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Tag: fortress

  • Kim Kardashian Marries Kanye West

    Kim Kardashian and Kanye West said “I do” in a wedding ceremony in Florence, Italy on Saturday at a Renaissance fortress. A representative for the couple confirmed that Kim’s sisters served as her bridal party and that stepfather Bruce Jenner walked her down the aisle. Both Andrea Bocelli and John Legend sang at the reception that followed the nuptials.

    Fans were kept away from the event by the heavily walled fortress in which the ceremony took place. They arrived early, too, in hopes of catching a glimpse of Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, or any of the other members of the Keeping Up With the Kardashians family. They may have caught glimpses of some of the noted celebrities who attended the wedding, however, including Steve McQueen–the director of the Oscar-winning film 12 Years A Slave. Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith was spotted by some onlookers, as was Lala Anthony, wife of New York Nicks basketball star Carmelo Anthony. Joe Francis of Girls Gone Wild fame was seen entering the fortress before the start of the ceremony, too.

    Mom Kris Jenner posted a photo on Instagram that she took just prior to the ceremony. She captioned the photo, “Uh huh Honey….#herecomesthebride”

    This is the first time Kanye West has ever been married, but it’s the third wedding for Kim Kardashian. Her most recent marriage–a highly publicized event–to NBA player Kris Humphries took place back in 2011 and lasted only 72 days. Kim and Kanye have a baby girl together. North West was born in June 2013.

    Do you expect that the third time will be the charm for Kim Kardashian? Will her marriage to Kanye West be that one that lasts ’til death do them part?’ Hopefully the two can provide a happy and stable life for their little girl as well as for any future children the couple have.

    It’s quite likely that within very few hours even more information will emerge about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s wedding in Florence. Which publication do you suppose will be privy to those first wedding photos?

    Image via Instagram

  • Alcatraz’s Secret: Fortress Found Under Prison Remains

    Researchers from Texas A&M University have found the remains of a Civil War-era fortress underneath Alcatraz prison. The fortifications date as far back as the California gold rush and San Francisco’s earliest years as a boom town.

    The fort was known to exist, thanks to old photographs of the site, but the details of the structure have remained murky until now. According to A&M’s Mark Everett, the structure was a “caponier,” a trench-like construction that would have been difficult for invading troops to capture without exposing themselves to significant losses: “It is a large structure that juts out into the bay and provides defensive cover. We have seen it in the old photographs but it has completely disappeared from present view.” Everett claims that much of the structure remains inaccessible beneath the prison structures, but that, between ground-penetrating radar and excavations on the prison yard, researchers should be able to get a good sense of what the structure looked like.

    “Much like medical imaging would make a scan of the body,” said Everett, “we are making a scan of the ground under the rec yard. The tunnels would have been used for the fortifications. There would have been movement of man and ammunition; it would have been bomb proof and covered with earth so it would have been protected. We get signatures that indicate there is not only a tunnel, but magazine buildings too.”

    The fort never fired a shot during the Civil War, but it did serve as a prison for Confederate sympathizers.

    Alcatraz is, of course, best known for the prison that opened in 1933 and until 1963 housed some of the most notorious inmates in the U.S., including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. Known as “The Rock,” the island was originally just that—completely barren and lifeless—until human construction first brought dirt and other organic material. During its 29 years as a federal prison, 36 inmates attempted to flee on 14 different occasions, though none are thought to have been successful: 23 were caught, six were shot and killed, two drowned, and five are listed as “missing and presumed drowned.” The site is currently administered by the National Park Service and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons