February 1

1790 - The U.S. Supreme Court convened in New York City for its first session.

This is one of the greatest judicial bodies in the history of the world, and one which will continue to be so as long as it remembers its job is to ensure the constitutionality of items coming from the Executive and Legislative Branches - including at the lower levels in the states.

The problem is when the Supremes determine they need to replace the duties of the President and Congress - acting as 'super legislators'...The other problem is the President and Congress have too often ceded their responsibilities to the Supremes in order to avoid having to make politically difficult decisions.

"Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around. Judges are like umpires. Umpires don't make the rules; they apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role." - Chief Justice John Roberts

1327 - Edward III was crowned King of England.

Edward was only a teenage boy at the time - the country was effectively ruled by his mother Isabella and her lover Roger - but he proved more than up to the task of ruling the country when he came of age...Edward was one of England's greatest kings, ruling for over 50 years, and establishing the island nation as one of Europe's great powers.

1669 - French king Louis XIV limited freedom of religion.

Of course he did.  That's what tyrants - and Liberals - do...As if there's a difference between the two.

1918 - Russia adopted the Gregorian Calendar.

It was about time...I wonder what the Ruskie people thought about losing 13 days, because out of nowhere it went from being February 1 to February 14.

1923 - Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Voluntary Militia.

The 'Paperboy' was picking up steam, and out of this rabble of humanity came a bunch of thugs who made Benito a dictator.

1933 - The German Parliament dissolved.

Shocking, just a few days after Hitler became Chancellor.

1943 - One of America's most highly decorated military units of World War II, the 442d Regimental Combat Team, made up almost entirely of Japanese-Americans, was authorized.

This unit was awesome, and proved to America they weren’t Japanese or hyphenated Americans (Japanese-Americans)...They were Americans first.

We should offer the same kind of unit to fight in the War on Terror. I’m not as certain this would end as well, however.

1951 - The U.N. condemned China as an aggressor in the Korean War.

Lotta good that did.  Especially since the only ones who cower over U.N. declarations are the pansies in the West.

1958 - Egypt and Syria announced plans to merge into the United Arab Republic.

Now that would be a power-player in the Middle East.  But it was destined to failure...Either on its own, or at the hands of the Israelis, who could never have allowed it to work out.

2003 - Space Shuttle Columbia and its seven person crew perished upon re-entry from their 16-day mission.

This was a terrible event, but it's amazing it hasn’t happened more often...Man was not made to leave Earth, and every time we jump off this ball we run the risk of such accidents.

That said, we must continue.

January 31 (A Double For Most...A Triple For Me)

1915 - Germans staged the first poison gas attack in battle - against the Russians:  WWI.

Is anyone surprised the Germans were the first to use gas as a weapon? They perfected it as a killing mechanism, though not a battlefield weapon, with the creation and use of Zyclon B in the next great war.

1940 - The first U.S. Social Security check was issued. The check was for $22.54, issued to Ida Fuller of Brattlesboro, Vermont. Her check number was 00-000-001.

The ‘National Noose’ was put around the neck of  every American with this first check...Each additional one simply tightens it up. Who knows which one will squeeze so tight the head falls off?

Those who die before this date will have been lucky...Those who live till this date will witness a national catastrophe.

1970 - Melissa Karlin was born.

Happy Birthday, Melissa...I'm sure this means nothing to most, but it is a great day for me.

I love my children and family, have a solid job and a pretty good life, but two events have defined my adult life:  Basic Training and meeting Melissa.

Thank you for two decades of marriage, being a great mother, my best friend, and keeping me around regardless of my many, many faults.

I love you!

1865 - General Robert E. Lee was named General-in-Chief of all the Confederate Armies.

Too little, too late...I hope you didn't think Lee was the overall Confederate commander before this time. He had been Commander of the Army of Virginia, but not the entire Confederate force - by this time it didn't matter.

1865 - The U.S. House of Representatives approved a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery:  U.S. Civil War.

Like every protracted war, the original war aim (keeping the Union together) changed...It became a war to end slavery, but in no way was this President Lincoln's reason for going to war.

