Texas Trivia (Houston, Austin, Galveston: trading, capita, shipping)

[SVTRay]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Good question, I was not previously aware of this. I'm guessing it was the Texas City Disaster in 1947.



The description in the link above goes into more detail, which is pretty interesting.

Parking lot 1/4 mile away from the explosion:



Ship No. 2 destroyed in second explosion:

Oh I forgot abbot the Ammonium Nitrate explosion. That was a bad deal for sure...same stuff used in the Oklahoma bombing.

[joqua]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Good question, I was not previously aware of this. I'm guessing it was the Texas City Disaster in 1947.

You won!

As a kid, I remember passing by the area on the train on the way to spend a summer vacation at the beach in Galveston. It was an eye opener that made me think of all the Movietone News stories I saw during WWII.

Much later in life, I was part of a team inspecting the devastation of a second serious blast in Texas City that also killed people and caused massive destruction. It would have been in late 1979, and I don't recall the refinery that was responsible, but it was a case of operator / owner negligence.

BP was involved in a later devastating blast at one of their refineries in Texas City:

60 Minutes spent the last three months investigating the explosion at Texas City, and what we found was a failure by BP to protect the health and safety of its own workers, even though the company made a profit of $19 billion last year.

60 Minutes also found evidence that BP ignored warning after warning that something terrible could happen at Texas City.

And the beat goes on...

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by joqua

You won!

As a kid, I remember passing by the area on the train on the way to spend a summer vacation at the beach in Galveston. It was an eye opener that made me think of all the Movietone News stories I saw during WWII.

Much later in life, I was part of a team inspecting the devastation of a second serious blast in Texas City that also killed people and caused massive destruction. It would have been in late 1979, and I don't recall the refinery that was responsible, but it was a case of operator / owner negligence.

BP was involved in a later devastating blast at one of their refineries in Texas City:


And the beat goes on...

Thanks joqua, that was interesting stuff.

Here is a new question:

Mexico never quite got over loosing so much territory as a result of the Texas Revolution in 1835-1836. In 1917 during World War I. it appears that Mexico plotted with a foreign power "to re-conquer Mexico's lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona." Who was the foreign power and how was this plot discovered?

[jtur88]

I guess that would be the famous Zimmerman Telegram, involving Germany. Had the British not intercepted the telegram and decoded it, the US might have never entered the War.

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by jtur88

I guess that would be the famous Zimmerman Telegram, involving Germany. Had the British not intercepted the telegram and decoded it, the US might have never entered the War.

That is correct, Germany was plotting with Mexico to make war against the US, and in exchange to give the territories of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona back to Mexico:

The fragile peace was again threatened again in 1917 when a World War I telegram sent to Mexico by the German Secretary of State Zimmerman became public. The Zimmermann Telegram was intercepted and decoded by the British cryptographers of Room 40. The revelation of its contents in the American press on March 1 caused public outrage that contributed to the U.S.'s declaration of war against Germany and its allies on April 6.

Here is the complete text of the Zimmerman telegram.
The Zimmerman Note to the German Minister to Mexico

Berlin, January 19, 1917

On the first of February we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the United States of America.

If this attempt is not successful, we propose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico: That we shall make war together and together make peace. We shall give general financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. The details are left to you for settlement....

You are instructed to inform the President of Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States and suggest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should communicate with Japan suggesting adherence at once to this plan; at the same time, offer to mediate between Germany and Japan.

Please call to the attention of the President of Mexico that the employment of ruthless submarine warfare now promises to compel England to make peace in a few months.

Zimmerman
(Secretary of State)

[jtur88]

What world-remowned astronomer once won an international gold medal on a Texas university dance team?

[jtur88]

Hint: He appears frequently on the TV shows on the channels like Science and Discovery.

[jtur88]

Another hint: "White Astronomers can't dance!"

[CptnRn]

Neil deGrasse Tyson - " I have taken kindly the council of the years, gracefully surrendering my things of youth".

Neil deGrasse Tyson (born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, science communicator, the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and a Research Associate in the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. Since 2006 he has hosted the educational science television show NOVA scienceNOW on PBS, and has been a frequent guest on The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Jeopardy!

Tyson earned a Bachelors of Arts in physics from Harvard in 1980 and began his graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Master of Arts in astronomy in 1983. In addition to wrestling and rowing in college, he was also active in dancing in styles including jazz, ballet, Afro-Caribbean, and Latin Ballroom. In 1985, he won a gold medal with the University of Texas dance team at a national tournament in the International Latin Ballroom style.

‪Neil deGrasse Tyson answering 'Are you a dancer?'‬‏ - YouTube

[jtur88]

Neil DeGrasse Tyson is correct.