The signing of the Pact of Steel on 22 May 1939 in Berlin Photographer unknown Public Domain/WIkimedia Commons
On 22 May 1939, Germany and Italy signed the Pact of Friendship and Alliance that became known later as the Pact of Steel. This began the formal military and political alliance between the two countries. Initially Japan was to be part of the agreement but there was disagreement on the focus of the pact. Germany and Italy wanted it aimed at the British Empire and France, while Japan wanted the Soviet Union to be the focus. The agreement was signed without Japan but would later join in September 1940.
The agreement brought together two countries that opposed each other in World War I. It also required each country to come to the aid of the other if it were in armed conflict with another nation. Neither party could make peace without the agreement of the other. One of the assumptions of the agreement was that war would start in three years at the latest. Italy needed the time to get its war production into high gear. The agreement was for ten years but there was some concern within the Italian government the agreement would suppress Italian autonomy. The agreement was still signed despite these objections, which also came from Mussolini’s son-in-law, Galeazzo Ciano, who was the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Hitler, however, would soon declare his intentions of invading Poland. Mussolini was not happy he was not consulted on this, nor about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Agreement. Italian forces did not commit fully to war until June 1940 when German forces had defeated British and French forces with lightning speed. Italy seized Nice as its prize. Other countries it tried to invade proved more difficult. Greek partisans brought the Italian force to a halt. Germany would intervene to help there and in Yugoslavia where Italian troops also pushed back by partisans. A disastrous attack on British Egypt from Italian Libya required German assistance as well. The economic consequences of the war were bad for most Italians generating widespread resentment that would lead one day to Mussolini’s fall from power in 1943.
Nations of the Pact of Friendship and Alliance (Pact of Steel)
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Madeleine Astor, wife of John Jacob Astor IV, circa 1910 U.S. Library of Congress Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
After the death of her husband, John Jacob Astor IV, Madeline Astor would give birth to a son who she named for his father. She decided to reside in Palm Beach, Florida where her husband had spent winters. Becoming a prominent figure locally, she would remarry twice. The first marriage was to a childhood friend and the other a boxer. Both marriages ended in divorce. She died in 1940 at age 46 in Palm Beach, Florida. She is buried next to her mother in a mausoleum at Trinity Church Cemetery in New York City.
The Metropole Hotel & Spa in Llandrindod Wells is inviting guests to attend a theatrical re-enactment of the Titanic’s last meal in a ‘Queen of the Ocean’ themed dining experience on October 11. Captain Smith and his crew, from Histoire Productions, will welcome guests on board the RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage and is encouraging them to “embrace the elegance of 1910s fashion” by wearing era-specific clothing, although it’s not mandatory. The evening will begin at 7 pm when Mabel Bennett, the first class stewardess, calls guests to their tables, imagining that it’s April 10, 1912 and first-class passengers are about to board the “unsinkable” Titanic. A three-course meal, replicated from an actual menu found on a first-class survivor, will be served throughout the evening, as guests watch the captain and some of the female crew respond to the impending disaster.
Mrs. J.J. “Molly” Brown presenting trophy cup award to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, for his service in the rescue of the Titanic. Photo:Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id# cph 3c21013)
However one moneyed woman did, and the story of her selfless deeds in the hour of disaster is perhaps as striking as any told in a Hollywood blockbuster. Margaret Brown was a wealthy American socialite who boarded the Titanic as a first class passenger at Cherbourg, France, the vessel’s first stop after leaving Southampton. Ironically her bravery on the doomed ship posthumously earned her the nickname ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown’; her actions so revered that her life was later celebrated in a 1960 Broadway musical of the same name. Those in the know have hailed Margaret for her courageous attempts to rescue fellow survivors that night, despite the undertaking threatening her own safety.
