# Have you ever heard of the Black Tom Explosion, and if so, when was the first time you ever heard of it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 7, 2021, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579 "2021-05-07T06:08:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/61 "2021-05-09T07:42:24Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Got my info from PBS. Same place I learned about The Great Molasses Flood, The Johnstown Flood and The St. Francis Dam Disaster. Caitlyn Doughty (Ask a Mortician) also [covered](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8OSHlGfoL8) the St. Frances Dam disaster back in September. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/62 "2021-05-09T08:12:37Z")
I remember hearing about this on the history channel because they called the saboteur “the dark invader” and there was more than one attack too … ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/63 "2021-05-09T13:57:17Z")
“Dark Invader” was the title of German agent von Rintelen’s memoirs. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/64 "2021-05-09T14:00:55Z")
I know nothing about it. Still don’t. But I’ll file it under “Really should look into that someday.” ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/65 "2021-05-09T14:49:09Z")
That same Summer, Wilson was running on the slogan, “He kept us out of war”. I’m rather impressed by how he kept a _casus belli_ like that, not just off the contemporary radar, but the historical one as well. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/66 "2021-05-09T15:42:42Z")
He’s been mentioned in this thread, but I’d recommend the link to “The History Guy” if you are interested in a fairly decent overview of the incident. He’s also good for picking up on lots of little details of history that you probably didn’t know, but that deserve to be remembered. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/67 "2021-05-09T16:28:06Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > six seasons of _Drunk History_ I can’t tell you how bad I want to be on this show. But I might be overqualified. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/68 "2021-05-12T02:38:47Z")
On my DVR is the episode of [Drive-by History](https://www.pbs.org/show/drive-history/) that covers the Black Tom incident. Weird timing. ---
**Author:** ![ElDeLuxo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@ElDeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElDeLuxo)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2021, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579/69 "2021-05-13T03:10:55Z")
I first learned of it just now when I read the OP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-heard-of-the-black-tom-explosion-and-if-so-when-was-the-first-time-you-ever-heard-of-it/941579.md?page=3)