1917 - Germany served notice it was beginning a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare:  WWI.

So much for the concept of ‘civilized’ warfare...It was a policy which brought the U.S. into the war, but one the Germans felt compelled to try.

1945 - Private Eddie Slovik became the first U.S. soldier since the Civil War to be executed for desertion:  WWII.

Desertion should be a capital offense. Draft dodging and subversion during a time of war should be as well.

1950 - President Truman announced he ordered the development of the hydrogen bomb. Truman said, "A leader has to lead, or otherwise he has no business in politics.''

Absolutely correct Harry.

1958 - The United States entered the Space Age with its first successful launch of a satellite into orbit: 'Explorer One.'

Sure the Ruskies beat us to the punch with Sputnik, but Explorer 1 eventually led the U.S. towards the Moon, and the economic destruction of the USSR.

Explorer 1 also discovered the 'Van Allen radiation belts,' which was something the Soviets would never have discovered because their goal wasn’t to learn, it was to get a satellite up...Just another of the million differences between the Soviet Union and the U.S.

January 30

1933 - Adolph Hitler was named German Chancellor.

German President Hindenburg, the Army, and others thought they could control and marginalize Hitler by putting him in this post.

"I will employ my strength for the welfare of the German people, protect the Constitution and laws of the German people, conscientiously discharge the duties imposed on me, and conduct my affairs of office impartially and with justice to everyone." - A. Hitler

That worked out well.

Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler was hardly marginalized - let alone controlled - and the Nazi regime was about to 'make history.'

1648 - The Peace of Munster.

The Netherlands finally achieved independence from Spain...Over a hundred years before the American colonies broke from Britain.

1661 - Oliver Cromwell was ritually executed.

I love this kind of stuff.  So, what did English King Charles II do?  Two years after Cromwell had been dead, he was dug up, hanged, drawn and quartered, then his body was thrown in a pit and his head displayed on a pole outside Westminster Abby.

Such is the fate of those who overthrow their leaders and don't figure out a way to keep their own on the throne.

1717 - Surrounded by the Russian Army, the Lithuanian-Polish Parliament reduced its army by half and acknowledged Russian protection.

'Acknowledged Russian protection?' Very nice.

The Ruskies had them surrounded...And soon conspired with Germany and Austria to eliminate both nations.

1781 - The Articles of Confederation went into effect as the official government of the United States of America.

I hope you know there was a U.S. government between the period of American independence and the Constitution...If you didn't, you need to return to this blog much more regularly.

1835 - A gunman fired twice at President Andrew Jackson, the first attempt on the life of a U.S. President. Jackson wasn't injured.

The first, but not the last...I’m not hoping for Trump, or any future president, to take a shot (not by any means), but we are very overdue for another.

1862 - The U.S. Navy's first ironclad warship, the Monitor, was launched:  U.S. Civil War.

It’s nearly miraculous this 'can with a turret' didn’t sink immediately...The upcoming battle between the two ironclads (Monitor vs. Merrimack) proved to be a joke, but the era of wooden ships was about to come to an end with the introduction of these two ships.

1937 - Thirteen leading Communists were sentenced to death for allegedly participating in a plot, led by Leon Trotsky, to overthrow the Soviet regime and assassinate its leaders.

Was it true or not? Probably, probably not...Either way it was a good excuse for Uncle Joe to pull out the execution squads, and he didn't limit his retaliation to thirteen.

1939 - Adolf Hitler called for the extermination of European Jews:  WWII.

WhoooHooo!!!! Happy Extermination Day...Sick bastard.

1948 - Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by a Hindu extremist.

A sad day for the world...Gandhi was a Socialist, but he was a good man, and a great Indian.

1953 - President Eisenhower announced he would pull the Seventh Fleet out of Formosa to permit the Nationalists to attack Communist China.

What a joke...The Nationalists would have been slaughtered en mass, as our troops found out in North Korea.

Nice bluff, Ike. Don’t make threats you don’t aim to keep.

1968 - The Tet Offensive began: North Vietnamese forces launched surprise attacks against South Vietnamese provincial capitals.

