12 Days of Terror

In the sweltering heat of July 1916, amidst a polio outbreak and the backdrop of World War I in Europe, New Jersey beachgoers faced an unexpected menace: a shark with an alarming appetite for humans. Beginning on July 1st, this mysterious predator claimed the lives of four individuals and left a fifth gravely injured over a span of 12 days, casting a shadow over New Jersey’s bustling tourism scene. This harrowing series of events, rooted in reality, served as one of the inspirations for Peter Benchley’s novel, Jaws.