On November 12, 1970, the people in Florence, Oregon, became witnesses to a whale that the Oregon State Highway Department exploded using 20 crates of dynamite. The whale washed up on the beach near the city three days earlier, and the Highway Department planned to reduce it to tiny pieces so that seagulls could eat it.
As the whale exploded that day, the people were left in awe... and in whale blubber 30 seconds later.
Today, some people are embarrassed to talk about the Exploding Whale, but others take pride in the story and celebrate it yearly. In fact, some of the residents even voted to name their newest city park "Exploding Whale Memorial Park."
This year marks the 51st anniversary of the Exploding Whale.
Read more about this fascinating story over at KATU.
(Images: KATU)
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