In today’s History newsletter: Why a Greek canal took 2,500 years to build, the small mistakes that could have doomed Amelia Earhart on her final flight, and how this woman became the “godmother of civil rights.”

But first: The series of unfortunate events that brought down Constantinople. 

In 1204 the soldiers who set out to retake Jerusalem in the Fourth Crusade changed course—but why? The result would change medieval Europe forever.

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter, edited and curated by William O'Connor and produced by Amanda Williams-Bryant. Sign up here to get our future adventures in your inbox.  

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