jokes – Team Marco Polo

History Schmistory: September 1. Where’s Leo?

teammarcopolo — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 12:00:24 +0000

1985: 73 years after the sinking of the Titanic, the ship’s remains are found by a joint French-US expedition. Women and children get the news first.

By F.G.O. Stuart (1843-1923) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: August 31. Zeppelin’s Zeppelin

teammarcopolo — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 12:00:19 +0000

1895: German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his navigable balloon. He soon explores the heavens in search of the elusive stairway.

By Till Krech from Berlin, Germany (stairway to heaven Uploaded by perumalism) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: August 30. “Vhaaaat?”

teammarcopolo — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 12:00:56 +0000

1940: Nazi Germany re-assigns Romania’s Northern Transylvania territory to Hungary. They hold daytime meetings to avoid Dracula.

By Screenshot from “Internet Archive” of the movie Dracula (1958) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Deadword of the Day: Errorist

teammarcopolo — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 14:00:03 +0000

Errorist: One who errs. A proliferator of error.

As in: Major League Baseball has had its share of errorist attacks.

Herman Long

History Schmistory: August 25. Life on the Moon?

teammarcopolo — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 12:00:17 +0000

1835: The New York Sun begins to perpetuate what later became known as the Great Moon Hoax, six articles written by a fictitious doctor who claimed that he viewed the moon through “an immense telescope of an entirely new principle” and discovered it was inhabited by, among other things, bat-people…

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The articles caused quite a stir, not seen again until another bat-like hoax hit the mainstream many moons later…

By Vinya [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: August 24. More Gospels Omitted!

teammarcopolo — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 12:00:20 +0000

1456: Â TheÂ Gutenberg Bible, theÂ first major book produced on a moveable-type printing press,Â is complete.

By NYC Wanderer (Kevin Eng) (originally posted to Flickr as Gutenberg Bible) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

History Schmistory: August 23. Silence! The Mad King Speaks!

teammarcopolo — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 12:00:22 +0000

1775: King George III declares that the AmericanÂ colonies exist in a state of open and avowed rebellion. And that his teacup has turned the sugar against him.

History Schmistory: August 22. “My kingdom for a horse!”

teammarcopolo — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 04:00:12 +0000

1485: Richard III is killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field. Sadly, no horse arrived in time to take advantage of the swingin’ deal.

See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Deadword of the Day: Farded

teammarcopolo — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:00:30 +0000

Farded: Painted, embellished with color or decor.

As in: Somebody farded in here.Â

Michelangelo farded this one on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

History Schmistory: August 20. Who brought the cannon?

teammarcopolo — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 12:00:47 +0000

1882: Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky premiers the 1812 Overture in Moscow, with a section of real cannon blasting away during the finale. Six months later a cannonball falls out of the sky and kills Wagner. It was that awesome.

Don’t think you know it? Skip to 3:05….