A con man 'sold' the Brooklyn Bridge twice a week to tourists!
George Parker is one of the most notorious con men in American history. He became infamous for repeatedly selling New York’s public landmarks to unsuspecting tourists. His personal favorite was the Brooklyn Bridge, but he also routinely sold Madison Square Garden, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Statue of Liberty. In fact, he was so convincing that tourists would often attempt to erect tolls to collect money after they made a “purchase” and had to be removed by the police! So how did he trick people into buying a bridge?He would sometimes pose as the original owner’s grandson or set up a fake office and seem legitimate. He was so incredible at forging documents that even educated travelers thought they were real. Parker was eventually caught and sentenced to life in prison, where he was extremely popular among the guards and criminals who loved to hear his outlandish tales!
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Near Darvaz, Uzbekistan, geologists were drilling for gas. They ended up drilling into a huge natural cavern that went super deep. The cavern was filled with gas, so none of them dared to explore the cavern and how deep it really went. They decided to light the cavern on fire, so that no poisonous gases would escape. This all went down in 1971, and they expected the fire to burn for a few days or so. Fast forward to today and the cavern is still ablaze. It hasn’t stopped burning in over 35 years. It’s now known as “The Door to Hell”.