History

The Great Lisbon Earthquake (1 November 1755)

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Copper engraving from 1755 showing the catastrophe of the day when the earthquakes hit, the tsunami, and the fires.
Unknown author
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

 

Portugal was a prosperous country in the 18th century. It had acquired immense wealth thanks to its colony in Brazil and its trade in Asia. Lisbon had become a bustling center of trade and one of the busiest ports in the Atlantic. Roughly 10 percent of its population lived in Lisbon and many had become wealthy off the trade generated in gold and diamonds. It would all change on All Saints Day in 1755.

Around 9:40 am three tremors struck Lisbon and one of them is thought to have been 8.0. The shaking was so violent that it was felt in Morocco. The earthquakes caused considerable damage but something far worse occurred. A 20-foot tsunami generated by the earthquakes raced ashore knocking down everything in its path. Since it was All Saints Day many were in churches where candles were lit. When the earthquakes hit, churches and buildings were toppled killing many right away and injuring scores others. The lit candles then ignited fires and were fanned by the winds. The fires would burn for days, and aftershocks would cause more damage and death,

Most of the destruction in Lisbon took place along the Tagus River and the center of the city. The destruction took with it priceless works of art and homes of both the wealthy and the poor. Other areas of Portugal were affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Lisbon saw great cathedrals toppled along with the grand library and the royal palace. Those who had fled down to the docklands saw water had retreated. Some went into the shallow water to try to retrieve treasure from sunken ships not knowing the great danger they were in. When the tsunami hit, everyone in docklands were swept away and perished. Many who had made it out of the city after the earthquake or after the tsunami would never return. Great works of art, literature and prized buildings for their architecture were all gone.

It was a stunning blow to Portugal, and the city had to be rebuilt from scratch. 85% percent of the infrastructure was gone. The old city had been built in medieval times with narrow streets and confusing layout. The Marquis of Pombal, the prime minister, was given the task of rebuilding Lisbon. Lisbon would be modeled on French architectural trends of the time that called for wider streets, squares, and avenues. Using the military as a guide, buildings were put up in manner followed an exact pattern making it prefabricated for its time. And they made sure the buildings were made strong so as not to collapse from an earthquake again. The earthquake greatly affected the economy of Portugal that took a while to recover. While price controls were enacted, there were still volatile swings in prices. If there was an upside, construction workers got paid well for their efforts (comparative to what they made before the catastrophe). Also, the economy was reformed in the process making the country less dependent on Great Britain.

The Marquis of Pombal sent out a survey to all local parishes asking them for information about what happened. He was the first person to do this and the preserved detailed responses he got back are a wealth of information as to how much the earthquake did in many areas of the country. This has allowed a scientific reconstruction of the earthquake (and tsunami as well) allowing scientists to understand more fully what these natural forces can do. In effect, Pombal began the science of seismology, the collecting of data about such events.

Today if you visit Lisbon, you can see the effects of the reconstruction and how its people adapted to this massive reconstruction. Rick Steves covers it in his travel to Lisbon. Old world charm with very modern touches.

Sources

“Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 | Great Lisbon Quake, Tsunami & Fire,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified October 25, 2025, accessed November 3, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Lisbon-earthquake-of-1755.

“Earthquake Takes Heavy Toll on Lisbon | November 1, 1755 | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified May 27, 2025, accessed November 3, 2025, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/november-1/earthquake-takes-heavy-toll-on-lisbon.

Cohen, Isabel. “The Lisbon Earthquake of 1755: The Day the World Was Shaken.” bePortugal. Last modified July 8, 2024. Accessed November 3, 2025. https://www.beportugal.com/lisbon-earthquake/.

“Lisbon Pre 1755 Earthquake  » Blog Archive  ?» the Lisbon Earthquake of 1755: The Catastrophe and Its European Repercussions,” accessed November 3, 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20110405084546/http:/lisbon-pre-1755-earthquake.org/the-lisbon-earthquake-of-1755-the-catastrophe-and-its-european-repercussions/.

 

Halloween, History, Religion

All Souls Day (2 November)

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All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder(1855-1924)
National Gallery Prague
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

All Souls’ Day is to commemorate the faithful dead and is celebrated by special mass by Catholics and some Christian denominations (most Protestant churches do not observe it). Catholics believe there are three places souls will go: heaven, purgatory, or hell. Purgatory is the place many souls end up as they have lesser sins and are not in a state of grace. Purgatory is an essential stage where souls are cleansed in preparation to go to heaven. Unlike hell, where the fire is for punishment, purgatory is a place for purification and repose. We pray that the souls of our loved ones, friends, and others will be allowed to leave and enter heaven on this day. We especially pray for those who have no one to pray for them.