J. Bruce Ismay, president of White Star Line (1912) Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Shipping chief Joseph Bruce Ismay famously survived the sinking of his own pride and joy, the Titanic, by mysteriously finding a place in a lifeboat even though they were reserved for women and children. His fifth cousin and chief defender, author Cliff Ismay, has long insisted that the White Star Line boss has been unfairly treated by history. But in a Channel 4 documentary airing tonight, Mr Ismay goes as far as apologising to the granddaughter of a survivor of the 1912 disaster whose new husband died after being told that her spouse was turned away from the same lifeboat.
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Titanic at the docks of Southampton, 10 April 1912 Unknown Author Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
There’s a new Titanic exhibit in Denver that has an “immersive” experience involving the final moments of the shipwreck. The Titanic: An Immersive Voyage opened at the Exhibition Hub Art Center in Denver. The exhibit includes the history of the Titanic with over 90 artifacts, recreations of rooms and immersive videos with 3D views that take you on board as a passenger.
Lord, Walter, A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, New York, 1955. Multiple revisions and reprints, notably Illustrated editions (1976,1977,1978 etc.)
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Amelia Earhart circa 1928 Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress digital ID# cph.3a22092)
On 20 May 1932, five years after Charles Lindbergh made his famous solo nonstop flight from the U.S. to France, Amelia Earhart set out to be the first female aviator to accomplish the same feat. Unlike Lindbergh, Earhart was already well known before this flight. She gained fame in 1928 as part of a three-person crew to be the first woman to cross the Atlantic in an airplane. On that trip, she kept the plane’s log.
Early on 20 May 1932, her Lockheed Vega 5B took off from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. She intended to replicate Lindbergh’s flight but encountered strong northerly winds, mechanical problems, and icy conditions. Instead of landing in France, she landed in a pasture at Culmore (north of Derry) in Northern Ireland. When asked by a farmhand how far she had flown, she famously said “From America.” Her feat received international acclaim. She received the Distinguished Flying Cross in the U.S., Cross of Honor of the Legion of Honor from France, and the Gold Medal from the National Geographic Society. Her fame allowed her develop friendships with many important and influential people such as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Earhart would continue to make solo flights and set records.
Sadly, her next most famous mission would forever be shrouded in mystery. In 1937 she attempted–along with copilot Frederick Noonan–to fly around the world. On 2 Jul 1937, her plane disappeared near Howland Island in the South Pacific. Despite extensive searching by the US Navy and Coast Guard, no trace of the plane or its pilots were ever found. The search was called off on 19 July. Earhart was declared legally dead on 5 Jul 1939 so that her estate could pay bills. Since then, numerous theories as to what happened have been put forth. Many believe her plane either crashed and sank or that they landed on an island and perished awaiting rescue. Some intriguing evidence recovered in 2012 off Nikumaroro might be from their plane which supports the crash and sank hypothesis. More speculative theories have her being a spy for FDR or being captured and executed (along with Noonan) by the Japanese on Saipan (the area checked for the pilot’s bodies revealed nothing). A 1970 book claiming she had survived, moved to New Jersey, and changed her name to Irene Craigmile Bolam. There really was an Irene Bolam who had been a banker in New York in the 1940’s. She sued the publisher and obtained an out-of-court settlement. The book was taken off the market. National Geographic throughly debunked it in 2006 on Undiscovered History.
Launching in London this summer, The Legend of TITANIC: The Immersive Exhibition takes visitors on a journey of the world’s most iconic ship. The new exhibition, which will be at Dock X in Canada Water, follows successful openings in Madrid and Munich. It will feature projections, interactive installations, detailed recreations as part of a 120-minute experience.
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Collapsible lifeboat D photographed by passenger on Carpathia on the morning of 15 April 1912. Public Domain(Wikipedia)
Today, the scan reveals that the Titanic didn’t “separate” into two, but rather tore apart. As Mac4ever reports, the bow, rather well-preserved, sank vertically into the ocean. Meanwhile, the stern broke apart under pressure as it hit the seabed. According to digital simulations, the iceberg pierced the hull in several places, and didn’t, as previously suggested, rip open the Titanic over a large area. The holes pierced were the size of an A4 sheet of paper. Given that they followed over such a long length, they led to the flooding of six watertight compartments, instead of the four envisioned in safety scenarios.
