled with misattributions and misconceptions, make sure you don’t get caught out, or that you can impress friends with these list of some of the most interesting, and egregious! It doesn’t take much for a popular idea to take root instead of the truth, and history can be easily forgotten in this regard. These misquotations offer a fascinating insight into how historical narratives develop, as well as making for fun dinner party facts to impress friends and family.

“Let Them Eat Cake”-Marie Antoinette

One of the most commonly held misquotations, this is actually incorrect on two fronts. Firstly the original phrase to which it may be attributed is actually mistranslated, it was in fact “Why don’t they eat pastry”. And secondly it was originally said by the wife of Louis XIV, Marie-Therese. In reality, Marie Antoinette’s position on the royal court and the populace was far more complex, and her situation more akin to a tragic victim of circumstance than a cruel ruler. But, as so often with history things become rounded into an easy if inaccurate portrayal of reality.

“I cannot tell a lie; it was I who chopped down the cherry tree” – George Washington

A prime and enlightening example of how popular myth can easily become reality, the story behind this tale and the quotation itself were, in fact, a fabrication by Washington’s biographer Parson Weems. Both of which were meant to give Washington a mythical status, something that is a core part of the idyllic nostalgia and myth-like white-washing that overshadows the troublesome and problematic aspects of the politics of the American revolution.

When it comes to historical books, you can’t help but fall in love with a series. Taking a journey through history with the same characters guiding the way is a wonderful way of learning about history as the narratives unfold. Here is a rundown of some of the best historical book series out there.

Poldark

The series by Winston Graham sees Ross Poldark returning to England after going to war. He is looking forward to coming home to his beloved Elizabeth and the joyful reunion, but his homecoming is far from the idyllic one he imagined. He arrives home to find his father is dead, his home has become overrun by drunken servants and livestock, and Elizabeth is engaged to his cousin. So Ross has to start his like all over again. Set in Cornwall the series takes you on a journey across generations.

Sharpe

Bernard Cornwell’s Napoleonic series is one that has become an iconic and must read staple of any historical fiction fan. Following Richard Sharpe an orphan and guttersnipe, who joined the British Army and was given a battlefield commission after he saved the life of one Arthur Wellesley (someone you may know as the Duke of Wellington). Raised into the ranks of the officers, Sharpe is not only fighting against the French but the ignorance of other officers and for the respect of those that he commands.

The War of the Roses

By Conn Iggulden, this series follows the events during the 1400s when the war between the House of York and Lancaster raged. Henry VI of the House of Lancaster became king in 1437 and secretly negotiated with France to trade some British territories for the hand of Margaret of Anjou in marriage. The House of York notices that Henry’s weakness has brought about chaos. They believe it is their duty to remove the king from his throne and take it for their own.

The devastating news that the creator of Spongebob Squarepants, Stephen Hillenburg, has passed away aged just 57 has saddened the world. The creative genius had been suffering from a type of Motor Neurone Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), since 2017. A number of other high-profile individuals have also suffered from this rare condition. Here is a list of famous people who have been struck down by ALS.

David Niven

Born in 1910, David Niven was one of the most famous British stars to succeed in Hollywood during the golden era. Starring alongside some of the biggest names on the silver screen such as Ginger Rogers and Cary Grant, he became an international legend. He was eventually given two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to celebrate his success. In 1981, an appearance on a chat show caused consternation and he was quickly diagnosed with ALS. David Niven died in 1983, just two years later.

Sam Shepard

A writer, director, and actor, Sam Shepard had a career which stretched over more than five decades. Having been nominated for, and won many awards, including an Oscar, Shepard was widely respected for his acting roles, and also for his vision as a playwright and director. He died aged 73 from ALS which came as a surprise to his many fans as the illness had been kept a secret.

Stephen Hawking

Possibly the most famous ALS-sufferer, Stephen Hawking was an extremely rare case. Only one in 10 people suffering from ALS live beyond 10 years. Despite being only left with movement in one eye and single cheek muscle, theoretical physicist Hawking went on to live until the age of 76 after being diagnosed at 21. Although he lived with increasing paralysis, Hawking’s career is widely accepted as one of the most prestigious and notable within the field of physics and cosmology.

There’s an overwhelming array of great deals and offers available during Black Friday, but some items are particularly in demand. Top store Target has released a list of items which they sell the most of during their Black Friday event. Here’s a look at some of the most popular items which are bought from Target during Black Friday sales.

Flat-screen TVs

TVs and other electronics are some of the most sought-after items during Black Friday. Some of the models that sold particularly well included a 50" Samsung TV, 55" Westinghouse TV and a 32" Polaroid TV.

Giant plush teddy bears

Although supersized soft toys aren’t the items which are advertised the most heavily, Target notched up hundreds of sales of its plush toys. In 2017 one big teddy bear priced at $10 was a particular hit, with 600 of them sold every minute.

Rubbermaid Food Storage Set

This may not sound the most exciting item to get a bargain on, but lots of customers lined up to grab this deal. There were plenty of other household goods which were also top of the want-list including iRobot vacuums, Dysons, Instant Pot pressure cooker and a Ninja cooker maker.

NERF guns

Toys are one of the biggest sale items and branded goods, in particular, are targeted by shoppers. NERF guns along with Lego sets, HEXBUG, Pokémon, and Hatchimals were all big sellers in 2017.

Jane Austen is widely regarded as one of the most well-known female authors in history but that was far from the case when the British writer was alive.

Around the age of 11, she began to write poetry, but it was kept mostly for the eyes and ears of her family. She began to write short stories and other work looking at issues of feminism which were later compiled into a volume known as Juvenilia. These were much more anarchic and boisterous than the works she would go on to be more well-known for.

Although four of her six novels were published during her lifetime, Austen only enjoyed modest success at the time. Most of Austen’s fame came after her life. Four of Austen’s novels – Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma were all first published during a five-year period between 1811 and 1816. They quickly gained interest and acclaim for their biting satire on women’s pursuit of marriage as the most attainable idea they could pursue as a way of achieving greater social and economic standing. Austen herself never married, which is not surprising given the views of marriage she espoused in her books. However, she did turn several offers of marriage during her lifetime.

The two remaining novels Austen wrote – Northanger Abbey and Persuasion – were published after her death in 1817. She may not have benefited from the success of her books when she was alive, but her work and the subjects it dealt with have stood the test of time.