In Hergé's Prisoners of the Sun, Tintin, Captain Haddock and Professor Calculus get themselves into a bit of a pickle in Peru, and find themselves about to be sacrificed by sun-worshipping Incans. But Tintin uses a snippet of astronomical information he found about an approaching eclipse, and claims to be able to command the sun to his will. As the sun is obliterated from the sky, the terrified locals set him free. (Unlike the Mayans, the Incans couldn't predict eclipses.)
Now, this is all very handy as a storyline; a convenient way of extricating your hero from a sticky situation. Mark Twain used the same plot device in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. But something similar really did happen on this day in 1504.
On his fourth and final trip to the Americas, Christopher Columbus's fleet suffered an infestation of shipworms, which forced him to take refuge in Jamaica. The local people took pity on them, and provided them with food and sustenance in exchange for trinkets and baubles.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
After six months or so, the natives had collected enough trinkets, and had grown tired of supporting Columbus and his restless crew, who had begun entertaining themselves by raiding their villages. Enough is enough, said the natives. No more food for you naughty Spaniards.
As luck would have it, Columbus had a copy of Johannes Müller von Kønigsberg's almanac, which contained comprehensive astronomical tables. It predicted a total lunar eclipse on the night of the 29th (1504 was a leap year).
Columbus went to the locals and demanded that they carry on supplying his men. If not, he said, they would incur the wrath of the all-powerful Christian God, who would darken the moon, and turn it the colour of blood, an omen of terrible things to come.
Don't be daft, said the locals. Do you expect us to believe that? Go on then – do your worst.
Sure enough, as the moon rose, the sun's shadow began creeping across it. The natives,struck down with terror, agreed to carry on supplying Columbus, and begged him to reconsider. Columbus retreated to his cabin, ostensibly to have a chat with God, but in reality to time his reappearance with an hourglass for maximum effect.
At the height of the eclipse he emerged with the news that God had agreed to turn the moon back to its proper colour. And so Columbus was able to take advantage of their hospitality for another six months until he was finally rescued.
-
Which UK region has the most in savings? Average savings by areaThe amount people have in their savings differs from region to region in the UK. How does your nest egg compare to those living nearby?
-
Doug and Mary Perkins: Specsavers’ clear-sighted foundersHelped by the deregulation of the sector in the 1980s and brilliant advertising, Mary Perkins and her husband Doug have taken Specsavers to the top of the optometry market
-
31 August 1957: the Federation of Malaya declares independence from the UKFeatures On this day in 1957, after ten years of preparation, the Federation of Malaya became an independent nation.
-
13 April 1960: the first satellite navigation system is launchedFeatures On this day in 1960, Nasa sent the Transit 1B satellite into orbit to provide positioning for the US Navy’s fleet of Polaris ballistic missile submarines.
-
9 April 1838: National Gallery opens in Trafalgar SquareFeatures On this day in 1838, William Wilkins’ new National Gallery building in Trafalgar Square opened to the public.
-
3 March 1962: British Antarctic Territory is createdFeatures On this day in 1962, Britain formed the British Antarctic Territory administered from the Falkland Islands.
-
10 March 2000: the dotcom bubble peaks
Features Tech mania fanned by the dawning of the internet age inflated the dotcom bubble to maximum extent, on this day in 2000.
-
9 March 1776: Adam Smith publishes 'The Wealth of Nations'
Features On this day in 1776, Adam Smith, the “father of modern economics”, published his hugely influential book The Wealth of Nations.
-
8 March 1817: the New York Stock Exchange is formedFeatures On this day in 1817, a group of brokers moved out of a New York coffee house to form what would become the biggest stock exchange in the world.
-
7 March 1969: Queen Elizabeth II officially opens the Victoria Line
Features On this day in 1969, Queen Elizabeth II took only her second trip on the tube to officially open the underground’s newest line – the Victoria Line.
