Today In History: Third Battle of Ypres, a significant and grueling conflict during World War I

What a week guys…. 🏕️✨ It’s Wednesday, and if you wanna get away from the election, stop by the tent. Last week we covered NYC’s darkest street crime stories and some spine-tingling legends of Native American folklore, and it’s quite the getaway from the current news cycle. Let’s recap these episodes and relive the highlights! 🚇🌲

Crime: On November 6, 1985, a significant and tragic event unfolded in Colombia when 25 guerrillas from the 19th of April Movement, commonly known as the M-19, launched a bold and audacious attack on the Palace of Justice in Bogotá. This building, a symbol of the nation's judicial authority, housed the Colombian Supreme Court. The guerrillas, driven by their political motives and armed with weapons, stormed the palace, taking approximately 300 people hostage, including judges, lawyers, and civilians.

War: On November 6, 1917, the Third Battle of Ypres, a significant and grueling conflict during World War I, effectively came to an end. This battle, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele, was marked by a hard-won victory for the British soldiers who fought valiantly at the Belgian village of Passchendaele. The battle was characterized by its intense and prolonged nature, with soldiers enduring harsh conditions, including relentless rain and thick mud that made the movement and combat exceedingly difficult. The victory, while strategically important, came at a tremendous cost. The British forces, which included thousands of soldiers from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, were left exhausted and downtrodden after the long, grinding offensive.

Religion: On November 6, 1935, an American baseball player named Billy Graham, who later became more famous as a revivalist and adopted the name Billy Sunday, passed away at the age of 73. Billy Sunday transitioned from a career in sports to become one of America's most renowned evangelists. His dynamic preaching style and fervent dedication to spreading the Christian gospel made him a household name across the nation. During his evangelistic career, more than 100 million people attended his evangelistic crusades, where he delivered powerful sermons and converted 300,000 people to Christianity.

War: On November 6, 1991, the challenging task of extinguishing the Kuwaiti oil fires was finally concluded, marking a significant milestone in the aftermath of the Gulf War. This arduous endeavor culminated with the capping of the last oil well, bringing an end to a devastating environmental and economic catastrophe. These fires were deliberately ignited by the retreating Iraqi military forces as they withdrew from Kuwait, a desperate act of sabotage in response to the advances of the US-led coalition forces during the Gulf War. The scale of this destruction was immense, with reports indicating that approximately 732 oil wells were set ablaze, along with an unspecified number of oil-filled low-lying areas and oil lakes.

We hope these stories sparked your curiosity and had you thinking long after the episodes ended. If you’ve got any feedback or moments that stood out to you, hit reply and share your thoughts! Your input makes our campfire stories even better. Stay tuned for more adventures 🌌🚀

- Jaime