It is widely thought that the unruffled pace of life in Tahiti prompted sailors on the British Royal Navy ship HMS Bounty to mutiny against their commanding officer, WilliamBligh, who was accused of mistreating his crew, in April 1789.
Ten years ago on March 24, 1989, 11.2 million gallons of oil spilt into Alaska's Prince William Sound after Captain Joseph Hazelwood skippered the Exxon Valdez onto Bligh Reef.