Inside this cemetery (established in 1825) is Battle Hill, the highest natural point in Brooklyn (220 ft tall) and a pivotal spot during the largest battle of the American Revolution- the Battle of Brooklyn on August 27, 1776.

The cemetery itself contains the final resting place for many famous and infamous Americans: composer Leonard Bernstein, inventor Samuel F.B. Morse, political operative Boss Tweed, and notorious thug Bill the Butcher (dramatized in Scorsese's Gangs of New York).

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In the ensuing months, the media was awash with images of oil-covered wildlife, which briefly galvanized the public against environmental exploitation during the Exxon Valdez crisis.

This public relations mistake was later avoided in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill by using copious amounts carcinogenic dispersants before the oil could reach shore.

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On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef at 12:04 a.m. In the next few days, the damaged vessel spilled 260,000 to 750,000 barrels of crude oil into the sea and onto 1,300 miles of coastline. At the time, it was considered to be one of the most devastating corporate-caused oil spills ever.

The Valdez suffered from a number of technical failures (single-walled hull for the tanker, failed radar) and human errors prior to the accident. This included (but not limited to) the understaff and overwork of an exhausted sea crew- a practice that is still prevalent in the shipping industry today.

To combat the accumulation of crude oil on the seashore, a combination of high-pressure hoses and hot water were initially used, which cooked the microorganisms (plankton) that served as the base of the food chain in the ecosystem.

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Although the specific date is unknown (most agree it was April 23, 1564 since he was baptized three days later on April 26), it is widely believed that William Shakespeare was born in this house. He lived in it throughout his childhood and for the first five years of his marriage to Anne Hathaway.

John Shakespeare (WIlliam's father) has documented ownership of the building as early as 1552, when he was fined for leaving a pile of muck on Henley Street. John was a wool merchant and glove maker who lived and worked out of the building with his family.

Today, the restored building has tours and an associated museum and is owned by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

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On January 15, 1929, Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in this two-story Queen Anne style house owned by his maternal grandparents. Located in the neighborhood known as “Sweet Auburn," King lived here for the first twelve years of his life, while his father was pastor of the Ebeneezer Baptist Church down the street.

Today, the home has tours and is managed by the National Park Service.

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