Day of The Dead by William Bouguereau (1825-1905)
Public Domain (Wikimedia Commons)

All Souls Day is not to be confused with Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) which does remember friends and family who have died but is not a Catholic or Christian religious event (though it takes place from 31 Oct through 2 Nov which coincides with Halloween, All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day).

Suggested Reading

Rutler, George William. 2014. Hints of Heaven: The Parables of Christ & What They Mean for You. Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press.

Van Den Aardweg, Gerard J. M. Hungry Souls: Supernatural Visits, Messages, and Warnings From Purgatory. Tan Books, 2009.

Thigpen, Paul. Saints and Hell, and Other Catholic Witnesses to the Fate of the Damned. Tan Books, 2019

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Miscellaneous, Titanic

Welcome To November

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Le Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry-November
Jean Colombe (1430–1493)
Public Domain (Wikimedia)

November is the eleventh month and the last month of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. It is late spring in the Southern Hemisphere. November comes from the Latin novem meaning nine, and on the old Roman calendar (which had no January or February), it was the ninth month. When the Julian calendar was adopted, the name remained the same although it was now the eleventh month. The Gregorian calendar kept the same name as well. Daylight Saving Time usually ends by November.

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last lone aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch-hazel wither …
–Robert Frost (1874–1963)

The Leonid Meteor Shower takes place around November 17-18. The first full moon of November is called the Beaver Moon in the U.S. This time coincides with when beavers build their dams before retiring to their lodges in cooler climates. Also in Colonial America, beaver traps were set up before swamps froze. Farmers have completed their harvests by this time, and in the old days, preparation for winter would begin by canning fruits and vegetables. Produce specific to fall and winter would also make a full appearance by this time.

There is a lot of weather folklore about November as well. Over at the Old Farmers Almanac, they list the following:

  • If there’s ice in November that will bear a duck, there’ll be nothing after but sludge and muck.
  • November take flail; let ships no more sail.
  • If trees show buds in November, the winter will last until May.
  • There is no better month in the year to cut wood than November.
  • Ice in November brings mud in December.

There are two major holidays in the United States. The first is Veterans Day (Remembrance Day/Poppy Day in the UK) on November 11. It was originally a holiday to commemorate those who served in World War I and later changed to honor all who served in war and peace. The other is Thanksgiving, created as a day to give thanks for our country. It always falls on the fourth Thursday in November.

For More Information

“The Month of November,” accessed October 29, 2025, https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/november.html.

Bainbridge, Carol. “Holidays and Observances in November.” The Spruce, October 18, 2022. https://www.thespruce.com/special-days-and-observances-in-november-1448892.

Boeckmann, Catherine. “The Month of November 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified October 23, 2025. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/november-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

“November,” Grokipedia, last modified October 27, 2025, accessed October 29, 2025, https://grokipedia.com/page/November.

Halloween, History, Religion

All Saints Day (1 November)

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The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs (about 1423-24)
Fra Angelico (circa 1395–1455)
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

All Saints’ Day (Solemnity of All Saints, All Hallows, Hallowmas or All Saints’)is celebrated on 1 November by most Western Christians and is to honor all saints known and unknown. In some Catholic countries, it is a holiday. It is a holy day of obligation for most Catholics except when it falls on a Saturday or Monday. In that case it is celebrated on Sunday. Eastern Orthodox is celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost and is called All Saints’ Sunday.

Pope Boniface IV formally started All Saints’ Day on May 13, 609 AD. He also established All Souls’ Day to follow All Saints Day. Pope Gregory III (731-741 AD) moved it to 1 November as that was the day the foundation of a new chapel (St. Peter’s Basilica) was being laid. He wanted to dedicate the new chapel to All Saints. Halloween then became part of a three-day period called ‘Days of the Dead” which it is the first day of (the vigil), then followed by All Saints and then by All Souls (those in purgatory). During the reign of Pope Gregory IV (82y-844 AD), he decided to make the feast of All Saints (just celebrated in Rome at that point) universal meaning all dioceses had to observe it.

All Saints Day is a public holiday in Ireland where all schools, businesses and government are closed.

For More Information

“All Saints’ Day | Definition, History, Catholic, Holy Day of Obligation, Observances, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified October 28, 2025, accessed October 29, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/topic/All-Saints-Day.

Crain, Alex. “All Saints’ Day – the Meaning and History Behind November 1st Holiday.” Christianity.Com. Last modified August 14, 2025. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/all-saints-day-november-1.html.

