May 15

1957 - Britain tested its first hydrogen bomb, at Christmas Island in the Pacific.

Any time a nation gets a nuke (particularly a hydrogen bomb) it deserves notice as an outstanding event...Welcome to the club - an awesome club, which must use its toys wisely and make sure they don't get in the hands of those who refuse to play nicely.

756 - Abd-al-Rahman became Emir of Cordova, Spain.

Rahman conquered most of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and founded the Ummayad Emirate.

It's sad, but most Americans don't realize this huge chunk of Europe was ruled by Muslims for over 700 years - which is longer than Spain has been ruled by Christians...Most Americans, also, don't know this same region was ruled by the Visigoths after fall of Rome - a Germanic people.

That said, it's pretty safe to say the Muslims will forever try to return to this previous holding - a Re-Reconquista of sorts.

1252 - Ad Exstirpanda:  Pope Innocent IV issued a bull authorizing - though limiting - the torture of heretics in the Inquisition.

Needless to say, the Church was in the hands of not-so-Godly men at this time...It took 300 years of this kind of behavior to bring on a 'reformation' of the Church.

1618 - Johannes Kepler discovered the 'Harmonics Law.'

Newton was the greatest mind of this era (and maybe any other), but much of what he discovered was nibbled on by Kepler.

1765 - The Quartering Act became law in the American colonies, requiring colonists to provide barracks and supplies for British troops.

Just another reason for the Colonists to become Patriots...And the direct reason for the Third Amendment to the Constitution:

“No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”

1862 - Union General Benjamin Butler's 'General Order #28':  U.S. Civil War.

"As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subjected to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous noninterference and courtesy on our part, it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall, by word, gesture, or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation."

Butler was a real treat, but with this order he did much to end chaos in New Orleans; virtually ordering any women who were rude to Union officers to be treated as whores...It sounds brutal, but it brought order to a situation which would have otherwise required even more violence - violence Butler would have used if needed.

1911 - The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of J.D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company, ruling it was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

From one monopoly were born 34 companies, which created an oligopoly, otherwise known as a monopoly of a few rather than one.

Oligopoly = 'A market structure dominated by a small number of large firms, selling either identical or differentiated products, and significant barriers to entry into the industry.'

In other words, the company was broken up, but doing so helped the people very little.

Oh, and it made Rockefeller even richer than he already was.

1940 - The Dutch Army surrendered to Nazi Germany:  WWII.

Amazingly, they lasted almost as long as the French.

1942 - Gasoline rationing was introduced in the U.S.:  WWII.

Oh my goodness!! Due to WWII, the rights of millions of Americans were trampled on by the government limiting their ability to purchase gas.

That was tough. I’m auditioning for a role in an ACLU(seless) movie.
 
1994 - U.S. Supreme Court nominee Stephen G. Breyer arrived in Washington to spend the night at the White House, while Republicans joined Democrats in predicting swift Senate confirmation.

We should all take notice of this event: Breyer is a hard-Liberal...But the Republicans didn’t filibuster this nominee.

1. The Dems would have with anyone even close to this far on the Right.
2. Due to previous filibusters by the Dems, the Republicans should reciprocate in the future...I'm counting on it, though I'm not holding my breath.

That said, it's good to see the Republican Senate has used the 'Reid Rule' to push through Trump's first SCOTUS nominee...Here's hoping there are many more.

1995 - China conducted an underground nuclear test just days after it agreed to an extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Pretty much 'Flipping The Bird' at the West, and showing the real value of treaties.

2000 - More than two decades after a study in rats prompted scientists to link saccharin to human cancer, the federal government dropped the artificial sweetener from its list of cancer-causing chemicals.

So the federal government virtually killed the saccharin industry on a whim? What a joke...Yet we trust their Chicken Little Climate Change insanity, our retirement and health (Social Security, Medicare/Medicare/ObamaCare, etc.), and multiple other necessary functions to this same group of know-nothing jackasses.  Ugh!