Stupid Moments in History

A few will be aware I have been known to speak on various subjects over the years. Fundamentally these all revolve around my favourite subject of etymology. Have always enjoyed bringing this fascinating subject to others. It’s not for me to say whether the audiences have, although many have asked me to return.

Thought it might be worthwhile sharing a snippet or two from these etymological presentations, continuing with Stupid Moments in History. Everyone knows of the error which resulted in the deaths of many troops at the Charge of the Light Brigade, but this is by no means the only error nor does it come close to the biggest error in history. Hear how history has recorded some of the dopiest decisions, some of which can hardly have seemed the brightest idea at the time. There is a PowerPoint presentation to accompany this talk if required.

Little Big Horn - In 1876, US Lieutenant Colonel George Custer led the 647 men of the 7th Cavalry Regiment against an alliance of Sioux, Cheyenne and other tribes camped on the Little Big Horn River. Custer decided to launch an attack from several different directions to catch the tribesmen by surprise, disorient them, and stop them forming up properly. In fact the tribes knew Custer was approaching and were waiting. The attack was launched at midday. Custer's detachment of 210 men was first isolated, then overwhelmed. The detachments led by Major Reno and Captain Benteen were forced back but managed to link up on a defensive position where they held out for the next 24 hours until relieved. By dividing his force, Custer lost both his life and the battle.

Kruschev Threatens the West… or Does He? - In 1956, with Cold War tensions high, Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev told a group of Western diplomats ”We will bury you.” The West took it as a threat, and it stoked the fires of fear and tension between communist Russia and the capitalist West. But Khruschev didn’t really mean it as a threat. He was using a common Russian saying “Мы вас похороним!”, which is better translated as “We shall be present at your funeral” and understood as simply “We shall outlive you” and could hardly been seen as much of a threat. In another speech in 1963, Khruschev clarified ”Of course we will not bury you with a shovel. Your own working class will bury you” but the damage was done.

The treaty between Italy and Ethiopia in 1889 was mistranslated. The Italian version gave the Italians the rank of protectors and made Ethiopia a protectorate, the Amhara version did no such thing. Within seven years the two countries were at war.

In July 1977 the New York Con Edison building was hit by lightning. To restore power the operator had to reset switches in a row. The twerp somehow missed one switch and blew the whole system for 25 hours. With a heatwave and the lack of light, New York City descended into chaos with looting, vandalism and arson resulting in an estimated $300 million in damage.

If you think you know someone who would like to hear me speak on this subject, drop me a line.