Halloween

‘Salem’s Lot

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Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot is a modern-day vampire story set not in a gothic castle, a faraway land or a big city but a small town in Maine known formally as Jerusalem’s Lot or simply Salem’s Lot. King set his story purposefully in a small town to illustrate how corruption big and small leads people to ignore when things go bad. Salem’s Lot was King’s homage to Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the vampire Barlow bears some resemblance to him as he is obviously from central Europe, and his physical features are similar. Barlow like Dracula highly intelligent and has thought through everything he is going to do. And he manages to stay ahead of those trying to thwart him using his familiar Straker. The town has layers of corruption that has allowed its inhabitants to turn a blind eye and avert noticing something is out of place. It is exactly the right place, a dying town, that Barlow and Straker come to and wipe out nearly the 1,319 souls that inhabit it.

[Spoiler Alert! If you have not read this story, do not read!]

The old Marsten House, shuttered after a terrible murder-suicide decades ago, is not unlike a castle perched to look out at the town below. It is considered cursed and haunted. A young boy named Ben Mears enters the house on a dare and sees the ghost of Hubie Marsten hanging from a rafter. He returns years later as a published writer wanting to face his fears about the house. The house is still there but it has new owners through a very curious real estate transaction with the town’s realtor Larry Crockett. Crockett is offered a piece of property worth four million dollars for the house and a store. Crockett is sure there is a catch, but all the paperwork checks out. So, he buys the properties, gets the land, and hands them the keys to the house and store. And nowhere does the names Barlow nor Straker appear on the official sale. Since the sale is no doubt questionable, he keeps quiet about it. And he blackmails a worker who saw kid’s clothes in the Marsten House basement that likely came from the missing kid.

King sets up a small town that looks like any other town except for its many warts. Everyone is going about their day and then suddenly the horror starts to ratchet up. First a young boy named Ralphie Glick is abducted and never found again. He is an offering by the familiar, Richard Straker, in a midnight satanic ritual in a cemetery. This is important because there already is an evil entity there and needs to be appeased. His death and sacrifice are tied up with the Marsten House, where Barlow will reside, and where Hubie Marsten once corresponded with Barlow (then called Breichen). Danny Glick collapses at home and is taken to the hospital, where he dies of pernicious anemia. He is Barlow’s first victim and rises after the funeral to bite Mike Ryerson who works at the cemetery. He too dies later and rises as well. Then Ryerson’s body and a baby at the morgue disappear as does Carl Foreman. Others begin to act sluggish during the day or simply disappear.

It happens very fast and the town seems not to notice though some do. A small group eventually forms: Ben Mears, Matt Burke, Father Callaghan, Susan Norton (Ben’s girlfriend), Dr. Jimmy Cody, and a young boy Mark Petrie. Both Mark and Susan end up captured when they go to the Marsten House but are captured by Straker. Mark would escape but alas Susan is bitten by Barlow and becomes a vampire. However, Mark manages to severely injure Straker that Barlow kills him because of all the blood. Father Callaghan, whose faith is wobbly and drinking too much, is overwhelmed by Straker and drinks his blood. He leaves town since he is unclean and cannot enter a church. Burke, who suffered a heart attack when Ryerson came to his house, provides analysis and research. As the days go on the streets are getting emptier, few people are around, and fewer stores open. Eventually, and after some very painful experiences such as having to kill Susan Norton, Barlow is killed in his coffin as the sun is setting. Unfortunately Cody got killed in a booby trap. The other vampires nearby can do nothing since they have been bathed in holy water and escape eventually to Mexico. They return a year later to burn the Marsten House down and the ensuing fire would consume the town as well.

In the end Barlow has achieved his goal as nearly the entire population was made into vampires. The town itself is just a shell now with decaying buildings, overgrown lawns, and strangely no rats or birds to be found. The people around there know something bad happened but are afraid to say what that might have been. King gives us a horror that lingers and has very troubling images. You have neighbors, now vampires, attacking their former friends. Children are not spared and nor are babies. A bus driver who terrorized the children on his bus finds them coming back as vampires to take revenge on him. Barlow uses his intelligence to thwart the small group but like Dracula, is beaten in the end. King delivers a terrifying story of a vampire destroying a small town and does it well. While some adaptations have been okay, the book fleshes out the characters better for great story worth reading anytime of the year. But not late at night with only a candle for light.

There have been several adaptations of the work. Two were miniseries and one was a feature film on a streaming service.

