800 French convicts led by an American who spoke no French. What could possibly go wrong? A shipment of Portuguese wine, for one thing.
On Feb 22, 1797, the "last invasion of mainland Britain" commenced.
If asked, rather few people would guess that the deadliest day for America in WWII took place in October, 1944, 9 months before the end of the war.
On October 19, 1762 the day was so dark at Fort Detroit that candles were needed to see at noon. A British officer called the day "The most extraordinary dark day perhaps ever seen in the world." Some would take the darkness as a sign.
Solenopsis invicta, the “Red Imported Fire Ant”, native to South America, has proven a tenacious and destructive pest in the United States, costing Americans billions of dollars every year. That is why, in the late 1950s, the United States embarked on an all out war against the six-legged menace.