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00:00:00 – 00:24:31
Clipperton Island, a small and remote atoll in the Pacific Ocean, has a rich and tumultuous history marked by various claims, dramatic events, and a bizarre but tragic episode of human settlement. Initially noted for its inhospitable conditions and guano deposits, the island drew interest from explorers and nations, including John Clipperton, Alexander von Humboldt, and Napoleon III. The US and Mexico also contended for control, influenced by its strategic and economic potential highlighted by the Guano Islands Act of 1856.
The island's most harrowing chapter unfolded during the Mexican Revolution when Governor Ramón Arnaud, his wife Alicia, and a small colony were abandoned, leading to starvation and scurvy. Eventually, the situation deteriorated further as Victoriano Álvarez declared himself king, subjecting the survivors, particularly the women, to horrific abuse. This nightmare ended when Tirza Randon killed Álvarez, shortly before the US gunship Yorktown rescued the remaining survivors in 1917.
Post World War I, the island's ownership was disputed between Mexico and France until King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy awarded it to France in the early 1930s. Today, Clipperton Island remains uninhabited, a somber reminder of its eerie and tragic past.
00:00:00
In this segment of the video, Clipperton Island—an isolated and uninhabited atoll in the Pacific Ocean—is introduced in detail. The island, barely rising 3 meters above sea level and covering only 5 square kilometers, is currently home to crabs, coconuts, and seabirds. Historically, it hosted a small but bizarre and cruel kingdom formed by 100 stranded individuals during a period of war and revolution, lasting three years. Additionally, it has a rich history involving pirates, empires, and even ventures aimed at exploiting bird poop. The island features a distinctive circle shape due to its large central freshwater lagoon bordered by a narrow strip of land, sporadic vegetation, frequent storms, and a pervasive smell of ammonia. Despite its unappealing conditions, Clipperton Island has a multitude of intriguing stories.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the focus is on Clipperton Island and its historical significance. Initially, there are conflicting accounts about who first discovered the island, with names like Ferdinand Magellan and Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón mentioned. However, it is confirmed that John Clipperton, an 18th-century English pirate, definitely set foot on the island around 1705, using it briefly as a base before leaving due to its guano-covered landscape. The island caught broader attention when Prussian geographer Alexander von Humboldt in 1804 discovered the agricultural potential of guano, sparking widespread interest. This guano craze influenced geopolitics significantly, evidenced by the US passing the Guano Islands Act in 1856, allowing Americans to claim any guano-rich uninhabited island. The subsequent rush led the Oceanic Phosphate Company to begin mining on Clipperton Island, only to face claims from Mexico, eager to assert ownership due to the island’s newfound value.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the focus is on the international dispute over Clipperton Island. Initially, France’s Napoleon III annexes the island in 1858, despite Mexico and the USA’s claims. This situation changes after the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870, leading to American reoccupation attempts, which are again thwarted by Mexico’s Porfirio Diaz in 1897. Diaz’s forces remove American miners but fail to maintain a presence, prompting the British Navy to annex the island in 1899. Diaz negotiates with the British, allowing them to operate on Clipperton in exchange for recognizing Mexican sovereignty. As the 20th century begins, Clipperton sees development under British influence.
00:09:00
In this part of the video, the setting transitions from a desolate wasteland to a marginally more habitable place with the construction of a small lighthouse by the British on Clipperton Island. However, the British soon abandoned the island due to high transportation costs and lack of self-sufficiency, leaving only a caretaker and his wife behind. In 1910, Porfirio Diaz decided to colonize the island, sending 13 soldiers and their families. The key figures included Ramón Arnaud, the governor, his wife Alicia Rovira Arnaud, and Victoriano Álvarez, who manned the lighthouse. The colony lived in sturdy houses and received supplies bi-monthly from Acapulco. However, their settlement coincided with the onset of the Mexican Revolution, which would soon drastically impact their lives.
00:12:00
In this part of the video, Diaz’s plan to win the 1910 Mexican election by waiting until the last minute to announce his candidacy backfired as the public despised him after 34 years in power. After having his opponent, Francisco Madero, arrested, Mexico erupted into revolution, resulting in Diaz’s ousting. Despite the turmoil, Clipperton Island initially remained unaffected and continued to receive supplies. Even through Madero’s assassination and the rise of Victoriano Huerta, the colonists on Clipperton persisted. However, the situation drastically changed in 1914 when the revolution spiraled out of control: the U.S. invaded Veracruz, and Huerta fled. The last supply ship left Clipperton that spring and did not return, leaving the colonists cut off.
Governor Ramón Arnaud, despite being offered evacuation by an American ship, refused, possibly believing the revolution would soon end. Unfortunately, this decision was disastrous. By early 1915, no supply ships had arrived, and the island’s food resources dwindled to coconuts and crabs, leading to severe scurvy among the colonists. This resulted in many deaths, with three-quarters of the population succumbing to the disease by 1916.
00:15:00
In this segment of the video, Ramón Arnaud reaches a critical state of desperation in early 1916. Despite realizing his mistake in refusing evacuation, he takes a desperate action when a distant ship is spotted. He attempts to pursue the ship with other men in a rowboat, but they tragically drown when the boat capsizes. Following this disaster, a severe storm devastates the island, leaving only a handful of survivors, including Alicia Arnaud, Tirza Randon, and a few children. Among the ruins stands Victoriano Álvarez, the last surviving man, who seizes control by confiscating weapons and declaring himself “King Álvarez.” He subjects the women to brutal control and abuse, marking the start of a horrific regime on Clipperton Island.
00:18:00
In this part of the video, King Álvarez, considered the most pathetic of the aforementioned dictators, plays the role of a tyrant who abuses Tirza Randon and other women on Clipperton Island. By mid-1917, the island’s survivors, particularly the women and children, were deeply traumatized and decided to take matters into their own hands. Álvarez, who had previously refrained from assaulting Alicia Arnaud, ordered her to the lighthouse, prompting Randon to see an opportunity. The next morning, as Arnaud and Randon approached Álvarez, Randon took a hidden hammer and struck Álvarez on the skull multiple times, eventually killing him and ending his tyrannical reign. This act marked the collapse of Álvarez’s self-proclaimed kingdom.
00:21:00
In this part of the video, stranded colonists on Clipperton Island finally catch the attention of the US gunship Yorktown, leading to their rescue. The captain of the Yorktown discovers the bloodied corpse of Álvarez in the lighthouse but reports that he died of scurvy due to the atrocities he committed. On July 22, 1917, the Clipperton colony officially ends with only a few survivors. Post WWI, Mexico and France dispute the ownership of Clipperton, with King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy eventually awarding it to France in 1930 or 1931. By this time, the island, once significant for guano, is deemed useless and remains uninhabited, serving as a symbol of the colonists’ harrowing experiences and the obscure footnotes of history.
00:24:00
In this segment of the video, it is mentioned that every place on Earth has its own story. Specifically focusing on Clipperton Island, the video reveals that the story of its monstrous king has come to an end.