Salem’s Lot (1979) CBS

This is a 3-hour miniseries that was shown on CBS. There are two versions of it. One is the full three-hour version and a much shorter 2 -hour theatrical production. Directed by Tobe Hooper, the story is mostly the same though some characters are dropped or merged with others. The acting is top rate with David Soul as Ben Mears, Bonnie Bedelia as Susan Norton, and well-known veteran actor James Mason as Straker. Straker has a more prominent role than in the book here. The special effects, particularly with the vampires floating outside windows, are still scary to this day. The biggest change was the vampire. Instead of the human form that the book has, Hooper decided to go against form for effect and made him a Nosferatu in appearance. Unlike the book, he cannot speak so Straker does all the talking for him.  A good horror movie and adaptation as well.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Salem’s Lot (1994) TNT

This adaptation was also 3-hours long and made several differences from the 1979 version. Barlow this time is modeled from the book and jump scares are reduced to settings and atmosphere. Ben Mears is played by Rob Lowe who has a troubled history with the Marsten House believing he had something to do with a death of a child there. Susan Norton’s mother does not care much for Ben (like the book). It is hinted Larry Crockett has had incestual relations with his daughter Ruthie (who Dud Rogers lusts for and as a vampire bites her). Donald Sutherland’s portrayal of Straker is different. He is more crazed and less refined than James Mason. On the other hand, one can easily see his nastiness as well in his interactions. Father Callaghan was changed so that unlike in the book, he ends up leading the vampires after the town burns down (although it appears they are all dead killed over the years by Ben and Mark). Perhaps the most disturbing scene and deviation from the book is that Father Callaghan, now Barlow’s thrall, kills Matt Burke in his hospital bed. Rutger Hauer plays Barlow with great effect. While it is closer to the original book in some respects, it lacks the horror punch the first one did. Still worth watching.

Rating: 3 stars

Salem’s Lot (2024) Max

After some years of languishing, this movie version significantly cuts out much of the rich material in the King book and the other two miniseries.  It was originally going to be put into theatres in 2023, but Warner scrapped that and sent to Max instead. Of all the three, it is perhaps the weakest of all because of the streamlined story and other issues. Most critical reviews out there note all those deficiencies. While some liked it, overall, it missed the King story by a wide country mile. It does prove one thing: some Steven King novels are better suited for miniseries or a 2-part movie like IT.

Rating: Not yet viewed

Not a Remake or Adaptation

 Return to Salem’s Lot (1987)

Billed as a sequel, it has nothing to do with the original movie. Instead it is about a colony of vampires that migrated to the US and reside in Salem’s Lot. The story has no relation at all to the King book. The vampires are trying to mainstream themselves and use drones for both breeding and outside contact. Michael Moriarity’s character is shocked to learn, since he was there as a boy, that it was really vampires that ran the town. Other than for some visuals and not so clever criticisms of American way of life, not worth watching. It is one of the few movies some critics gave zero ratings for, so that gives you an idea of how poorly it was received.

Rating: 0

Suggested Book & Video

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

 

Halloween

How Halloween Came to Be

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Halloween Decoration in Fall
Vera Kratochvil
Publicdomainpictures.net

October 31st is set aside as Halloween. It is not an official holiday (meaning government shuts down, banks closed, and many professional offices closed) but is celebrated nearly as one these days. There are really two separate Halloweens, one is secular and the other religious. The secular one most people easily understand. Kids dress up in silly or scary masks and go to homes asking for candy by yelling “trick or treat” to those who open their doors. Pumpkins have become associated with the day along with all kinds of scary decorations as well. Horror movies get shown during this time. Halloween has a religious meaning to that goes back to how the Catholic Church set the day up.

The original meaning of Halloween was All Hallows Eve that got contracted over time to Halloween. All Hallows Eve is the vigil of All Saints Day, a solemnity (meaning a major feast in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar). All Saints Day honors all the saints we know by name and any saint in heaven whose name is unknown to us. Originally this feast was celebrated on 13 May, but Pope Gregory III (731-741 AD) moved it to 1 November as that was the day the foundation of a new chapel (St. Peter’s Basilica) was being laid. He wanted to dedicate the new chapel to All Saints. Halloween then became part of a three-day period called ‘Days of the Dead” which it is the first day of (the vigil), then followed by All Saints and then by All Souls (those in purgatory).