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Screenshot from The Northern Echo of steel divot up for auction.
This steel divot, salvaged from Harland & Wolff’s scrap pile after the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, was transformed into a souvenir by a shipyard worker. A divot is a rounded piece pressed from a steel plate to create a hole for a rivet to join plates. Typically scrap at the Belfast shipyard, this divot became valuable after Titanic, the world’s largest ship when launched on May 31, 1911, sank, claiming about 1,496 lives in the era’s worst maritime disaster. To commemorate the event, a worker inscribed the ship’s name and the White Star Line emblem on the divot, turning it into a keepsake or trinket. Owned by a Belfast family since the mid-20th century, it is now being auctioned by David Harper at Elstob Auctioneers on May 28.
“It was the tragic fate of a simple farmer hoping for a better future,” says Günter Bäbler, president of the Titanic Association Switzerland, referring to Albert Wirz from Zurich. Wirz, the second son of a farming family in Uster, had limited prospects. In 1912, he left the Zurich Oberland to join his aunt in Wisconsin, USA, after saving money from various jobs. His journey ended when the Titanic hit an iceberg on April 14–15. Wirz reached the deck, but “third-class passengers had slim survival chances, as lifeboats prioritized first and second class,” Bäbler explains. Wirz’s body, recovered from the North Atlantic, still held his papers, wallet, and pocket watch. These items were returned to his family in Uster and are now in the Paul Kläui Library’s collection, east of Zurich.
Espai Inmersa in Barcelona’s Poblenou neighbourhood is home to a new exhibition: “Titanic. The Official Exhibition” recreates the spaces of the ocean liner that sank in 1912. It will be open to visitors until September 28. The exhibition includes more than 200 original objects recovered from the wreck site and covers a 3,000 square meter space, featuring exhibition halls, an immersive room, recreations and a virtual reality area.
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Titanic mural at Newtownards Road and Dee Street in Belfast, NI. (Andy Welsh,http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallrevolution/68715920/)
Arguably the most famous shipwreck of all time, the ill-fated Titanic collided with an iceberg in the late hours of 14 April 1912. The disaster claimed the lives of some 1,500 of its 2,240 passengers. Over the years, treasures telling the story of those passengers – both those who survived and those who tragically lost their lives – have been recovered. Read on to discover some of the most spectacular and valuable pieces from the tragic ship, including a pocket watch that’s just broken auction records. All dollar values in US dollars and currency conversions correct at the time of sale.
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Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon (1862-1931), survivor of the Titanic disaster (1912) Public Domain
Once in the water, the boat drifted away from the Titanic and the sailors rowed toward a light they thought was a ship, but which turned out to be the northern lights reflected in an iceberg. Then, they heard four explosions on the sinking ship and people in the water screaming for help. One crewman proposed going back to try to save more people, but Gordon’s wife and secretary refused. A vote was even taken, which ended in a tie at six. Three sailors and three passengers voted against. Gordon then offered five pounds to the sailors on the boat as soon as they were safe and sound. According to him, it was a tip because they had lost their belongings and their pay for the voyage due to the shipwreck.
But Titanic Belfast, a striking architectural landmark built on the very slipways where the doomed ocean liner was constructed, delivers a powerful and immersive experience that lingers long after disembarkation. Despite its somber subject matter, Titanic Belfast is a must-see attraction for anyone visiting the city, including those arriving on cruise ships. Since opening in 2012 to mark the centenary of the disaster, the museum has welcomed millions of visitors. In 2024 alone, more than 800,000 people experienced its powerful exhibits, confirming its status as one of Northern Ireland’s most popular and impactful cultural destinations.
