This Day in History July 20, 1985

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Did you know that real buried treasure was discovered on this date in 1985?  That's right.  Just ask Mel Fisher.  Here is the story of a real-life treasure discovery.

On September 4, 1622, 28 ships left Havana headed for Spain.  These ships were loaded with treasures being carried to the great Spanish empire.  The next day, there was a hurricane in their path.  And then on by September 6, eight of these ships lay at the bottom of the sea.  The Atocha was one of these.

In 1969, Mel Fisher and his crew began to search for the treasures of the Atocha.  They knew they were getting close when the hull of the ship was discovered in May of 1980.  However, it was not until this date in 1985 that the wealth of the ship was finally uncovered.

At this point, only half of the treasure has been found.  It was located in an area just 40 miles from Key West.  Forty tons of treasure were unearthed estimated at $400 million.

For more information:
http://www.internetstones.com/image-files/mel-fisher-atocha-gold-chain.jpg
http://www.newworldtreasures.com/atochastory.htm
http://www.atocha.com/atocha_history.php
http://famousdaily.com/history/treasure-hunters-discover-atocha.html