During the reign of Pope Gregory IV (827-844 AD), he decided to make the feast of All Saints (just celebrated in Rome at that point) universal meaning all dioceses had to observe it. This meant that people with their own cultures would celebrate in their own ways. Since it was customary to have vigils before a major feast day, there was nothing unusual in this. In celebrating these holy days, we are reminded of heaven and hell. It reminds us that we have choices to make in this life that can lead to one of two outcomes: heaven or hell. By striving to live good lives by following God’s teachings, we want to go to heaven rather than the other place.

All Souls’ Day by Jakub Schikaneder(1855-1924)
National Gallery Prague
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons

The roots of Halloween thus are not founded in any pagan celebration (such as Samhain or Druid festivals), and it is just coincidence that it occurs during the same time frame. If you study what those festivals were about, they had nothing to do with Christianity and followed a different belief system. Samhain, perhaps the best known, was a harvest festival in Scotland to celebrate the end of the harvest and to prepare for the coming of winter. It was a common belief (and not limited to Scotland, Ireland, or England) that this time of year where the transition from light to dark occurred meant also when evil spirits would abound to cause trouble. So, they would offer them food at their tables for these invisible guests. Mischief Night grew out of this as well where you would do pranks on your neighbors.

Jack O Lantern
Petr Kratochvil
publicdomainpibtures.net

Communal eating during this time meant lots of shared foods given out. The Scottish Halloween Cake was popular was hidden inside was a special prize of three trinkets. Later others celebrating All Souls Day would hand out pastries to those who came to console them on family who had passed away and that to would also add to the idea of handing out food during this time. Many wore masks to cover their faces so evil spirits would not see them. As the celebration of Samhain and others like it faded with the conversion to Christianity, some of the old rituals of having harvest festivals, wearing masks, and asking for food would continue. Creating lanterns too out of turnips and other things would continue. The Irish tradition of the Jack O’ Lantern was imported to the US and, thanks to the wonderful availability of pumpkins (and easier to carve than turnips) became a symbol for Halloween that many adopted as well.

Protestants had a different take on Halloween and All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. The argument (and there are several different ones, but this is the most basic) is that the Catholic church merely took over these pagan festivals and incorporated them into the church by renaming them. More zealous Protestant denominations like the Puritans banned Halloween (along with Christmas and Easter) saying they were pagan. In places where such views were strongly held (such as in the northeast of the U.S. or in England when the Puritans were in charge), it had the full power of the state to impose the restrictions. As time went out, and without many Catholics around to push back (in countries like England they were forbidden to practice and adherents who failed to submit to the new Protestant order imprisoned or executed), this became a dominant view of what Halloween was.

What the Protestants didn’t count on was the many peoples who celebrated Halloween and other holy days emigrated to America and settled outside where they had direct control (New England). The old English and Scottish custom of knocking on doors for Soul Cakes and promising to pray for the departed resumed along with wearing costumes. Likewise, the old customs of holding harvest festivals where people would gather, eat food, and share stories of old would resurrect. Kids would bob for apples, there would be spooky tales told, but most of all it was just a fun time. Halloween, far from being made extinct by like the Puritans, came back. And when the Puritans and those that shared their views fell out of favor and power in England, it came back (though sadly some traditions would remain more secular as a result).

What happened is the religious origins of Halloween have been completely overtaken and completely secularized. 

 Halloween then became a time of festivity, trick or treating, and putting on funny or sometimes scary outfits. The idea of Halloween parades would come about because of trying to curtail some of them more unpleasant sides of Halloween, namely Mischief Night pranks that sometimes got out of hand. Using toilet paper to cover trees, eggs to pelt cars and people, and sometimes more dangerous ones (like a flaming bag of dog poop on a porch) led to the creation of more ways to channel that energy.

Halloween candy, once a small, became national as did pumpkins. No longer were pumpkins just for pumpkin pie but many wanted them for decoration as well. And competition would emerge as to who could grow the biggest one of all. And of course, the selling of costumes and holiday decorations would explode as well. From costumes to candy, pumpkins to Halloween cakes, Halloween became an unofficial but nationally practice holiday that included kids as well as adults. And let us not forget the various Haunted Houses, haunted hayrides, and people decorating their houses in a wide variety of decorations.

There is a darker side to Halloween practiced by those who want to glorify violence, horror, and sexuality. Some use the time to dabble in such things as fortune telling, seances, using Ouija boards, or even ghost hunting. All those things most pagans wanted to avoid during their ancient festivals during this time. At best they wanted to placate spirits and avoid the evil ones as much as they could. Yet now many decide to do these things thinking they are harmless, but many find out it is not at all like they thought it would be. This is why people now are trying to reclaim Halloween to make it less dark and more family-friendly rather than just people dressed up as zombies or worse dressed up in some sexually explicit costumes.