The war was a mess before, but this event caused LBJ to flinch (almost a full Turret’s twitch)...The U.S. eventually won the battle, as it did every other, but never regained its footing politically.

And never forget why we lost the war: Both parties (and many presidents) failed our country, but the Democrats (who controlled the presidency and Congress for most of it) were too weak to win the war, and the Republicans were given an unwinnable situation by the time Nixon became president.

1979 - The civilian government of Iran announced it decided to allow Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who'd been living in exile in France, to return.

Khomeini's return was one of the biggest mistakes of the Carter Presidency...Which says a lot.

It was expected Khomeini would fire up a revolution, but Carter didn’t have the stomach to have him assassinated...We know the rest of the story in Iran, but most overlook the overall effect this had on the Middle East, where various forms of Islamic fundamentalism are trying to take hold throughout the region.

2003 - President G.W. Bush put America's allies on notice that diplomacy would give way to a decision on war with Iraq in "weeks, not months."

THANK GOD Jimmy Carter wasn’t president after 9/11/01...Or Clinton, or Gore, or Kerry, or Obama, etc, etc, etc.……

January 29

1877 - An Electoral Commission, made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats, was established by Congress to settle the issue of Democrat Samuel Tilden for president against Republican Rutherford B. Hayes. Under the terms of the Tilden-Hayes Election Compromise, Hayes became U.S. President and the Republicans agreed to remove the last Federal troops from Southern territory, ending the Civil War Reconstruction Period. On election night, 1876, it was clear Tilden won the popular vote, but it was also clear that votes in Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Oregon were fraudulent because of voter intimidation. Republicans knew if the electoral votes from these four states were thrown out, Hayes would win. As a result, the country hovered near civil war as both Democrats and Republicans claimed victory.

Many Americans wrongly believe the 2000 election was the first with 'irregularities'...I hope you don’t, because there have been many ‘contested’ America elections.

Politics is messy, and you must always remember 'electoral politics' is a superior replacement to 'battlefield politics' - civil war...The transfer and acceptance of power is always ugly, but doing so in a peaceful, free, democratic fashion is much better than the deadly alternative.

There is no 'third way.'

1936 - The first players were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame:  Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson.

Blasts from the past, and still some of the best names in the history of the game...Ruth is the best known in our time, but it's important to note many felt Cobb was the better player in 'their' time - Cobb received 98% of the votes and Ruth 95%.

1984 - The Soviets issued a formal complaint against alleged U.S. arms treaty violations.

Of course we were in violation; so were the Soviets...And so have been, and always will be, any nation ever to 'agree' to arms limitations. Only a Utopian idiot would think otherwise.

1992 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin unveiled an ambitious plan to cut nuclear weapons spending and said his republic's weapons would no longer be aimed at any U.S. targets.

See the above comment from 1984...That said, the Russians had to cut back spending, because they were dead broke.

1999 - Chinese police were ordered to arrest people posting anti-government remarks on computer networks.

Their American Democrat brethren must be so jealous of the Chi-Coms.  If only they could squash Conservative speech, or any type of opposition...Sort of like what happened with the Obama administration using the IRS and NSA as a battering ram.

2002 - In his State of the Union address, President Bush labeled Iraq, Iran and North Korea an "Axis of Evil."

Bush wasn't eloquent, but he was correct about these three countries...And they aren't alone.

January 28

814 – Charlemagne, King of the Franks and Lombards, and Emperor of the Romans, died of pleurisy in Aachen.

Charlemagne was the most important figure in the Dark/Middle Ages. He began a brief European renaissance, held the Muslim horde at bay in Western Europe, and brought much of Central Europe into the Christian fold...But please, pretty please, don't be confused by his title of 'Emperor of the Romans.' 

Remember the Roman Empire in the West fell in the late 400's. Charlemagne was given the title by the Pope, but was in no way a 'Roman Emperor.'

Shortly after his death his empire split in three, creating the foundation for most of the countries of modern-day Europe, but Charlemagne's empire has been the hope of many Europeans since his day, including the modern-day European Union.

1871 - France surrendered in the Franco-Prussian War.

A pattern they began in 1815.

