1. 1911, Niagara Falls frozen in cold weather, people can be seen in this photo taking the opportunity to walk all the way to the falls.
2. A funny photo of the Beatles and boxing champion Muhammad Ali.
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger celebrated the day he received his U.S. citizenship.
4. Microsoft Windows 95 launch day, the joy for the first person who bought this software is no less than the one who have bought the latest iPhone nowadays.
5. A cigarette vending machine appeared on the streets of England in 1931, where you could buy a lit cigarette by putting in a penny.
6. The Manhattan Bridge under construction, taken in 1908.
7. Steven Spielberg was inspecting the miniature landscape model used in filming when directed "Raiders of the Lost Ark", taken in 1980.
8. John F. Kennedy and his daughter Caroline having afternoon tea together.
9. Times Square in New York City in 1943.
10. Union Station in Washington, D.C., taken in 1905.
11. The Wright Brothers' first successful test flight of an airplane on December 17, 1903.
12. Mount Rushmore, still under construction, with the presidents' faces carved out in profile.
13. In 1949, the United States developed the recumbent pilot's seat, which was designed to reduce pilot fatigue and the effects of gravity.
14. The set of "The Matrix," a 1999 film that used the highest-tech 3D visual effects of the time.
15. 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco under construction.
16. The Statue of Liberty under construction, taken in 1884.
17. 1967, Chicago Light Rail, the oldest light rail system in the world, which has been in operation since June 6, 1892.
18. A toy car produced by Cadillac in 1913 for the British aristocracy, it has all the features a car should have, except the it is super mini.
19. The Titanic in dry dock, with its huge propellers in stark.
20. After the end of World War II, a German soldier came home and found that his home was gone long time ago, taken in 1946.
Some foods can be as dangerous as they are delicious. From toxic plants to venomous seafood, a single bite can cause paralysis—or worse. In South America, Cassava is a staple for millions and provides essential carbohydrates for many in tropical regions. However, its roots and leaves contain cyanogenic glycosides, which release cyanide when broken down, ranking it as one of the World’s Deadliest Foods. If not properly processed, this toxin can lead to goiters, paralysis, or even death. Despite the risk, people rely on it for survival, carefully soaking, fermenting, or cooking it to remove toxins.
This isn’t the only deadly food out there—nature hides danger in unexpected places. Some dishes demand expert handling and preparation. The line between nourishment and poison is thinner than you think. Understanding these risks can mean the difference between a meal and a medical emergency.
Cassava (Yuca)
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Cassava ranks among the World’s Deadliest Food if not handled correctly. Poisonous Cassava kills up to 200 people per year, and leaves many people permanently disabled from lower levels of cyanide poisoning. Its toxic roots should be soaked for at least 24 hours before being boiled or fried. This will break down the cyanogenic glycosides in the roots, making it safe for consumption. Despite the risks, it’s resilience in poor soil makes it a crucial food source in many regions. Proper preparation turns this potentially lethal plant into a reliable carbohydrate.
Star Fruit
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Starfruit may look harmless, but it contains neurotoxins that can be deadly for people with kidney disease. Healthy kidneys filter out these toxins, but in those with kidney issues, they build up and cause seizures, confusion, or even death. Symptoms can appear within hours, starting with hiccups, vomiting, or weakness. Cooking does not remove the risk, making avoidance the only safe option for those at risk.
Cherry Pits
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Cherry pits may seem harmless, but they contain amygdalin, a compound that turns into cyanide when digested. Even a few crushed or chewed pits can cause headaches, dizziness, or worse. This hidden danger earns cherries a spot among the World’s Deadliest Food when eaten incorrectly. While swallowing a whole pit usually isn’t harmful, breaking them open releases toxins. In large amounts, they can lead to breathing problems, seizures, or fatal poisoning. Though cherries are a sweet treat, their pits serve as a reminder that some natural foods carry serious risks.