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Diana of Versailles bronze statue. It was on the fireplace mantel in the First Class Lounge. It was last seen in 1986 but subsequent expeditions could not find it until now. Image: RMS Titanic, Inc ®
Stewart Harris was about one hour into his midnight-to-4 a.m. shift searching for the sunken RMS Titanic. The designer of the Argo sled was keyed up, having spotted lead pipes and other clearly man-made artifacts. “We started passing over major wreckage. There was a general consensus that we should go wake up Bob (Ballard) but no one wanted to leave. A cook stuck his head in … and then hurried off to get Bob.”
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Colonel Archibald Gracie, survivor of Titanic’s sinking Date Unknown Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Lukiv, Jaroslav. “Titanic Survivor’s Letter Sold for £300,000 at Auction.” Last modified April 27, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg1pm54xzvo.
A letter written by a Titanic passenger days before the ship sank has been sold for a record-breaking £300,000 ($400,000) at auction in the UK. Colonel Archibald Gracie’s letter was purchased by an anonymous buyer at Henry Aldridge and Son auction house in Wiltshire on Sunday, at a price five times higher than the £60,000 it was expected to fetch. The letter has been described as “prophetic”, as it records Col Gracie telling an acquaintance he would “await my journey’s end” before passing judgement on the “fine ship”.
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Meriwether Lewis and William Clark Public Domain (Wikipedia)
Under President Jefferson, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803 for a price of 3 cents per acre for some 828,000 square miles of land. It is considered one of the best land deals ever. Jefferson commissioned the expedition of Lewis and Clarke to explore this territory from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. On 14 May 1804 this “Corps of Discovery” as it was called, left St. Louis with 45 men (only 33 would make the full journey) for the newly purchased American interior.
Modern map of United States showing the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 Sources: Natural Earth and Portland State University Uploaded by William Morris to Wikimedia Commons at request of author.
Traveling up the Missouri River in six canoes and two longboats they would winter in Dakota before crossing into Montana where they saw the Rocky Mountains for the first time. They would meet the Shoshone Indians on the other side of the Continental Divide, who would sell them horses. The journeyed through the Bitterroot Mountains, down the rapids of the Clearwater and Snake rivers, until they reached the Columbia River and to the sea. They arrived at the Pacific Ocean on 8 November 1805 and were the first European explorers to do this overland from the east. The paused for the winter and then made their journey back to St. Louis in the spring.
Map of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806) Image: Goszei via Wikimedia Commons
The journals that were kept noted longitude and latitude with detailed notes on soil, climate, animals, plants, and native peoples. They identified new plants and animals (the grizzly bear for one). They also named geographic locations after themselves, loved ones, friends and even their dog. They experienced a variety of diseases and injuries during their journey but only one person perished. Their expedition is considered one of the most consequential and remarkable in U.S. history. Their travels in Oregon would lead the U.S. to able claim territorial rights later.
Map of Lewis and Clark’s Track, Across the Western Portion of North America “History Of The Expedition Under The Command Of Captains Lewis And Clark, To The Sources Of The Missouri, Thence Across The Rocky Mountains And Down The River Columbia To The Pacific Ocean” by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark et al. 1814 Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
On Martinique, Mount Pelée erupted at 7:50 a.m. on 8 May1902 killing 30,000 people, mostly in Saint-Pierre.
Mount Pelée , Saint-Pierre, Martinique 22 May 2019 Image: Rehcral Via Wikimedia Commons
Concern over the volcano grew due to its recent activity. In April, explosions began at its summit, followed by numerous quakes, ash showers, and thick sulfurous gas clouds affecting the region. This drove ground insects and snakes into Saint-Pierre, causing serious problems for residents and livestock. Fifty people, mostly children, died from snakebites. As volcanic activity persisted, ash contaminated water sources, killing livestock. Outdoor activities near the mountain were canceled, and by May, many were worried.
