Moments in Time: Columbus sees three mermaids

The History Channel

On Jan. 9, 1493, Christopher Columbus, sailing near the Dominican Republic, sees three “mermaids” and describes them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted.” They were in reality manatees. Mythical mermaids have existed in seafaring cultures since the time of the ancient Greeks.

On Jan. 6, 1759, a 26-year-old George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis. Historical documents have revealed that Martha may not have been the great love of his life. Washington wrote cryptic yet passionate love letters to Sally Fairfax, the wife of a friend.

On Jan. 4, 1847, Samuel Colt rescues his faltering gun company by winning a contract to provide the U.S. government with 1,000 of his .44 caliber revolvers. Though never cheap, by the early 1850s, Colt revolvers were inexpensive enough to be a favorite with Americans headed westward during the California Gold Rush.

On Jan. 5, 1945, Japanese pilots receive the first order to become kamikaze, meaning “divine wind.” They needed little training to take planes full of explosives and crash them into ships. At Okinawa, they sank 30 ships and killed almost 5,000 Americans.

On Jan. 7, 1959, six days after the fall of the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship in Cuba, the U.S. government believes it can work with Fidel Castro and protect American interests in Cuba. Less than two years later, the U.S. severed diplomatic relations and launched the Bay of Pigs invasion.

On Jan. 8, 1962, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, is exhibited for the first time in America.

On Jan. 3, 1990, Panama’s Gen. Manuel Antonio Noriega, after hiding at the Vatican embassy in Panama City, surrenders to U.S. military troops to face charges of drug trafficking and is flown to Miami. In 1992, the former dictator was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison.