homehome Home chatchat Notifications


1911 : the year Niagara froze

A while ago I wrote a post about what I believe the most spectacular waterfalls in the world are, but you guys gave me some excellent feedback and I fould out about more amazing waterfalls, so thanks a whole lot!! I’ve kept researching waterfalls and I found something that really totally took me by surprise: […]

Mihai Andrei
May 17, 2009 @ 11:36 am

share Share

A while ago I wrote a post about what I believe the most spectacular waterfalls in the world are, but you guys gave me some excellent feedback and I fould out about more amazing waterfalls, so thanks a whole lot!!
I’ve kept researching waterfalls and I found something that really totally took me by surprise: Niagara froze – totally!! It happened a long time ago in 1911 and as a result, the quality of the photos isn’t amazing, but the photos themselves are.

The first thing I asked myself when I came across this set was “can Niagara actually freeze??” As it turns out, the answer is yes. What happens is during a very harsh winter a crust of ice accumulates along the fall creating this amazing natural landscape.

You have to keep in mind that it doesn’t actually freeze solid, but the ice thickness went up to 50 feet (almost 17 meters).

The blanket of ice has been known to spread along the whole Niagara river and people used to cross it until 1912, when there was a tragic accident when the ice broke. Also, I have found no irrefutable evidence that this event took place in 1911, so maybe there’s other similarly awesome photos – if you have, or stumble upon such pictures, please be so kind as to share them with us.

share Share

The Soviets Built a Jet Powered Train and It Was as Wild as It Sounds

This thing was away of its time and is now building rust in a scrapyard.

An Astronaut Just Captured a Jaw-Dropping Photo of Earth and the Milky Way from Space

Yes, that's Earth.

These Award-Winning Nature Photos Will Make You See the Planet in a Whole New Way

A polar bear fetching a stick and other jaw-dropping moments from this year's World Nature Photography Awards.

How an Ancient Plant Became the World’s First Birth Control and Rome's Love Potion. Then Went Extinct Because of It

This medicinal plant was so coveted, it was worth its weight in gold. But this ultimately brought its downfall.

In Oregon, a giant 300-foot smiley face greets traffic every fall

Every fall, a hillside in Oregon flashes a giant, yellow smiley face of trees.

Chilling and Uneasy: The Untethered Spacewalk That Redefined Exploration

In 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless II made history—and defied human instinct—by stepping into the vast void of space untethered.

These God dammed goats will make you question what you know about gravity

Can you spot the goats? Oh and... can you explain the goats?

The Yule Cat: Forget Santa, Embrace the Dark Side of Icelandic Christmas

Not your average cat -- or your Christmas tradition.

Pluto in Focus: From Pixelated Smudge to Stunning, Geology-Rich World

NASA’s New Horizons mission revolutionized our view of Pluto, revealing a vibrant, geologically active world full of surprises.

What's a Republic, anyway? Now is a good time to learn

Republican ideals have evolved over millennia, shaping governance across the globe. Modern republics continue to adapt, but face challenges in upholding their foundational principles.