Green Potatoes
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Green potatoes contain solanine, a natural toxin that can cause nausea, headaches, and even nerve damage. Exposure to light increases solanine levels, turning the skin green and making the potato unsafe to eat. Consuming too much can lead to vomiting, confusion, or, in extreme cases, paralysis. Cooking does not remove the toxin, so peeling or discarding green potatoes is the safest choice.
Pufferfish
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Pufferfish, a delicacy in Japan, is the main ingredient in fugu, a sushi dish prized for its taste and risk. Japanese chefs undergo years of training to master its preparation. They carefully remove the liver, intestines, and ovaries, which contain tetrodotoxin—a deadly poison. If ingested, this toxin can cause numbness, paralysis, and respiratory failure within 20 minutes. Each year, dozens fall ill from poorly prepared pufferfish, but only a few cases turn fatal.
Raw Cashews
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Raw cashews contain urushiol, the same toxin found in poison ivy, making them a hidden danger among the World’s Deadliest Food. Eating them can cause severe allergic reactions, skin irritation, or internal swelling. Even a small amount may trigger itching, blisters, or breathing problems. To make cashews safe, producers steam them to remove toxins before packaging. Despite their creamy taste and health benefits, raw cashews should never be eaten straight from the tree. Proper processing turns this risky nut into a safe and popular snack.
Bitter Almonds
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Bitter almonds contain amygdalin, a compound that turns into cyanide when eaten. Just a handful can cause dizziness, breathing problems, or even death. Unlike sweet almonds, they require special processing to remove toxins before consumption. Eating them raw puts the body at serious risk, especially for children. Even in small amounts, symptoms can appear quickly, leading to weakness or confusion. While almonds are a popular snack, bitter varieties remind us that not all nuts are safe to eat.
Apple seeds contain amygdalin, which turns into cyanide when digested. Eating a few won’t cause harm, but large amounts can be dangerous. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, and difficulty breathing. The body can handle small traces of cyanide, but too much can lead to poisoning. Swallowing whole seeds is usually safe, but chewing or crushing them releases toxins.
Nutmeg
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Nutmeg adds warmth to many dishes, but in large amounts, it becomes one of the World’s Deadliest Food. It contains myristicin, a compound that affects the nervous system and can cause hallucinations, nausea, and seizures. Even a few teaspoons may trigger dizziness, rapid heartbeat, or confusion. Symptoms can last for hours or even days, making overdose a serious risk. While a pinch enhances flavor, excessive consumption turns this common spice into a toxic threat.
Mushrooms
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Some mushrooms are deadly, even in small amounts. The death cap contains amatoxins that cause organ failure within days. The destroying angel looks harmless but can be fatal if eaten. False morels contain gyromitrin, which turns into a toxic compound in the body. Symptoms range from nausea to severe liver damage, depending on the type. Cooking does not always remove toxins, making identification crucial. Even experienced foragers can mistake a poisonous mushroom for an edible one. When in doubt, avoid wild mushrooms and stick to store-bought varieties to stay safe.
Mangoes
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Mangoes may seem harmless, but their skin, leaves, and sap contain urushiol, the same toxin found in raw chasews and poison ivy. This hidden risk earns them a place among the World’s Deadliest Food for those with severe allergies. Contact with the sap can cause rashes, itching, or blisters, while eating the peel may trigger swelling or breathing issues. Some people develop reactions just from handling unwashed mangoes. Peeling the fruit and avoiding contact with the sap reduces the risk. Though mangoes are sweet and nutritious, their toxic compounds remind us that even beloved fruits can be dangerous.
Elderberries
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Eating raw elderberries can make you seriously sick. They contain compounds that turn into cyanide in your body, leading to nausea, dizziness, and stomach cramps. Their leaves, stems, and seeds are even more toxic, so they should never be eaten. The good news is that cooking removes the danger, making elderberries safe for jams, syrups, and teas. A handful of raw berries might not seem like a big deal, but too many can cause issues, especially for children.
Rhubarb Leaves
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Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, a toxin that can cause kidney failure if eaten in large amounts. Even small doses may trigger nausea, breathing issues, or stomach pain. Unlike the stalks, which are safe and commonly used in cooking, the leaves pose a serious risk. Boiling or cooking does not remove the toxin, making them dangerous in any form. Consuming too much can lead to weakness, confusion, or even death.