On 5 May, a crater collapsed, sending scalding water and pyroclastic debris into a river, burying workers at a sugar works. The lahar, traveling at 62 mph (100 kph), hit the sea, causing a small tsunami that flooded low-lying areas of Saint-Pierre. By 7 May, conditions worsened with more ash clouds and reddish-orange glows visible from the craters at night.
Many began fleeing into the city (it was believed safe from lava flows)while many were trying to flee. Those that did leave would realize later how lucky they were.
A relief map of Mount Pelee (Montagne Pelee in French) showing the area affected by the eruptions of 8 May and 30 August, 1902. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
A large black cloud composed of superheated gas, ash and rock rolled headlong down the south flank of Mt. Pelée at more than 100 miles per hour, its path directed by the V-shaped notch at the summit. In less than one minute it struck St. Pierre with hurricane force. The blast was powerful enough to carry a three-ton statue sixteen meters from its mount. One-meter-thick masonary walls were blown into rubble and support girders were mangled into twisted strands of metal. The searing heat of the cloud ignited huge bonfires. Thousands of barrels of rum stored in the city’s warehouses exploded, sending rivers of the flaming liquid through the streets and into the sea. The cloud continued to advanced over the harbor where it destroyed at least twenty ships anchored offshore. The hurricane force of the blast capsized the steamship Grappler, and its scorching heat set ablaze the American sailing ship Roraima, killing most of her passengers and crew. The Roraima had the misfortune of arriving only a few hours before the eruption. Those on on board could only watch in horror as the cloud descended on them after annihilating the city of St. Pierre. Of the 28,000 people in St. Pierre, there were only two known survivors.
(How Volcanoes Work: MT. PELÉE ERUPTION (1902),Geology Department,University of San Diego)
Remains of St. Pierre by Angelo Heilprin (United States, 1853-1907), 1902. Public Domain
The 1902 Mount Pelée eruption was the deadliest volcanic disaster of the 20th century and the only fatal volcano in French history, as Martinique is a French department. It obliterated Saint-Pierre, leaving ruins and corpses. The French warship Suchet reported total destruction within the 8-square-mile pyroclastic flow path. Beyond this zone, damage was lighter, and more survived. Another eruption on May 20 killed 2,000, mostly rescuers, engineers, and mariners. On August 30, a further eruption caused fatalities and a tsunami, marking Mount Pelée’s last deadly event. A 1929 eruption saw no deaths due to evacuations.
The city of Saint-Pierre was never rebuilt and small villages now exists where it once did. Mount Pelee has been quiet but is under constant watch and considered an active volcano.
East and West Shaking hands at the laying of last rail Union Pacific Railroad 10 May 1869 Andrew J. Russell (1829–1902), Restored by Adam Cuerden Yale University Libraries (via Wikimedia Commons)
There was a time that traveling coast to coast was an arduous task. You could take a long ship voyage down to the tip of South America (Cape Horn) and then sail north to get to San Francisco. You could get off at the Isthmus of Panama and walk over to the Pacific (and later by train) but it had its own risks as well. Or you could go as far west as the train would take you and take either a long wagon train voyage (or possibly a long stagecoach ride) until you got to the west coast. The completion of the transcontinental railway ended that on 10 May 1865 in Promontory, Utah.
The need for a transcontinental railroad was noticed as early as 1832. Connecting both coasts was needed in order to move freight, people, and even the military if needed. It was not until 1853 that the US Congress approved money for surveys to be done on possible routes. Tensions between North and South caused delays and where the line should begin. In 1862, with the Civil War going on, Congress approved the Pacific Railroad Act (1862) which gave loans and public land grants to build the railroad. The Union Pacific and Central Pacific rail lines began construction in Omaha and Sacramento.
