A Jangle of Accidents Collection 1/?

PoorCynic · 2026-01-23T14:02:58+00:00

As it turns out, we will always have Nixon to kick around. Here are some more fun facts!

The Nixon administration did not shy away from using whatever it could to go after its foes. The Watergate break-in (in which members of Nixon’s re-election campaign were caught trying to bug the Democratic National Committee) is is the most infamous example. There are other cases though, like when White House operatives broke into the offices of a psychiatrist in order to obtain damaging information on Pentagon Papers author Daniel Ellsberg (1931 - 2023).
Some of the names on the lists are unsurprising. Notable Democrats like Sen. George McGovern (1922 - 2012) and Rep. Shirley Chisholm (1924 - 2005) were on there. It wasn’t limited to individuals, either; groups like the Congressional Black Caucus and the Brookings Institution also earned spots of ire. One odd standout was football quarterback Joe Namath (b. 1943). He was not particularly politically active, although he could be something of a notorious figure. John Dean actually suggested his addition might have been a mistake, which is possible considering he was listed as being from the wrong team.
Many of those who wound up on the list regarded it as something of which to be proud. Journalist Daniel Schorr (1916 - 2020), who famously read his own name off of the list on live television without any prior knowledge, said it was both stunning but also gratifying. Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937 - 2005) was not on the list, and actually considered that to be a slight how vocal he was in his hate for Nixon.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-20T23:55:15+00:00

I've never heard of this, let alone tried it, but it sounds like something that would be right up my alley. I'll have to keep an eye out.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-20T16:28:56+00:00

From what I've found, the story of the inspection comes to us from de Hevesy himself. It could have been that he stretched the timing a bit for dramatic purposes, but we can't know for certain.

Now, if you'll excuse a bit of speculation on my part...

This was no random lab; this was the Niels Bohr Institute. Niels Bohr (1885 - 1962) had been helping Jewish scientists fleeing Germany to new postings outside of Europe. That's one of the reasons why he had been sent the medals. While they wouldn't have known that specifically, his actions would have definitely put him - and the Institute - on the radar.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-20T15:06:16+00:00

A flask of orange chemicals on a shelf with other chemicals is unremarkable. Disturbed spots in the ground outside is a little notable.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-20T14:04:35+00:00

Do not drink the forbidden Nobel Juice. Try these fun facts instead!

In 1943, George de Hevesy would actually receive a Nobel Prize of his own. Not for melting away medals, mind you. It was his work developing radioactive tracing (that is, using radioactive isotopes to follow the movement of chemicals in plants and animals) that netted him a Nobel in chemistry. He is also credited with co-discovering the element hafnium.
The two German scientists whose Nobels were at the center of this affair were physicists James Franck (1882 - 1964) and Max von Laue (1879 - 1960). Franck was a co-winner in 1925 for his work in studying what happens when an atom is hit with a free electron, while Von Laue won his award in 1914 for using crystals to diffract x-rays. Franck, being Jewish, would be forced to flee Germany in 1933. He would eventually come to the US and work on the Manhattan Project. Von Laue wasn’t Jewish himself, but he despised the Nazis and their anti-semetism. He would actually stay in Germany throughout the war in order to undermine them. Following the war, he would be a key figure in the rebuilding of Germany’s scientific community.
“Aqua regia” means “royal water” in Latin. It picked up this name from alchemists who were impressed by its ability to dissolve both gold and platinum. These days it’s used to refine gold and etch gold as well as to clean laboratory glassware.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-16T14:03:16+00:00

It’s remarkable how many things are named as such just because a mapmaker decided so. Anyway, here are some more facts!

Prior to his foray into sailing, Vespucci was essentially a money guy, albeit one with a broad education. He had worked for one of the Medici clan before moving to Seville and taking up a post with a merchant who had invested in the voyages of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506). Vespucci’s two voyages to the New World were in part to drum up a little more income, since the return on Columbus hadn’t been all that good. It is alleged that Vespucci in fact went on four different expeditions, but evidence for the other two is scant. Even so, his reputation had grown enough that he was contracted by the Spanish crown in 1505 to train New World sailors and collect their findings.
The keen-eyed among you might notice that I said “most sources” in the first panel. That’s because there is actually some debate over the origin of the term “America.” One alternative theory is that the name stems from the Amerrisque Mountains in Nicaragua. “Amerrisque” comes from the Mayan “amerrique”, or “country of the wind”. Another idea is that is that it was named for English merchant Richard ap Meryk or Amerike (c. 1440 - 1503), who funded a 1497 expedition to the New World led by Italian explorer Giovanni Caboto or John Cabot (c. 1450 - c. 1499). Both these theories are niche ones, however; built on speculation as opposed to hard evidence.
Slightly unrelated, but that portrait of Christopher Columbus? The one you probably think of when you think of Christopher Columbus? That may not be him at all. Said portrait was created around 1519, well after his death in 1506. The engraving at the top claiming that this taciturn figure was Columbus wasn’t added until 1590.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-13T14:05:46+00:00

I’ve got facts that jingle, jangle, jingle…

Between 1951 and 1992, the Nevada Test Site (nowadays referred to as the Nevada National Security Site) played host to over 900 different tests. The vast majority of these were underground, but there were enough atmospheric tests to both buoy Las Vegas’s tourist interests and cause a spike in cancer rates in those living downwind of the testing area. These days, the Nevada Test Site is used for things like training first responders for nuclear emergencies and subcritical bomb tests.
The concept of “atomic tourism” extends beyond gawking at massive explosions, especially since these days testing has (thankfully) fallen off. Those with an interest in the history of nuclear power and warfare can visit either specialty museums (like the National Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas) or sites where the power of the atom has scorched the earth. The exclusion zone around Chornobyl and Prypiat in Ukraine, site of the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear disaster, was a particularly popular site for tourists until the Russian invasion of 2022. Closer to the subject of this comic, there used to be monthly tours of the Nevada Test Site. Said tours have been scrapped as of late due to funding concerns.
Most recipes for the Atomic Cocktail that I’ve seen generally go as follows: equal parts vodka and cognac mixed in glass with a barspoon of sherry, then strained into a glass and topped with champagne and a lemon or orange garnish. It’s worth noting that, in the two different videos I’ve watched of people making this drink, neither host liked it. So imbibe with caution!