Raw Kidney Beans
Source: Shutterstock
Raw kidney beans contain phytohaemagglutinin, a toxin that can cause severe food poisoning. Eating just a few can trigger nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps within hours. Undercooked beans are even more toxic than raw ones, making proper preparation essential. Boiling kidney beans for at least 10 minutes destroys the toxin and makes them safe. Slow cooking at low temperatures can increase toxicity instead of reducing it. While kidney beans are nutritious, improper cooking turns them into a serious health risk.
“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. Mark 6:10–13
During the first half of Jesus’ public ministry, despite the religious leaders growing increasingly hostile, He accomplished many things. Numerous conversions took place, many began to believe He was the Messiah, miracles abounded, and His fame spread far and wide. During this time, Jesus gave special attention to twelve of His disciples, setting them apart and designating them as Apostles. Honored by Jesus’ special attention, perhaps these twelve men struggled with pride, thinking they were above the rest of the disciples.
In today’s Gospel, “Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits” (Mark 6:7). This divine authority was something new to them, a gift beyond anything they had ever known. For that reason, Jesus exhorted them to rely on Divine Providence for their mission, exercising it with humility and simplicity: “He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there’” (Mark 6:8, 10).
This was a pivotal moment for the Twelve. During the first half of Jesus’ public ministry, the Twelve were our Lord’s students: listening to Him, accompanying Him, praying with Him, and learning about the Kingdom of God. Suddenly, the time came for them to act in Jesus’ name and with His authority. As they went forth, two by two, preaching repentance in the surrounding towns and villages, something amazing took place. They witnessed God’s power working through them, changing lives. With the newfound authority of their words and actions, they must have been amazed to see miracles take place at their command and demons fleeing in their presence.
Though the Twelve were entrusted with the unique mission of becoming the foundation upon which Jesus would build His Church—especially Saint Peter, the Prince of the Apostles—we must all see ourselves in this divine commissioning. In accord with the requirements of our own divinely appointed missions, we, too, will be entrusted with “authority over unclean spirits.” Though only those officially sanctioned by the Church act in the formal role of exorcists, God’s authority is entrusted to each of us to thwart diabolical activity every day. By simply remaining in a state of grace and relying upon that grace, we participate in Christ’s victory over evil, thwarting satan’s works, revealing his lies, and assisting others in their quest for interior freedom. We do this in varied ways, depending on our vocations and particular missions.
Reflect today on the mission Christ has entrusted to you. Parents, spouses, siblings, co-workers, friends, and neighbors are all called to share in Christ’s mission in unique and varied ways. As you ponder your own mission, consider two questions. First, have you, like the Twelve, embraced repentance and conversion by drawing closer to our Lord? Have you committed yourself to deepening that conversion so as to be more fully united with Christ? Secondly, have you allowed your union with Christ to equip you for the mission God has entrusted to you? Do you sense His divine authority in your life, enabling you to preach in His name through your words and deeds? Does your mere presence bring Christ’s grace, dispelling darkness and evil? Resolve to continue the mission given to the Twelve in accord with God’s will, and you, too, will be amazed at what God will do through you.
My glorious Lord, You called the Twelve and formed them in Truth and grace, drawing them into lives of profound conversion. You then sent them forth in Your name to preach repentance and to dispel evil with authority. Please draw me close to You and form me by Your grace so that I not only know, love, and serve You more fully, but also become a greater instrument of Your grace to others. Jesus, I trust in You.
He visits the frontlines regularly, meeting soldiers, he has never missed a single day addressing his people, delivering daily messages no matter the circumstances.
He carries the weight of looking into the eyes of grieving children who lost their fathers and comforting widows.
Who could have done better than him?
He carries out his duty the best he can, that’s the world that is not doing its best to help as it should.
As he declared early in the war when offered evacuation: “I need ammunition, not a ride.”
He was 18 years old. His weapon was a bottle of acid. And he saved 14,000 lives.