Today you see more families doing more things together such as going to haunted hayrides or holding Halloween parties where kids can get treats and have fun as well. During Covid lockdowns, such celebrations were limited but coming back as is trick or treating. Many though are opting to also take the time to revisit what the original Halloween was all about. This is perhaps a natural outgrowth of the overhyping and commercialism of Halloween. The higher costs of many items such as candy as made people revisit some classics from the past such as popcorn, roasted pumpkin seeds, baking cookies, and even making your own candy. It is not as hard as you might think.

While the original meaning of Halloween has been secularized for a long time (like Christmas was before it got its resurgence in the 19th century), it is starting to move away from some of the more excessive parts. And for some, the day does include just a few prayers for the Days of the Dead that are to come.

Sources

“Halloween: Origins, Meaning & Traditions | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified October 27, 2025, accessed October 29, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-halloween.

“The Origins of Halloween: A Catholic Celebration Rediscovered,” EWTN Vatican, last modified October 31, 2023, accessed October 29, 2025, https://ewtnvatican.com/articles/true-origins-of-halloween-a-celebration-steeped-in-catholic-tradition-1788.

“Christian Roots of Halloween | Why Catholic,” Why Catholic, last modified October 25, 2025, accessed October 29, 2025, https://www.whycatholic.com/christian-roots-of-halloween/.

Nangia, Tamanna. “Where Did Halloween Come From? | Halloween, Origins, & Samhain.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified October 23, 2025. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Where-did-Halloween-come-from.

Stonehill, Heidi. “Halloween Traditions Explained: Jack-o’-Lanterns, Costumes & More.” Almanac.Com. Last modified October 22, 2025. Accessed October 29, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/origins-halloween-traditions

Suggested Reading

Rossetti, Msgr Stephen. Diary of an American Exorcist: Demons, Possession, and the Modern-Day Battle Against Ancient Evil. Sophia, 2021.

Van Den Aardweg, Gerard J. M. Hungry Souls: Supernatural Visits, Messages, and Warnings From Purgatory. Tan Books, 2009.

Baker, Robert A and Nickell, Joe. Missing Pieces: How to Investigate Ghosts, UFO’s Psychics, & Other Mysteries. 1992. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books

Thigpen, Paul. Saints and Hell, and Other Catholic Witnesses to the Fate of the Damned. Tan Books, 2019

Titanic News Channel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

 

Titanic

Up For Auction: Rare Titanic First Class Passenger List

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First Class Passenger List from Titanic
Screenshot from New York Post article
Image credit: Henry Aldridge & Son

Titanic first-class passenger Frederick Sutton perished when the ship sank in 1912, however some of his personal effects were found and given to his family. Now they are being put up for auction by Henry Aldridge & Son on 22 November 2025. One of the items being auctioned off is a rare first-class Titanic passenger list. While their names are known, the list that was distributed on Titanic has never been seen till now. Also being put up for auction are his personal effects that include a gold seal ring with his initials and a silver whistle.

It was incorrectly reported to the family that his body had been recovered and in Halifax. A letter from them informs that if they want to have his body brought home, they will need to purchase a first-class ticket to send the body home. A second batch of his effects will be auctioned off in 2026.

The first-class passenger list is expected to fetch $100,000 at auction.

Source

McCormack, Caitlin. “Titanic Archive Including Rare First-class Passenger List Expected to Sell for More Than $100K at Auction.” New York Post, October 29, 2025. https://nypost.com/2025/10/28/world-news/titanic-archive-including-rare-first-class-passenger-list-expected-to-sell-for-more-than-100000/.

Titanic

NTSB Report on Titan Submersible

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Titan (submersible)
Becky Kagan Schott, OceanGate

As many of you will recall, back on June 2023 the submersible Titan imploded as it was near the Titanic wreck. The implosion killed five people. The NTSB issued its report on October 2. Here are the key findings.

  1. Titan likely sustained damage in earlier dives that weakened the vessel leading to the implosion.

2.  The engineering process to construct the submersible was inadequate allowing anomalies into the carbon fiber composite that failed to meet proper strength and durability requirements. OceanGate failed to properly test Titan and was unaware of its actual strength and durability not realizing how the vessel was stored and towed could be affected by these operations. Further its real time monitoring of the vessel was flawed not informing it was damaged after an earlier dive.

3. Emergency assets would have been available quicker if OceanGate had followed certain protocols. They did not implement guidance from a circular issued by the Coast Guard that would have had emergency response nearby resulting in the Titan being found sooner.

