Sunday, October 22, 2006
What do you get when you take the real away from real estate?
Unreal Estate, of course. Otherwise known as space real estate, this intergalactic enterprise zone has been around for centuries.
About 250 years ago, Prussia’s King Frederick deeded the moon to a farmer with “healing powers.” In 1937, one A.D. Lindsay of Ocilla, Ga., claimed title to all “planets, islands-of-space or other matter.”
Since the Space Age got under way in the late 1950s, there’s been a steady stream of extraterrestrial claims issuing from every corner of the globe. In 1966, the moon was annexed by citizens of Geneva, Ohio. Whether a high-flown fundraising concept for planetariums or the ultimate romantic novelty item, the very idea of outer space real estate has inspired a motley array of charitable organizations, small startups and even governments.