1915 - The U.S. Coast Guard was created by an act of Congress.

Time for a short history lesson:

In the United States a coast guard was formed in 1915 when an act of Congress combined the Revenue Cutter Service with the Life Saving Service. The Cutter Service was established by Congress in 1790, at the suggestion of Alexander Hamilton, to prevent smuggling; until the creation of the Navy in 1798 it was the only U.S. armed service afloat. The Life Saving Service developed some years later.

The U.S. Coast Guard subsequently absorbed the Lighthouse Service (1939) and the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation (1942). In peacetime the Coast Guard is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security (since 2003); in wartime, and for such other periods as the president may direct, it is under the control of the Navy.

Also, this date is the official founding of the Coast Guard, but not considered its 'birth date,' which is recognized as August 4, 1790 - date of the founding of the Revenue Cutter Service.

1923 - The first 'National Socialist German Workers Party' (NSDAP) was formed in Munich.

It’s hard to believe this rag-tag group of clowns eventually evolved into the Nazi Party, ruling Germany within ten years, and much of Europe in less than twenty.

1932 - Japan attacked and occupied Shanghai, China.

WWII in Europe began in 1939, but the Japanese actually got the ball rolling much earlier.

1935 - Iceland became the first country to legalize abortion on medical-social grounds.

Sadly, the reason has been bastardized to little less than a world-wide fetal holocaust.

1943 - The Nazis mobilized women for military service:  WWII.

They were running out of men, and Hitler figured he may as well kill the whole nation off...He got to the old-folks and children in due time as well.

1955 - The U.S. Congress passed a bill allowing the mobilization of troops if China should attack Taiwan.

By the way, this bill is still in effect.

I’m not one to give up territory to any Communist nation, but look at a map: Taiwan is part of China...It sure as Hell isn’t worth going to war with China over.

1986 - The space shuttle Challenger exploded 72-seconds after blastoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members.

A horrible, but inevitable, day for NASA and the whole nation...I am all for space travel, exploration, and conquest, but the reality is there will be losses if we continue to send humans into space.

"The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted. It belongs to the brave....The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.'" - Ronald Reagan.

1993 - A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled the U.S. military's policy against homosexuals was unconstitutional because it's based on cultural myths and false stereotypes.

What a complete crock of crap...The policy of allowing homosexuals in the military has been destructive to unit moral, and will eventually lead to widespread problems; including abuse.

The military is not the place to conduct social engineering, and we will pay dearly if we continue to screw around with the fabric of the forces which protect our nation.

January 27

1945 - Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz and its concentration camps, where the Nazis murdered 1.5 million men, women and children, including more than one million Jews:  WWII.

I must repeat, there is no such thing as a 'Soviet liberation'.  They may not have systematically eliminated the Jews, but they surely weren’t there to 'liberate' them.

That said, even the brutal Ruskies were appalled by the situation at Auschwitz.

1939 - Franklin Roosevelt approved the sale of U.S. war planes to France:  WWII.

Talk about a waste of time and money...For both the French and Americans.

I'm sure the Germans appreciated it, though.

1944 - The Soviets broke through the Siege of Leningrad:  WWII.

Sieges are always brutal, but this was one of the longest sustained sieges in history (almost 900 days)...The Soviets suffered almost a million deaths - most were civilians.

Little wonder when the Red Army took the offensive to the Germans they acted the way they did - which was almost as barbaric as the Germans.

1951 - An era of atomic testing in the Nevada desert began when an Air Force plane dropped a one-kiloton bomb on Frenchman Flats.

Drop the 'Flats' and you’ll see me do cartwheels.

1981 - President Reagan greeted the 52 former American hostages released by Iran, telling them during a visit to the White House: "Welcome home."

Carter was a disgrace for many reasons (and continues to add to his resume), but his lack of legitimate efforts to save the hostages is at the top of the list.

January 26

1699 - The Treaty of Carlowitz was signed: Venice, Poland, Austria and the Ottoman Empire.

This wasn't the end of the Ottoman Empire by any stretch, but it was the beginning of the end for the Ottomans as a great power in Central and Southeast European affairs...It was also a strengthening of the Habsburg monarchy in these same regions.

