... found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape.

Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and accurate map, one showing not only where stuff was, but also showing the locations of 'safe houses' where a POW on-the-lam could go for food and shelter.

Paper maps had some real drawbacks -- they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush.

Someone in MI-5 (similar to America 's OSS ) got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads, and unfolded as many times as needed, and makes no noise whatsoever.

At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington, Ltd. When approached by the government, the firm was only too happy to do its bit for the war effort.

By pure coincidence, Waddington was also the U.K. Licensee for the popular American board game, Monopoly. As it happened, 'games and pastimes' was a category of item qualified for insertion into 'CARE packages', dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war.

Under the strictest of secrecy, in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on the grounds of Waddington's, a group of sworn-to-secrecy employees began mass-producing escape maps, keyed to each region of Germany or Italy where Allied POW camps were regional system).. When processed, these maps could be folded into such tiny dots that they would actually fit inside a Monopoly playing piece.

As long as they were at it, the clever workmen at Waddington's also managed to add: 1. A playing token, containing a small magnetic compass 2. A two-part metal file that could easily be screwed together 3. Useful amounts of genuine high-denomination German, Italian, and French currency, hidden within the piles of Monopoly money!

British and American air crews were advised, before taking off on their first mission, how to identify a 'rigged' Monopoly set -- by means of a tiny red dot, one cleverly rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch, located in the corner of the Free Parking square.

Of the estimated 35,000 Allied POWS who successfully escaped, an estimated one-third were aided in their flight by the rigged Monopoly sets. Everyone who did so was sworn to secrecy indefinitely, since the British Government might want to use this highly successful ruse in still another, future war. The story wasn't declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington's, as well as the firm itself, were finally honored in a public ceremony.

It's always nice when you can play that "Get Out of Jail Free" card!

The U. S. S. Constitution (Old Ironsides), as a combat vessel, carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men.. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers).

However, let it be noted that according to her ship's log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum."

Her mission: "To destroy and harass English shipping."

Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum.

Then she headed for the Azores , arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine.

On 18 November, she set sail for England .. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchant ships, salvaging only the rum aboard each.

By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland . Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home.

The U. S. S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, no whisky, and 38,600 gallons of water.

Go Navy!

Date to dread: 2011

Why we should dread it: The Solar System may enter a Photon Belt. Despite a prediction in 1997 that earth would enter the strange energy phenomenon known as a Photon Belt not coming true, experts predict it may still happen in 2011, leading to aliens landing, the world ending or, at best, widespread electrical failure.

Likelihood it will happen: 2/10 – it didn’t happen in 1997, so we’re not holding our breath.

Date to dread: 23 December 2012

Why we should dread it: According to the ancient Mayan calendar, the world is divided into 13 baktuns, or cycles. A baktun lasts for 144,000 days and if the Mayans are right, the last day of the final cycle will come at the end of 2012. Still, at least we’d get to watch the Olympics.

Likelihood it will happen: 6/10 – the Mayans were sharp cookies and, of the apocalypses doing the rounds, this one is causing the biggest buzz.

Date to dread: 2014

Why we should dread it: Pope Leo IX, speaking in 1514, didn’t have to worry about the end of the world because it was a long time away – 500 years to be precise. But if he was right, his prediction would mean lights out on earth in 2014.

Likelihood it will happen: 2/10 – Leo was most likely just reassuring his flock rather than coming over all Mystic Meg.

Date to dread: 13 November, 2026

Why we should dread it: In 1960, Science magazine gave this as the date when the world’s population would reach infinity – with disastrous consequences.

Likelihood it will happen: 1/10 – while there’s no denying the population is a little out of control, it looks highly unlikely it’ll to get so out of hand by 2026 that the Earth couldn’t cope.

Date to dread: 26 October 2028

Why we should dread it: The Asteroid 1997 XF11 is predicted to sail dangerously close to the Earth on this day, potentially creating an Armageddon scenario. Luckily by ‘close’ we mean 951,000 km.

Why we should dread it: For all the Evangelical types who thought the year 2000 was going to mean curtains, 2033 is looking like the next disastrous date as it is believed to be the 2000th year after Christ’s death.

Likelihood it will happen: 2/10 – at least 2000 had a nice round number ring to it – this one seems to be clutching at straws.

Date to dread: 2035

Why we should dread it: One group of doom mongerers called the Raelians, who study a UFO religion, believe if they can establish an embassy in Jerusalem by 2035, an alien race called the Elohim will fall to earth, bringing with it a New Age.

Likelihood it will happen: 1/10 – if aliens capable of changing the world are hamstrung by the lack of a buffet reception they’re not worth rolling out the red carpet for.

Date to dread: 2280

Why we should dread it: Some maths whizzes claim the Koran contains a code which helps pinpoint the precise time when we’ll all breathe our last breath. Using computers to decode clues hidden in the book, they’ve come up with 2280 as d-day.

Likelihood it will happen: 2/10 – looking for hidden codes is nothing new, and this has the hallmarks of another scare-story born out of mathematicians with too much time on their hands.

Date to dread: 3797

Why we should dread it: One word – Nostradamus. The French astrologer’s predictions have a worldwide army of followers who believe he’s predicted world wars and other global disasters. This is his suggestion for the end of the world.

Likelihood it will happen: 7/10 – Nostradamus is certainly the prediction daddy so it’d be silly to dismiss this one out of hand. However, the fact that none of us will still be here then, kind of makes you worry a bit less.

Date to dread: 1,000,000 AD

Why we should dread it: As our Outlook calendars don’t quite take us up this far there’s not a lot of point stressing about this date, but huge Gamma Ray star bursts occur about every one million years. The radiation caused by one of these will have a devastating effect on the Earth’s oxygen supply.

Likelihood it will happen:  9/10 – Unless oxygen’s no longer essential, life on Earth won’t stand a chance.