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ISLAND SURVIVAL STORY
In 1704, Alexander Selkirk was marooned on a Pacific island for over 4 years. 15 years later, Daniel Defoe published Robinson Crusoe, making his survival story a classicAlexander Selkirk was a Scottish sailor whose extraordinary experience of isolation became closely connected with Daniel Defoe’s famous nov...- America's ghost towns hide old mines, abandoned buildings and eerie stories; these 10 forgotten places offer a haunting road trip through the nation's past, from coast to coastAmerica's ghost towns serve as intriguing windows into bygone eras. Many of these towns disappeared when economic prosperity waned or when ...
- He spent 16 years alone on one of world’s most remote islands: With two cats, chickens, a radio and basic supplies, this New Zealand sailor built a life in complete solitudeTom Neale spent an incredible 16 years living alone on Suwarrow Atoll, growing his own food and repairing shelters with resources available...
- In 1963, New York abandoned an island where Typhoid Mary had been quarantined; 63 years later, 25 decaying buildings remain closed to the publicNorth Brother Island ultimately stands as one of New York City’s most unusual historical landscapes because its ruins tell several stories ...
- In 1953, Britain detonated an atomic bomb in Australia, sending a mysterious black mist across the desert before a secret programme began testing children’s bones for radiationDuring the Cold War, Britain undertook covert nuclear tests in Australia, leading to hazardous radioactive fallout termed the Black Mist th...
- In June 2026, two tiny eyeless creatures smaller than sesame seeds were discovered in Japan’s hidden groundwater caves, scientists say the discovery could point to a much larger underground worldThe discovery does not prove that the Ryukyu Islands are home to countless undiscovered species living underground. However, it highlights ...
- Lake Ontario’s Bermuda Triangle: Hundreds of ships and dozens of planes have disappeared in the Great Lake. Many are yet to be foundAmid rising tensions, President Trump proposed renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. This unique body of water is steeped in maritime hist...
- A tiny Yemeni island, Socotra’s strange dragon’s blood trees harvest moisture from fog to survive extreme aridity; 90% of its reptiles and 95% of its land snails are found nowhere else, creating an ecosystem unlike any otherSocotra island boasts unique plants and animals that evolved in isolation. Its dragon's blood trees and cucumber trees store water and have...
- In 1240s, three trading ships vanished in a Menorca cove, archaeologists have now found their wrecks and a possible clue: a sudden meteotsunamiThe three ships represent more than the remains of a possible natural disaster beneath the water. Their cargoes offer valuable clues about ...
- In 1776, a 17-year-old Connecticut teenager secretly spied on the British during the American Revolution, escaped execution and survived where Nathan Hale failedIn 1776, 17-year-old Connecticut teenager David Maltbie secretly crossed into British-controlled Long Island as a spy. Posing as a schoolte...
- In 1986, an American ad executive bought a Scottish island for his wife's 60th birthday; the couple immediately gave it away for wildlifeBack in 1986, an American advertising executive took gift-giving to an extraordinary level by presenting his wife with a whole Scottish isl...
- In 1993, Louis Bacon bought a mostly undeveloped New York island; four years later, he protected nearly 90% of its 450 acresIn 1993, Louis Bacon acquired Robins Island, an exceptionally pristine marine island. He subsequently enacted a conservation easement that ...
- Deadly plague ravaged this Italian island, thousands died and were burned, with ashes rumoured to make up 50% of the ground before it became home to a haunted mental hospitalPoveglia island, once a place of quarantine, is shrouded in a chilling tapestry of disease and demise. Its forsaken hospital stands as a te...
- After someone planted golden bamboo beside an Oʻahu road, the single ornamental planting escaped and grew into a 1-acre patch, crowding out native plantsGolden bamboo, once a beloved addition to gardens, is now recognized as an invasive menace. Its rapid growth through underground rhizomes t...
- In 1919, German crews sank their own fleet at Scapa Flow. 100 years later, its steel became prized by industry for being radioactive-freeIn 1919, German crews deliberately sank much of their surrendered fleet at Scapa Flow rather than allow the ships to be divided among the A...
- In 1899, Harvard graduate James Dole came to Hawaii to grow coffee, but his failed plan B turned him into the “Pineapple King” and built a pineapple empire that became famous worldwideJames Dole arrived in Hawaii in 1899 hoping to grow coffee but his coffee venture failed, pushing him towards pineapples instead. Dole esta...
- In 1795, three teenagers found a strange depression on Oak Island. More than 200 years later, the treasure mystery remains unsolvedIn 1795, Oak Island became the center of a captivating treasure hunt that captured imaginations for centuries. Theories sprouting from the ...
- In 1958, an American ornithologist found pigs devastating a remote Pacific atoll and the removal of 58 pigs was followed by a seabird increase from 650 to 137,000In 1958, an ornithologist took decisive action by removing feral pigs from Clipperton Island, leading to a remarkable recovery of seabird p...
- In 1977, California removed the last herbivores from San Miguel Island after years of overgrazing. Decades later, the barren landscape produced a stunning ecological comeback, transforming into an island covered with native vegetationSan Miguel Island tells a powerful conservation story. Once called a “barren lump of sand,” the 9,500-acre California island suffered more ...
- The bird on the Seychelles’ 25-rupee note once had only 12 survivors on one island; after another decline, conservationists helped rebuild it to around 280 across five islandsThe Seychelles magpie-robin was on the brink of extinction, with a mere twelve individuals left. In 1990, a concerted conservation effort k...
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