November 25

2348 B.C. - Biblical scholars have long asserted this to be the day of the Great Deluge, or Flood.

I can’t say if it happened or not, but if it did it’s definitely the greatest event of the day...I'm sure many don't believe in the Bible (Old and/or New Testaments), and laugh off this event as a fable.

I'm not going to lie, I find much of both books to be pretty fantastical.

That said, the ancient Sumerians were around a long time before the Old Testament was produced, and made note of a 'Great Flood,' which has been backed up by many archaeological findings...Oh by the way, Sumerian Civilization was well established by 2348 B.C.

The Sumerian flood is noted in the 'Epic of Gilgamesh,' one of the the oldest books in the history of man...I recommend you read it.

1783 - More than 6,000 British troops evacuated New York City after signing the peace treaty ending the American Revolutionary War.

The last of the Redcoats left the U.S...They returned in 1812 and were tossed out again in 1814.

A different kind of 'Red' entered the U.S. in the 1900's - without the coats...And they haven't left since.

1867 - Alfred Nobel invented dynamite.

It's hard to believe the guy who invented dynamite has a ‘peace prize’ named after him...You have to know his story to understand why: Alfred Nobel.

1922 - Archaeologist Howard Carter entered King Tut's tomb.

Tut was a king of little historical significance, but this was a magnificent find...Try to imagine what we would have found in the tombs of the great pharaohs before they were looted, because Tut was an insignificant king at best.

1936 - The Anti-Comintern Pact was signed: An agreement between Japan and Germany to collaborate in opposition to the spread of Communism.

This was a good excuse to squeeze the Soviets...Japan was terribly afraid of the Ruskies, and more than happy to have an ally against the USSR’s west. As for Hitler, he signed pacts with anyone who wanted to do so, but had no intention of keeping them.

Unfortunately for the German Madman, this was an alliance which brought the U.S. into the war against him...A reality which led to the end of both the Japanese and Nazi empires.

1941 - A "war warning" was sent to commanders in the Pacific: Admiral Harold R. Stark, U.S. chief of naval operations, told Admiral Husband E. Kimmel, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, that both President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull thought a Japanese surprise attack was a distinct possibility.

"We are likely to be attacked next Monday, for the Japs are notorious for attacking without warning. We must all prepare for trouble, possibly soon" - FDR

Sure FDR didn’t know they were coming. He didn't quite guess December 7, but he was within a few days...The Brits warned him, and this message to his commanders is awfully fishy.

That said, if this is what it took to get the U.S. in the war it was worth it...The Germans and Japanese may have eventually been defeated, but the war ended within four years of the U.S.'s entry.  Had the war gone on longer the damage to civilization may have been so great, eventually defeating the Axis may not have mattered much.

1990 - Poland held its first popular presidential election, resulting in a plurality of votes for Solidarity founder Lech Walesa, who won a runoff the next month.

The Polish people have been spurned by history from the time they built their first nation, being sandwiched between the German and Russian beasts.

Here’s hoping the Polish partitions and pogroms are a thing of the past...If they play their cards right (being a front line American ally) they will do much to ensure their protection against their neighbors to the east and west.

That's assuming the U.S. is as good an ally as the Poles are...Which is no promise - especially if we keep putting people like Obama in office.

2002 - Citing "the dangers of a new era," President George W. Bush signed into law The Homeland Security Act, creating a Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security; a move which set in motion the largest reorganization of the federal government in more than half a century.

Was it hastily put together? Probably. Was it overdue and necessary? Absolutely.

The U.S. sat back and relaxed after the Soviets fell, and then Clinton destroyed our military and intelligence collecting agencies...Our new enemies may be different, but they are numerous, determined, and very likely more dangerous than the Soviets.

The Department of Homeland Security is a necessity, and will serve us well in the future.