Great Deceptions in Military History

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Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday,” and many scholars believe that Mardi Gras has its roots in the ancient pagan ritual of Saturnalia, which celebrated the coming of spring and the subsequent fertility of plants, animals and humans.

After Emperor Nero’s decadent rule and flurry of successors, Emperor Vespasian tore down Nero’s Palace to build an amphitheater for the people — the Roman Colosseum was completed in 80 A.D. Gladiators, animal fights and mock naval battles were used to entertain Romans.

As World War Two ended, Operation Magic Carpet was the US response to the logistical challenge of repatriating more than 8 million servicemen and women to North America. The operation proved to be the largest mass movement of humanity in recorded history.

Rising to power at age seventeen, Roman Emperor Nero soon witnessed his half brother, mother and wife mysteriously dying or blatantly murdered. Nero invented the Olympics but also spent the Roman empire into financial stress before committing suicide.

Patrick Henry studied law and quickly tried cases involving Great Britain, which drove Henry to become a vocal revolutionary. Henry delivered impassioned speeches that influenced Washington, Jefferson, and other signatories of the impending Declaration of Independence.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition began on May 14th, 1804, when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first plied the Missouri River with their crew of volunteers and paid explorers. The expedition saw two brutal winters during their push to the Pacific Ocean and back, producing invaluable maps and information for the westward flow of pioneers that would follow in their footsteps.

The Washington Monument was first proposed while George Washington was alive, but showcasing his monumental humility and frugality, he vetoed the project. After multiple funding issues paused construction, the 555-foot-tall obelisk was completed in 1884.