We can never know for certain, but I'm betting the people in these parts of Europe hated their new Austrian overlords as much as the Turks.

1340 - English King Edward III proclaimed himself King of France.

Never forget, the English kings at this time were successors of William the Conqueror - Duke of Normandy - and felt they had a rightful claim to much of France...Edward felt it was all of France.

The French put an end to this silliness, however by winning the Hundred Years' War:  1337-1453.

1784 - In a letter to his daughter, Benjamin Franklin expressed unhappiness over the choice of the eagle as the symbol of America. His personal preference was the turkey.

I like Ol’ Ben, but am so glad we don’t have a damn turkey for our national symbol.

1934 - Nazi Germany and Poland signed a ten-year non-aggression pact.

Amazingly the Nazi’s actually got half way through this agreement before they broke it...I don’t think anyone else got nearly this far.

1942 - The first American Expeditionary Force to go to Europe during World War II went ashore in Northern Ireland:  WWII.

Our troops went out to save the world...I have often wondered if the Euros would have sent their troops to the Western Hemisphere to do the same. I doubt it.

1943 - Soviet troops defeated all but 12,000 Germans trapped at Stalingrad, and freed three of the main railways:  WWII.

Hitler should've never insisted on capturing Stalingrad (or Leningrad). There was no need to invest this city, and it made much more sense to reduced it to rubble and push on...Stalingrad would have died on its own over time due to starvation, disease or chaos. Forcing the city to fight for its survival allowed Stalin to keep the city of his name alive, and eventually led to the destruction of the German 6th Army.

1998 - President Bill Clinton forcefully, and with anger, denied having an affair with a White House intern, telling reporters, "I want to say one thing to the American people...I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." Clinton also said he "never told anybody to lie."

What a joker, and not for the BlewClinsky Affair.

Historically, Clinton’s presidency will be defined by the debasement of American society, and the global proliferation of nuclear and missile material and technology (China, N. Korea, Pakistan, and who knows who else)...And lets not forget he passed on a chance to apprehend Bin Laden, who was all but handed over to him by Sudan. But Billy didn't think it was necessary to accept this gift.

1999 - German Chancellor Schroeder abandoned an ambitious timetable for the planned shutdown of nuclear power plants.

I will never understand why the Germans are insisting on destroying their nuclear power plant structure…Nuclear power is the way of the future, and it is also extremely clean for the environment.

I guess they’d rather burn dirty coal and oil for power, and remain dependant of the Ruskies and Middle East for their energy demands...Or maybe they're looking at re-enlisting the Jews as a cheap energy source.

January 25

1787 - Shays' Rebellion suffered a setback when debt-ridden farmers, led by Captain Daniel Shays, failed to capture an arsenal at Springfield, Massachusetts.

The after affect of the American Revolution was a recession, and many farmers fell on hard times. Unfortunately, most of the states were unable to handle these kinds of problems, and the federal government had little-to-no power to handle anything...I hope you know there was a period between the end of the Revolution and the Constitution, and this was a time where the federal government was virtually powerless.

As a result, Shay’s Rebellion was a major catalyst to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, because the wise-men of the time recognized the problems associated with the Articles of Confederation and the uselessness of its structure.

1863 - Union General Joseph Hooker replaced General Burnside as commander of the Army of Potomac:  U.S. Civil War.

Just another general on the books, as Lincoln continued his search for a 'winning general'...Luckily, he was getting close, but Hooker was not the one.

1902 - Russia abolished the death penalty.

That’s a good one.

1932 - The U.S.S.R. signed a non-aggression pact with Poland.

Another good one.

1971 - General Idi Amin Dada overthrew the Ugandan government.

Amin was a brutal guy, but I do love his official title:  'His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Alhaji Dr. Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, CBE.'

He may have had great titles (Heaven knows what those initials stand for?), but he's nothing compared to some of the 20th Century's mega-murderers.

1993 - President Bill Clinton appointed his wife, Hillary, to head a committee on health-care reform.

Nice way to start your term Bill...This move was wildly unpopular, not just because Hillary led it, but because most American’s didn’t want anything to do with a Canadian or Euro-style health care system.

