biggest things in the world

An unemployed plumber made news headlines when he stole an M60 tank on May 17,1995. The man in question stole the tank from the California Army National Guard Armory and went on a rampage, destroying everything in his path. The 23 minute chase by San Diego police (which wasn t exactly the next installment ofSpeedsince the tank could only go 30 mph at top speed) ended tragically, as the thief, who had been suffering several setbacks in his life, was shot and killed by police.

A 200 year old church was stolen in Russia. Brick by brick, the villagers of the nearby village stole the church to sell them to a local businessman who would use the material. The church, which has stood near the village of Komarovo since 1809, wasn t noticed missing because it was not currently in use. However, when church officials started to consider resuming services there, they were met with some surprise as only the foundation and a few sections of wall were left.

In 2008, Somali pirates stole a fully loaded oil tanker from an oil field in Ghana. The oil tanker contained 4.1 million barrels of oil worth $100 each. This has happened not once, not twice, butthreetimes in eighteen months, leading many to suspect that the Nigerian navy guarding the ships are in on the game. One tanker was recovered, but painted another color!

In 1992 a Major from the Israeli Air Force stole a WWII Mustang Fighter Plane. After spotting the plane in a reserve airfield where it was waiting to be moved to a museum, the major spent some time restoring it before he flew it the almost priceless vintage plane to Sweden where he sold it for $331,000! The plane is still being used by the Swedish companies and was only located when Interpol became involved!

In 2005 in Tacoma, Washington a 3,000 pound bell was stolen from a Buddhist temple. The bell, which was cast in Vietnam, was used very rarely and only for special occasions. According to the monks, the bell was priceless but I guess the thieves missed that memo because one year later they were caught trying to sell it for $500.

In 2007 a 200 tonne metal bridge was stolen. The bridge that was originally located in Khabarovsk in eastern Russia vanished overnight. The bridge was part of the only road that accessed a local heating plant. The company, who relies on the bridge to get their employees to work, says it will cost them $37,000 to replace the bridge. Interestingly, this isn t the only bridge to go missing. Bridges in India, the Czech Republic and Turkey have all been scooped up too

The year is 2008. The month is July. The country? Beautiful Jamaica. You re there to relax under the palm trees and sun and you are just so excited to go to your favourite beach! Except

In 2008, theNew York Dailynewspaper stole the $2 million Empire State Building. According to the paper, the stunt was launched in order to highlight the gigantic loophole in the city s system for recording deeds, that is, the clerks didn t have to verify the information! The papers contained hilarious details such as King Kong star, Fay Wray being a witness and the notary shared the same name as infamous bank robber Willie Sutton. 90 minutes after the documents were submitted, Neots Properties LLC were the new proud owners of the Empire State Building

In eastern India, locals from Mahatma village stole the peak of a nearby mountain called Humta Pahad. The story is a little more complicated than that however, as the unusually flat mountain peak has been chipped away by locals who then sell it to property developers so that they can feed their families. Villagers work eleven hours a day cutting at the rock. One third of the mountain has already disappeared, but with no other industries in sight, the villagers don t seem to be slowing down. The government refuses to intervene, falsely claiming that the village falls under MCC (Maoist Communist Centre) territory, to cover up their ineptitude to provide these locals with other work. The cost of the damage and how much the locals have made off the mountain cannot be estimated.

Halfway between Liverpool and Manchester, the 20 metre high face of a sleeping girl towers above the busy M62 highway. With her eyes closed and serene expression, Dream appears to be lost in a deep reverie. Built on the former site of the Sutton Manor Colliery, Jaume Plensa s artwork symbolizes the future and all that is possible.