Paris, 1943. Adolfo Kaminsky was an apprentice dyer working in a textile shop when the Nazis occupied France. He learned chemistry through fabric, understanding how certain acids interact with certain inks, which solvents dissolve which pigments, how to manipulate color at the molecular level.
He had no idea this knowledge would become the difference between life and death for thousands.
When the Gestapo began systematically identifying, documenting, and deporting French Jews to concentration camps, their primary tool was bureaucracy. Identity papers. Ration cards. Travel permits. Every document stamped, sealed, certified. And on Jewish identification papers, one word appeared in bold ink: "JUIF."
That single word was a death sentence.
The French Resistance found Kaminsky and brought him a challenge: could he remove that stamp without destroying the document? Most forgers couldn't do it. The inks were designed to be permanent. Any attempt to erase them would damage the paper, making the forgery obvious.
Kaminsky stared at the document under lamplight. Then he remembered something from the dye shop. Lactic acid. It could dissolve the specific blue ink the French government used without destroying the paper fibers beneath.
It worked.
But erasing the word was only the beginning. He had to forge replacement information. New names. New birthdates. New identities. Each document had to be perfect because a single mistake, one inconsistency, one slightly wrong shade of ink, meant torture and death not just for the person carrying the paper, but for everyone who helped them.
The Resistance set him up in a hidden attic laboratory on the Left Bank. The orders came constantly. Fifty birth certificates for children being smuggled to Switzerland. Two hundred ration cards for families hiding in attics and cellars. Three hundred transit passes for an escape route through Spain.
Kaminsky worked under a single weak lightbulb. Chemical fumes from bleach and acids burned his throat and stung his eyes until tears ran down his face. His fingers became permanently stained with ink. The tiny room grew thick with the smell of solvents.
And then he did the math.
He calculated that each document took approximately two minutes to forge properly. That meant in one hour, he could create thirty documents. Thirty chances at survival. He developed a brutal equation that haunted him: every hour he slept, thirty people could die. Every minute he rested was a minute someone remained trapped, vulnerable, waiting.
"If I sleep for an hour, 30 people will die," he told his fellow Resistance workers.
So he stopped sleeping.
During one horrific week, word came that an orphanage sheltering 300 Jewish children was about to be raided. The children needed papers immediately or they would be loaded onto trains to Auschwitz. Kaminsky locked himself in the attic and worked for two days and two nights without stopping. He forged birth certificates until his vision blurred and doubled. He forged until his hand cramped into a rigid claw and he had to massage it back to function. He forged until exhaustion finally overpowered him and he collapsed face-down onto the worktable.
He woke an hour later in a panic, furious at himself. Thirty people. He had potentially killed thirty people by sleeping.
He didn't eat. He went directly back to work.
The children escaped.
Month after month, year after year, Kaminsky worked in that dim attic. The Nazis grew more sophisticated in their document security. He grew more sophisticated in his forgery techniques. It became a silent war fought with chemistry and precision, where victory was measured in lives that continued, in children who grew up, in families that survived.
By the time Allied forces liberated Paris in August 1944, Adolfo Kaminsky had created forged papers that saved an estimated 14,000 men, women, and children from the gas chambers.
He never accepted a single cent for his work. When people offered payment, he refused. The idea of charging money to save a life was, to him, morally incomprehensible.
After the war, Kaminsky became a photographer. He lived quietly, modestly, invisibly. He never spoke about what he had done. Not to neighbors. Not to colleagues. For decades, not even to his own children. The hero who had saved thousands simply melted back into ordinary life.
Only near the end of his life did he finally share his story, and when he did, the world learned something it should never forget: that courage doesn't always carry a gun, that heroism doesn't always wear a uniform, and that one person armed with knowledge, conviction, and stubborn refusal to sleep can stand against an empire of evil and win.
Adolfo Kaminsky died in 2023 at age 97. But the 14,000 lives he saved have become families, communities, generations. His legacy isn't measured in monuments or medals.
It's measured in people who exist because a teenager with a bottle of acid decided sleep was less important than their lives.