Construction was arduous and difficult for both lines and the workers who built them. The Union Pacific used mostly Irish laborers, many who had served in the Civil War. Conditions in towns and settlements they had to use in most cases was simple and often miserable. Making it more difficult were the hot summers and often cold winters along with a great deal of lawlessness as well. The Central Pacific used Chinese laborers who worked brutal 12-hour days and were paid less than their counterparts on the Union Pacific. Building in the Sierra Nevada mountains proved very difficult, and avalanches were a frequent hazard in which whole work crews would be killed. Also misuse or mishandling of explosives would also take lives as well.
Yet despite all of this (and even initially building the lines that did not connect), the transcontinental railroad got done ahead of schedule in 1869. Remarkably it came in under budget, which is extraordinary for a massive project of this type. Its construction allowed for the rapid expansion and development of the United States thanks to the rapid movement of freight and people across the country. By the end of June 1869, it was possible to travel entirely by rail from Jersey City, New Jersey to the Alameda Wharf in Oakland, CA. From there you hopped on a railway owned ferry to take you across the bay to San Francisco.
Advertisements carried in The Salt Lake Daily Telegraph showing both Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads ability to know travel between both the East and West coasts of the United States. Appeared the week that the two rail lines were joined in Utah on 10 May 1869. Source: The Cooper Collection of US Railroad History Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Sources
Allen et al., “Railroad | History, Invention, & Facts,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified April 21, 2025, http://www.britannica.com/technology/railroad/The-transcontinental-railroad.
HISTORY.com Editors, “Transcontinental Railroad Completed, Unifying United States | May 10, 1869 | HISTORY,” HISTORY, last modified March 5, 2025, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/transcontinental-railroad-completed.
History Net Staff, “The Transcontinental Railroad: Facts and Information,” HistoryNet, April 24, 2023, http://www.historynet.com/transcontinental-railroad.
Lindbergh Child Poster 1932 Public Domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
The kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby would shock the nation and bring heartbreak to the Lindbergh family. Famed aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne lived in a house in Hopewell, New Jersey. Around 9:00 pm on 1 March 1932, the kidnapper or kidnappers climbed a ladder into the second-story nursery and abducted the child. A ransom note of $50,000 was left behind. The child was found missing an hour by the nanny, Betty Gow. The local police were notified and turned the case over to the New Jersey State Police. The search found the ransom note, muddy footprints in the nursery, and a ladder a distance away from the home. Footprints from the ladder led into the woods at the edge of the property.
Two other ransom notes would be received raising the demand to $70,000. Attempts to contact the kidnappers failed. Ultimately a retired New York City teacher named John Condon placed advertising in a Bronx newspaper offering to act as intermediary. He got a note from the kidnappers that he would be acceptable. Condon used newspaper columns under the name of Jafsie to send messages. The kidnappers responded with leaving secret written messages at locations in New York City. Additionally, the kidnappers sent the child’s sleeping suit as proof of identity. On 2 April 1932, a meet was set up to deliver the ransom with Lindbergh nearby. Condon talked with someone called John. He accepted $50,000 (the original amount) and said they would find the baby on a boat named Nelly Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. A search for the boat turned up nothing. The money paid were gold certificates whose serial numbers were recorded by the Treasury Department.
Sadly, on 12 May 1932 the body of child was found less than 5 miles from the Lindbergh home. The child was positively identified as the missing child Charles Lindbergh, Jr. An autopsy determined the baby had been killed by a blow to the head either during or just after the kidnapping. The Lindbergh’s were deeply saddened and decided to leave the area, and the house was given to a charity. Investigators checked everyone connected to Lindbergh and John Condon. Nothing was found. Outrage over the kidnapping convinced President Roosevelt to order the U.S. Bureau of Investigation (renamed later to Federal Bureau of Investigation) to investigate. Congress passed the Federal Kidnapping Act (known as the Lindbergh Law) on 12 June 1932. The law makes kidnapping a crime across state lines and that the person(s) convicted of it would face the death penalty.