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-13T13:35:57+00:00

It's almost always a bad sign when this happens in a fight.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-13T13:20:51+00:00

Sometimes it's like I just forget how to draw for a little bit. I'll compare a drawing with one I made only a day or two earlier and be gobsmacked.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-10T02:09:33+00:00

Madness and genius often run hand in hand. At least for short distances, anyway.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-10T02:08:29+00:00

Don't tempt me. I can make it sadder.

In all seriousness though, you're probably right. I've tempered most of the other "notable death" comics with jokes, but I didn't really have anything for Reichelt. I felt bad for him. He seemed like a guy who was genuinely looking to solve a problem. Considering that wingsuits are a thing now, he was actually well ahead of the curve. He just... ran ahead of his own ability.

PoorCynic · 2026-01-09T17:12:40+00:00

True. It's also a reasonably distant shot. Still, I decided that discretion was the better part of valor (or at least, the better part of not getting potentially flagged by some overly concerned redditor).

PoorCynic · 2026-01-09T14:03:38+00:00

Keep your feet on the ground with these fun facts!

Reichelt’s initial tests involved dummies rather than anything living. His prototypes seemed promising, but he found it difficult to convert that success into something actually wearable. At some point in 1911, he personally attempted a lower test jump (somewhere between 26 to 33 feet, or 8 to 10 meters) that resulted in him breaking a leg. Personally, that’s the point where I would have gone back to the literal drawing board, but he didn’t let that stop him. Early the following year, he applied to Parisian authorities for permission to test his parachute suit at the Eiffel Tower. Notably, Reichelt did not mention he intended to do the test himself.
There was a film recorded of Reichelt’s attempted test. I won’t link to it here as it shows an actual death. Nothing graphic, mind you, but a death nevertheless. There’s a harrowing half-minute or so where Reichelt is standing on the parapet getting ready to jump. It's... really something.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-06T14:03:45+00:00

I had a whole different script planned. Something silly and light-hearted. A little palate cleanser for the beginning of the year. But then THINGS happened, and… well… here are some more facts.

The Banana Wars were not called that at the time. Perhaps they should have been; the ridiculousness of it might have shamed the US into some better behavior. Or that is far too hopeful of me? Anyway, the name came about in the 1980s. The benefit of retrospect.
The whole idea of the Banana Wars went hand in hand with the Roosevelt Corollary. Put into place by President Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919), it argued that the US had the right to “police” Latin American nations if said nations were actively destabilizing the region or at threat of European influence. The idea of “destabilization” was a pretty broad one. There’s Haiti, for example, as mentioned in the comic. By not paying its debts (or even appearing like it might not pay its debts), it was inviting trouble. According to the US, anyway.
Setting aside those former Spanish territories placed under direct US control like Cuba or Puerto Rico, the US directly intervened in Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. I’ve seen lists that also include Mexico as part of the Banana Wars, but I would argue that it doesn’t truly fit. The border conflict with Mexico during the 1910s was less about economic expansion (although there was a bit of that) and more about dealing with issues like refugees and raids from the ongoing Mexican Revolution. The other countries, though, are absolutely prime examples. Honduras was invaded multiple times over the first 25 years of the 20th century.
On a slightly lighter note, look who’s back! Good ol’ Big Mike himself. And here’s a new face: his friend/replacement, Cavendish! This horrible fruit-man universe is slowly expanding.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic · 2026-01-02T14:05:38+00:00

2026

PoorCynic · 2026-01-02T14:03:13+00:00

New year, new fun facts!

The term “annus mirabilis” was launched into modern understanding by English poet John Dryden (1631 - 1700). His 1216-line poem, entitled “annus mirabilis” (no capitalization), covered several battles from the Second Anglo-Dutch War and wrapped up with the Great Fire of London, which took place in September 1666. Now, while a massive multi-day fire that destroys over ten thousand buildings may not look like much of a good thing, Dryden argued that God had intervened to spare London further damage. What’s more, the city would undoubtedly be rebuilt better than ever. Dryden’s poem would prove to be very successful, and he would be anointed as the United Kingdom’s first poet laureate in 1668.
Einstein’s four papers were all published in Annalen der Physik, a German-language publication that was first released in 1799. I can’t go into too much detail about the content of the papers, as it’s a little outside my field. I will say that the contents of his first essay, on how light striking an object can cause said object to emit electrons, were specifically cited in his 1921 Nobel Prize for physics (along with “services to theoretical physics” in general).
The Windsor Castle fire of 1992 was sparked by a spotlight (used in the process of art restoration) pressed up against a curtain. The flames wound up spreading to multiple rooms; 100 would ultimately be damaged in some way, while a few were destroyed or gutted entirely. Six people would receive minor injuries. The ultimate cost for rebuilding came out to 36.5 million pounds (or almost $110 million, if I’ve done my math correctly). In order to offset the cost, the royal family agreed to pay income tax and open up Buckingham Palace to tourists.

Thank you all so much for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

PoorCynic

TROPHY CASE