In the two days of anarchy that followed South Africa's invasion last month, locals first looted, then burned the buildings.

ECONOMIST: Lesotho

Having read every eyewitness account of what happened there in 1775 that I could find when writing a book about America's war of independence, I would argue that there is pretty good evidence that the locals fired first - albeit when the British redcoats were running towards them, intent upon assault.

BBC: Boston's past lessons on the truths people believe

After two days with no wind--the first such episode locals could remember--he and his crew loaded Deuce back on the trailer and drove back to Racine.

FORBES: Shiver Me Timbers

There was the city's first hamburger shop, which the locals refer to as McDonald's.

CNN: Behind the veil: A rare look at life in North Korea

There's always a buzz in Cleveland for the first home game, a date the locals have long treated like a national holiday.

WSJ: Cleveland abuzz for Indians, Yankees opener

But the first thing to do was impress the right locals that La Familia was serious.

NEWYORKER: Silver or Lead

Locals are familiar with the Haile Mine as gold was first discovered there in 1827, during the Carolina Gold Rush.

FORBES: Romarco's Historic Haile Mine Reviving Community, Mining In South Carolina

The snow (or "Champagne powder, " as the locals boast) is so reliable that each season, the first event of the World Cup skiing calendar is held at Lake Louise.

WSJ: Smooth Skiing at Canada's Rocky Mountains

But for the first six months the American experts were frozen out by jealous locals.

ECONOMIST: Managing Russian companies

Like zombies, locals have shuffled to Nightmare in droves: from about 6, 000 visitors in its first production in 2003 to over 25, 000 last year.

ECONOMIST: Fear is booming

First, he points out, the casinos take about a third of their money from locals, and Reno's population is growing.

ECONOMIST: Reno