Aftermath
A year later a service station attendant in New York City recorded the license plate of a man who had paid with a $10 gold certificate. The gold certificate was registered as one that was used to pay the kidnappers a year before. It was traced to a Bronx residence who matched the description of John who Condon had met with. On 10 Sept 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was arrested and a $20 gold certificate from the ransom payment was found on him. More gold certificates would be found, and his penmanship was similar to what the kidnapper(s) used. Hauptmann claimed he was holding the money for Isidore Fisch, who had returned to Germany and had died. Hauptmann was indicted for murder on 8 Oct 1934. He went on trial in January 1935. This “trial of the century” was mostly circumstantial rather than direct evidence. Condon’s telephone number though was found on a closet door frame and Lindbergh recognized his voice as the one heard the night of the ransom payment. Hauptmann took the stand in his defense claiming he was innocent. He claimed he was beaten by the police and forced to give handwriting samples. He was found guilty on 13 February 1935. His legal appeals, including to the U.S. Supreme Court were rejected. He was executed on 3 April 1936.
There have been many books over the years that dispute the fingerprints, the police methods and the investigation claiming he was at best innocent or worse framed for the crime. Some have argued that Lindbergh himself was responsible though the outcome of the dead infant was unplanned. Others have sifted through all the evidence and found the evidence compelling enough to warrant the conviction. The strongest support of that is he fit the description that Condon gave, and Lindbergh recognized his voice.
Spoiler Alert Warning!
A more fantastic idea comes the alternative history novel The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth. In this book, Lindbergh becomes president in 1940 instead of Franklin Roosevelt. As president, he signs peace accords with both Nazi Germany and Japan keeping the U.S. out of the war during his time in office. He also enacts policies against the Jews and other things that start moving America more towards a fascist state. After his presidency ends (he flies off and disappears never to be seen again), it is revealed that the Germans had organized the kidnapping and brought his child to Germany. They used this as leverage to compel Lindbergh to enact policies in line with the Nazi’s. At the same time, it was spread that Jew’s were responsible for the kidnapping encouraging antisemitism in America.
However, Lindbergh was not as keen in doing what they wanted (about the Jews in particular) and resisted. His vice president though was in tune with implementing the more radical policies they favored. It is not clear what really happened to Lindbergh. Was his plane brought down by engine failure, did he deliberately crash his plane, or did the Nazi’s have something to do with it? His disappearance allowed the vice president to take control and operate more like an authoritarian leader the Nazi’s would approve of lending credence to this theory. It fell apart thanks to Lindbergh’s wife taking to the radio and asking for it to stop. It does and ultimately Roosevelt would be president in the next election ending the Nazi plot.
RMS Lusitania Coming Into Port (circa 1907-1913) George Grantham Bain Collection, US Library of Congress, Digital Id cph.3g13287. Public Domain
On 7 May 1915, the Cunard liner RMS Lusitania sailing from New York to Liverpool was torpedoed off Ireland and sank within 18 minutes. Of the 1,959 passengers and crew aboard, only 761 would survive. 128 of the passengers were American.
World War II had begun in 1914 between Britain, France, and Russia (including Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Serbia) and Germany, Austria Hungary, and Turkey (then called Ottoman Empire). The United States, under President Woodrow Wilson, declared neutrality. Since the U.S. was a major trading partner with Britain, problems arose when Germany tried to quarantine the British Isles using mines. Several American ships ended up being damaged or sunk as a result. In February 1915, Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare around British waters. This meant any ship entering these waters were subject to being attacked and sunk by German forces.
To make this very clear, the German embassy in Washington had advertisements run in New York newspapers in early May 1915 that Americans traveling on British or Allied ships in war zones did so at their own risk. In one case, the announcement was on the same page as advertisement of the Lusitania sailing from New York to Liverpool.
Warning issued by Imperial German Embassy in Washington about travelling on RMS Lusitania. Author Unknown Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
The British Admiralty issued warnings, due to merchant ships being sunk off the south coast of Ireland, to ships to avoid the area or take evasive action (zigzagging was advised). The British objected by pointing out that threatening to torpedo all ships was wrong, whether announced in advance or not. During her construction, subsidized by the British government, it was done with the proviso she could be converted to an armed merchant cruiser.
