Friday links

October 21 is Trafalgar Day: history, videos of reenactments and background explanations, and re-fighting with BBC's interactive Battlefield Academy.

The Biggest Guns in Human History.

The history of Oktoberfest is much bigger than beer.

Faust, Mephistopheles, Napoleon, Oliver Cromwell or a Hugenot: Halloween Ideas From an 1884 Costume Guide, with bonus 1880-era Batgirl costumes.

The Flyway Code: How birds avoid crashing into each other in mid-air.

A Deep Dive Into Uranus Jokes, because they never get old.

ICYMI, Wednesday's links are here, and include teaching yourself to echolocate, where to poop in King Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace, jet engines on trucks, Rita Hayworth's birthday (and an excellent compilation of her dancing), and patching crumbling walls with LEGOs. 

Monday links

In honor of Columbus day, here’s a list of the top 10 accidental discoveries, and the story of that time Columbus tricked Jamaicans using knowledge of upcoming lunar eclipse. Related; Columbus has been cleared of importing syphilis from the Americas to Europe.

The history of Oktoberfest is much bigger than beer.

October 10th, 732 - the clash of civilizations at the Battle of Tours (and how it shaped history).

Here's an excellent site for DIY intelligent women's costumes.

After WWII ended, one Japanese soldier refused to surrender for 3 decades.

 London’s Deep Level Air Raid Shelters.

ICYMI, Friday's links are here, and include a gallery of bridges made from living roots, senior moment science,  UFO detectors, and, from 1930, Information Tests To Try On Your Children.