And most Americans still don't...One of the many reasons President Trump is now in office.

1999 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 2000 Census could not use statistical sampling to enhance its accuracy.

That's another way of saying the census takers have to actually count everyone, and can't just assume they are there.

Some may say 'Who cares, it's just a census?' We should all care about the reliability of census information, because this is how representation in the House of Representatives and Electoral Votes are divided up...It also determines how the federal government distributes funds.

As you can imagine, both parties would be willing to 'fudge' a little here and there in their strongholds - or more importantly in areas held by a small majority.

1999 - In Zimbabwe, three Supreme Court justices wrote President Mugabe a letter asking that he confirm the army has no power to arrest civilians and the government will not tolerate torture.

You know its bad when the judicial branch is 'asking' the executive branch to 'confirm' they haven’t gone, or plan on going, nuts...The Beast (Mugabe) is a real treat.

2011 - The Egyptian version of the Arab Spring began.

How exciting!  And how deflating that it ended in a Muslim Brotherhood takeover...Not that it wasn't predictable.

What was unexpected was the military having the guts to toss the Brotherhood out - not that they are doing much to help the Egyptian people...Instead, the reality is Egypt is in the process of returning to the system it had before the Arab Spring began.  A reality which means Egypt is at least a reliable American proxy again.

Such is the reality of the Middle East.

January 24 (A Triple)

661 - Caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib, son-in-law of Mohamed, was assassinated and his followers (Shiites) broke from the majority Muslim group (Sunni).

Most Westerners have no idea there is a split in Islam. What are the differences between the Sunnis and the Shiites? There are many, but here are three:

1. They differ on the semantics of who was the first Caliph - Abu Bakr or Ali Ibn Abi Talib.

2. The line of descent was broken with Ali’s death. The Shiites were the followers of Ali, and broke with the the majority (Sunni).

3. The Shiites are primarily Persian, and the Sunni primarily Arab - at least in the Middle East, anyway...The race issues between the Persians (Iranians) and Arabs have always been a problem - Turks, Kurds, etc., add to the mix as well.

Their differences are racial, political, fierce, and remain to this day.

That said, it's important to understand over half of the world's Muslims don't live in the Middle East (India, Indonesia, Europe, US, etc.), and almost all of these are Sunni.

1848 - Gold was discovered in California by James Wilson Marshall, at his partner Johann August Sutter's sawmill, on the South Fork of the American River, near Coloma, California.

In 1848 there were only about 20,000 non-Indians in the region, but by the end of 1849 there were over 100,000. This number doubled in 1850, and 150-years later the region constitutes the largest state in the U.S, with an economy larger than most 'countries.'...I'd say this fact alone makes this a huge event.

1958 - After warming to 100 million degrees, two light atoms were bashed together to create a heavier atom, resulting in the first man-made nuclear fusion.

WOW!!!!! The product of such brilliance can be almost limitless...But unthinkable horrors can also come from this brilliance, as well.

Science can be great: Vaccines, pace makers, communication and transportation technology, etc, etc., etc...And science can be horrific: Groningen Protocols, Eugenics, Dr. Mengele's, genetically created rats without heads, partial birth abortions, etc.

The balance between science and ethics is extremely important...Unfortunately, we live in an age of almost limitless scientific discovery, and equally limitless ethical debauchery.

41 - Shortly after declaring himself a god, Roman Emperor Gaius 'Caligula' Germanicus was assassinated by two Praetorian tribunes.

Caligula is one of the most interesting of the Roman Emperors, and also one of the worst. The general consensus among historians is he was so because he was insane...It also didn't help he was made a virtual sex-slave as a child by the previous emperor.

1076 - The Synod of Worms:  Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV forced Pope Gregory VII to abdicate his position.

More proof the Papacy is as much a political organization as a religious one...This isn't a rip; it just is.

1722 - Czar Peter the Great capped his reforms in Russia with the 'Table of Rank,' which decreed a commoner could climb on merit to the highest positions.