4. NTSB found criticism of the U.S.  Coast Guard’s reaction to the implosion unwarranted. OceanGate failed to notify them of its planned expedition. Their efforts in the search and discovery of the Titan wreckage were both effective and timely.

5. The current guidance on U.S. small passenger vessels of this type is insufficient. NTSB recommends that current international standards be adopted for consistent design, construction and operation of these vessels.

?The implosion was not the result of one fatal error but a combination of factors that led to the tragic implosion. Hull failure occurred because of OceanGate’s flawed engineering process which did not determine actual strength and durability of the carbon fiber composite vessel. Further an unknown internal damage occurred as well that led to the buckling and the implosion. Contributing were conflicting guidance between U.S. and international standards on the operation of these vessels and insufficient U.S. small passenger vessel regulations. OceanGate’s own pressure monitoring system data was flawed allowing continued operation of a damaged vessel.

The upshot from both the earlier U.S. Coast Guard report and this one from NTSB is that implementation of construction, safety, and operation standards must be implemented to ensure such vessels operate safely. They recommend the Coast Guard create a commission to do this and work with international bodies to make sure these standards are implemented. Until this is done, deep dives like this will probably will not occur.

Source

“Hull Failure and Implosion of Submersible Titan,” NTSB, last modified October 2, 2025, accessed October 21, 2025, https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA23FM036.aspx.

History

Seward’s Folly: The Purchase of Alaska (18 Oct 1867)

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Check issued to pay Russia for Alaska purchase.
This treasury warrant was issued to Russia on 1 Aug 1868 for the purchase of Alaska. This transferred $7.2 million to the Russian Minister to the U.S. Edouard de Stoeckl.
Public Domain

In 1867 the announcement that the United States had purchased Alaska from Russia caused many to scratch their heads and wonder if someone had gone mad in President Andrew Johnson’s administration. Secretary of State William Henry Seward had championed the purchase of the remote land, and it became known as “Seward’s Folly.” The 586,412 square miles were purchased for $7.2 million, a relative bargain of about 2 cents per acre at the time. While many opposed it, others saw it as a positive move in expanding the territory of the United States.

Alaska was remote and few, except explorers mapping the coastline, visited there. The Russians, desiring to expand their fur business in Siberia, first landed in 1732 and by 1739 had established an official presence with the creation of the Russia-American Company (RAC). There was no formal colony, but the Russian Orthodox Church sent missionaries to convert the native population living there. The land itself was twice the size of Texas and ended up being controlled by 700 Russians. Worried about both Britain and the United States trying to lay a claim, Tsar Alexander I in 1821 issued an edict declaring Russian sovereignty over the territory. The edict also forbade foreign ships to approach their territory which resulted in the US Secretary of State John Quincy Adams protesting it. The tensions were soothed by the Russo-American Treaty of 1824 where Russia limited its claim to lands north of parallel 54 and opened Russian ports to U.S. ships.

Two events would cause Russia problems for Alaska. One was that the hunting of sea otters had resulted in the near extinction of the species reducing drastically Russia’s income from it. Down in California the discovery of gold brought thousands of Americans in such numbers that they took it from Mexico. With a dwindled treasury after losing the Crimea War to Britain and France, Alaska being remote was hard to defend. And they were concerned the British might try and seize it at some point as well. When the Czar’s own brother began to note it was too remote to protect, it was decided to negotiate with the U.S. about purchasing it from them. Talks began in the 1850’s, but as the American Civil War began, talks stopped. Seward, who acted as Secretary of State in both the Lincoln and Johnson administrations, was all in favor of getting Alaska.

The conclusion of the Civil War saw talks resume in secret. Czar Alexander II gave his authorization to negotiate the sale. Negotiations started in early March 1867 and were concluded on March 30. The agreement called for $7.2 million to be paid in gold. Aside from the remoteness of Alaska, Russia struck the deal to get back at Britain. With the U.S. at the 49th parallel and in Alaska, it hemmed them in and prevented them from using Alaska as an outpost to be used against them. Seward had to hold numerous dinners to sway members of the U.S. Senate, which had final say on any treaty, as to the merits of the deal. Many were swayed that it opened new opportunities to expand the country and exploit the resources it had (except the snow of course). Others lampooned the purchase and called it “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s icebox.” The name Seward’s Folly still exists to this day though its original meaning turned out to be unfounded.

