Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 28 April 1789
- We bring interesting details about the famous mutiny aboard the Bounty that were not disclosed in so far recorded film adaptations.
On this day the famous mutiny aboard the Bounty occurred in the Pacific.
The ship was located near the islands of Tonga when the rebellious crew, led by master’s mate Fletcher Christian (portrayed by Clark Gable, Marlon Brando, and Mel Gibson in the movies), entered the cabin of Captain William Bligh (played by Anthony Hopkins and others) and forced him on deck in his nightshirt. From a total of 44 people on board, 19 of them sided with rebels, 22 remained true to Bligh, and two were neutral.
The rebels forced Bligh and 18 of his men to board a small boat and left them in the middle of the ocean. Bligh and his crew traveled a whopping 6710 kilometers in 47 days in a boat only 7 meters long, until they reached civilization on the island of Timor. On their voyage they were chased by cannibals, and Bligh navigated the boat equipped with only a quadrant and a pocket watch, with no charts or compass! He was able to return to England and report the mutiny to the Admiralty.
Meanwhile, the rebels sailed the Bounty to Tahiti for women and cattle. They took 11 women, including one with an infant. They finally settled on Pitcairn Island, where they established a colony with Fletcher Christian as leader. However, there was a rebellion in which he was killed. He was outlived by his Tahitian wife Maimiti, who bore him a son named Thursday October Christian.
The last surviving rebel was John Adams, who was granted British amnesty. Descendants of the rebels and their Tahitian women still live on Pitcairn Island. Some of the inhabitants of the island even have the surname Christian, and are therefore the descendants of the rebel leader.
