Spectacles, Survival, and Sudden Power

The 5 moments in this challenge

The scenes are shown below — tap a card to reveal its place and year.

1. 

   Round 1 · 1574

   Relief Boats Reach Starving Leiden

   Former Vliet Gate, Leiden, Netherlands

   After deliberate flooding drove off the Spanish besiegers, relief boats entered Leiden carrying food. The liberation became the city's annual 3 October festival, still associated with herring, white bread, and hutspot.

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2. 

   Round 2 · 1951

   Thomson Hits the Pennant-Winning Home Run

   Polo Grounds, New York City, United States

   Bobby Thomson's three-run homer turned a 4–2 deficit into a 5–4 victory over Brooklyn. Radio broadcaster Russ Hodges's repeated cry, 'The Giants win the pennant!', made the moment legendary.

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3. 

   Round 3 · 1839

   Italy's First Railway Carries Its Inaugural Train

   Granatello, Portici, Italy

   The Naples–Portici line became the first railway on the Italian peninsula, then divided among separate states. Its inaugural train used the British-built locomotive Vesuvio and carried passengers along the spectacular Bay of Naples.

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4. 

   Round 4 · 2010

   Delhi Opens the Commonwealth Games

   Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, India

   Delhi opened India's first Commonwealth Games with a vast cultural pageant beneath a helium-filled aerostat. The ceremony showcased Indian music, dance, and traditions, offering a spectacular counterpoint to troubled preparations before the competition.

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5. 

   Round 5 · 1952

   Britain Detonates Its First Atomic Bomb

   Trimouille Island lagoon, Montebello Islands, Australia

   Britain became the third nuclear power by detonating a device inside the frigate HMS Plym. The lagoon test examined what an atomic explosion aboard a ship might do to a harbour.

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