Signing the Alaska Treaty of Cessation, L. to R. Robert S. Chew, Secretary of State (USA) William H. Seward, William Hunter, Mr. Bodisco, Russian Ambassador Baron de Stoeckl, Charles Sumner, Fredrick W. Seward, William H. Seward House, Auburn, New York
Painting by Emanuel Leutze (1816–1868);1867.
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Those who studied the accounts of explorers (like Senator Charles Sumner) realized that Alaska had a lot of untapped resources that would be valuable for the country. Others saw Alaska as important in the growing Asian trade. The population of Alaska was divided perhaps into two categories-Russians who lived in the trading posts and the native peoples-with around a total population of 10,000 (about 2,500 Russians and the rest the native peoples). There were also many of mixed Russian and Native Alaskan blood as well.

Some earlier histories report that most American were not in support of the purchase, but that turns out to be mostly inaccurate. The sensational accounts written in newspapers decrying the purchase probably stuck in people’s memory and got passed on. And if you just looked at certain newspapers, you might come away with the view that the purchase was very unpopular indeed. However, that was not the case. In many cases it was both cautiousness and skepticism that was at play. While some U.S. senators were unsure, most came around and it passed the senate on a 37-2 vote ratifying the treaty and the purchase of the land. Russia had called it Alyaska but American chose to call it Alaska from an Aleutword alashka meaning great land or mainland.

President Johnson appointed General Lovell H. Rousseau to oversee the transfer of power. He left New York on 31 August 1867, crossed by land over Panama and then up to San Francisco (remember the transcontinental railroad was not completed till 1869). There with ships loaded with troops and supplies, he headed up to Alaska on a slow voyage to Sitka. Sitka waw the only sizeable Russian town in Alaska. He arrived on 18 October. The transfer went smoothly from all accounts. The Russian flag came down with American and Russian troops present along with representatives of the native peoples. Russian troops then departed and any Russians who decided to stay could become American citizens.

Back later in Washington though, a firestorm was taking place. President Johnson had been impeached in 1868 (but survived being removed in the senate by one vote) and Republicans in the House of Representatives refused to allocate the money to pay Russia. Finally in July 1868, after Johnson lost the Democratic party nomination for president, the money was allocated. However, it would be learned through a congressional investigation of corruption in the allocation of the $7.2 million in gold. Edouard de Stoeckl, the Russian minister to the United States, had bribed lobbyists and journalists to push for the allocation. A much later review of notes from President Johnson and Seward indicated that they were also aware money had been used to bribe members of Congress as well. The scandal tainted the whole process, but the sale had been done. And Seward headed to Alaska after leaving government in 1869 touring Sitka, meeting the inhabitants, and even being briefed the land was destined to become a state and a tourist attraction.

Aftermath

Most Russians would head back home as they found living there was not for them. The U.S. Army was officially in charge (and would be till 1877) and it was more like a frontier town than a settlement. Many did come and open up businesses in Alaska. Alas many who came with big dreams realized it would require a lot of capital since all your needed supplies would likely have to be shipped in meaning long delays in getting started. So many who came left back for home where they could start a similar business far cheaply. However, when gold was discovered, it spawned the Klondike Rush of 1896 as thousands came to Alaska to find the precious mineral. It was then Alaska was seen as something important to the whole U.S. and would spark a lot of people developing the resources of Alaska to its fullest. The influx of people meant big money was going to be invested in all kinds of businesses, namely mining at first, and Alaska became a popular place to be.

Alaska would become a territory and later a district (though it would formally be called a territory of the United States). A civilian government replaced both the Army and various other federal departments that for a time ruled Alaska. It would remain a territory until admitted as a state on 3 January 1959. Alaska Day, a day to commemorate the official transfer from Russia to the United States, is a state holiday on 18 October. The folly, it seems, became golden in the end and today is considered an important state rather than the icebox once some that it would be.

Sources

“U.S. Takes Possession of Alaska | October 18, 1867 | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified May 28, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-18/u-s-takes-possession-of-alaska.

Jesse Greenspan, “Why the Purchase of Alaska Was Far From ‘Folly’ | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified January 31, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/why-the-purchase-of-alaska-was-far-from-folly.

“Alaska Purchase | 1867, Price, Folly, History, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified October 15, 2025, accessed October 20, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/event/Alaska-Purchase.

Alaska Historical Society, “European Reactions to the Alaska Purchase – Alaska Historical Society,” Alaska Historical Society – Dedicated to the Promotion of Alaska History by the Exchange of Ideas and Information., last modified March 10, 2018, accessed October 20, 2025, https://alaskahistoricalsociety.org/about-ahs/special-projects/150treaty/150th-resource-library/new-articles/european-reactions-to-the-alaska-purchase/.

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