Thomas Avery

Thomas covers the wars, leaders and turning points of the last two centuries, with a soft spot for the stories that never made it into class.

Film still of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge deck breaking away and falling into the water, November 7, 1940. Barney Elliot, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

November 7, 1940: The Morning Galloping Gertie Twisted Itself Apart

Thomas Avery · November 7, 2026

Black-and-white photo of a steam shovel and rows of workers on rail tracks at the bottom of the Culebra Cut during Panama Canal construction

November 3, 1903: How Panama Became a Country With a Gunboat Offshore

Thomas Avery · November 3, 2026

Orson Welles in a light suit talking to a crowd of reporters with notepads, a microphone stand in front of him

October 30, 1938: The War of the Worlds Broadcast and the Panic Myth

Thomas Avery · October 30, 2026

Oil painting of New York harbor crowded with flag-draped sailing ships and steamboats during the 1825 Erie Canal celebration

October 26, 1825: The Erie Canal Opened and Cannons Spread the News

Thomas Avery · October 26, 2026

Hand-coloured French print of Garnerin's parachute, shown folded at departure and open after separating from the balloon

Garnerin's Leap: The First Parachute Jump Over Paris in 1797

Thomas Avery · October 22, 2026