A compartment was also installed to for the purposes of carrying arms and ammunition if it were needed. Gun mounts were installed for deck cannons, but they were not installed. At the time of her sinking, she was not operating in any official capacity as an armed merchant cruiser. The Germans suspected the ship was being used to transport munitions and her repainting to a grey color was an attempt to disguise her (it was, but to make it harder to spot from a periscope).
The Lusitania was one of the fastest liners on the Atlantic capable of 25 knots (29 mph) with many refinements. With lifts, the wireless telegraph, electric lights, and more passenger space (and more sumptuous accomodations), traveling on the Lusitania or her sister ships Aquitania and Maurentania was considered a good experience by seasoned travelers. The fact that she traveled so fast makes it likely it was simply being in the right place and the right time for the German U-boat. She could not possibly have caught the speedy vessel otherwise (there are arguments about what speed Lusitania was doing at this time off Ireland).
Engraving of Lusitania Sinking by Norman Wilkinson, The Illustrated London News, May 15, 1915 Public Domain(Wikimedia)
Captain William Turner did not use zigzagging while in the area (many argue that it does not really work). The commanding officer of the U-boat, Walther Schwieger, ordered one torpedo fired around 14:10 (2:10 pm). It struck the Lusitania on the starboard bow. A second explosion within the ship occurred and the ship began to founder starboard quickly. While the crew tried to launch the lifeboats, the severe list made it difficult and impossible in many cases. Only six of the forty-eight lifeboats would be launched. The ship sank in 18 minutes taking with her 1, 198 souls. Of the 764 that did survive (and that is a heroic tale of itself), three would die later from wounds sustained from the sinking. Though close to the coast, it would be some time before assistance arrived. Local fishing ships were the first to provide assistance, and later the naval patrol boat Heron. Other small ships provided assistance as well.
Aftermath
The sinking provoked international fury at Germany. Germany defended its actions saying the ship had been carrying contraband and was an armed auxiliary military cruiser. The reaction within Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey was criticism of the sinking. The German government tried to defend the sinking, even though she was not armed, by saying she was carrying contraband and they had warned this would happen. The official statements did not go over well in the United States or in Britain. Editorials in newspapers denounced what Germany had done calling for more to bring them to heel. It was hotly debated within the Wilson administration what to do. Wilson condemned what Germany had done but internally but William Jennings Bryan, the Secretary of State, argued for trying to convince both Britain and Germany to ratchet down some of the actions that had led to Lusitania sinking. Bryan was antiwar and like many did not want the U.S. getting involved in the European war.
President Wilson would send three notes to Germany that made his position clear on the issue. First he said that Americans had the right to travel on merchant ships and for Germany to abandon submarine warfare on such vessels. Second, he rejected German arguments about Lusitania. This note caused Bryan to resign and was replaced by Robert Lansing. The third note was a warning that any subsequent sinkings would be “deliberately unfriendly.” That last one made it clear America’s position on the matter. While many wanted to stay out of the war, if the Germans did do it again they likely would find themselves at war with them.
The British government and press were not happy with Wilson over these notes. He was widely castigated and sneered. The reality was that American public opinion was not in favor of war. Wilson knew this and hoped Germany would stop attacking merchant vessels. There was some attempt within the German government to forbid action against neutral ships, which did curtail unrestricted submarine warfare for a while. British merchant ships were targeted, neutral ships treated differently (boarded and searched for war materials), and passenger ships left alone. But in 1917, Germany announced it would resume unrestricted submarine warfare. Wilson was furious and began preparations for war with Germany.
The Lusitania Resource. “The Lusitania Resource: Passengers & Crew, Facts & History.” The Lusitania Resource. Last modified May 3, 2025. https://www.rmslusitania.info/.
Devastating Disasters. 