This was nice in theory, but the reality in Russia was there were two classes: Nobility and Serfs...And even most of the nobility were little more than serfs.

1919 - Grand Prince Pavel Alexandrovich, son of Czar Alexander II, and Grand Princess Nikolai Mikhailovich, Georgy Mikhailovitch and Dmitry Konstantinovich, nephews of the czar, were executed at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg.

Lenin didn’t screw around when it came to possible enemies, and the Russian nobility paid a heavy price for its position...Some would say they had it coming for the misery they caused the Russian people for so many centuries - the Bolsheviks certainly saw it this way.

1931 - The League of Nations rebuked Poland for the mistreatment of a German minority in Upper Silesia.

This is almost hysterical considering the way the Germans treated the Poles for centuries, and how they would treat them from 1939-45.

1943 - Hitler ordered Nazi troops at Stalingrad to fight to the death:  WWII.

Many fulfilled his order, but in the end Field Marshal von Paulus defied it, becoming the first field marshal in German history to surrender in battle rather than die fighting or taking his own life.

1965 - Winston Churchill died in London at age 90.

Churchill is one of the greatest leaders in British history, and the most important ‘sane’ leader of the 20th Century.

It’s amazing Britain survived from 1939-42 on her own against the German onslaught (nice of the French to roll over, and the Americans to turn their backs on the Brits like they did)...The force of Churchill’s will and personality were the main elements of its survival - a survival which saved civilization.

1972 - The U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws denying welfare benefits to people who resided in a state for less than a year.

You'd think this would be common sense, but Democrats think otherwise.

1972 - Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi was discovered on Guam, having spent 28-years hiding in the jungle thinking World War II was still going on.

The real ‘Last Samurai’...I wonder why he didn't get a clue when he didn’t encounter any enemies for over 10,000 days?

1994 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that protesters who block access to abortion clinics, or in other ways conspire to stop women from having abortions, may be sued under federal anti-racketeering statutes.

I’m surprised some nutty ACLU lawyer hasn’t tried to sue a church for preaching against abortions, thereby 'conspiring to stop women from having abortions'...This is exactly how they contort and distort the law.

2003 - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security became a cabinet department.

This department was long overdue.

Many are concerned with the size of government, and I am one of them...That said, I have no problem with the enlargement of the military or any department aimed at protecting our nation.

If we want to downsize government (and we should), there are many places to look. National Security is not one.

January 23 (A Triple)

1368 - Emperor Hongwu established the Ming Dynasty in China.

This event ended Mongol rule in China, re-establishing Chinese rule by Chinese. It also set China on a path towards what some historians have called "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history."

1556 - The deadliest earthquake on record killed 830,000 in Shensi, China.

830,000 dead in one earthquake!  That is truly awesome - in a horrible way...How horrible?  It is more deaths than the U.S. lost in WWI, WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam War, and the various Persian Gulf/Wars on Terror combined.

1922 - The first successful test on a human patient with diabetes occurred when insulin was administered to dangerously ill Leonard Thompson.

Thankfully this happened in the 1920’s instead of today, and an unknown amount of human-beings have been able to live normal and decent lives as a result.

If it happened today, the manufacturer would have to jump though hoops to get it to the patients in need:

1. Pass exceedingly difficult FDA requirements. Including the normal process of testing, lobbying and payoffs.

2. Who knows if patients would even be able to get the new drug, because the cost would be astronomical - covering the cost of discovery, production, liability, testing, profit, and the cost to American taxpayers subsidizing it for the rest of the world.

3. A few patients would surely have negative reactions to the medicine, and the legal battles would cause the drug to be pulled from the market, even though its benefits to millions far outweigh the negative affects to a few.

Sadly, this is the reality of new medications in the U.S...Even more sad, it's not much of a stretch to believe there are many life-saving medications currently sitting on shelves waiting for their chance to help people while bureaucrats decide if they can be put on the market and for manufacturers to decide if it is profitable enough to put on the market.

638 - The first day of the Islamic calendar.

Congratulations.

1516 - Ferdinand II of Aragon died and was succeeded as King of Spain by his grandson Charles V.

The Habsburg lines were united (Holy Roman Empire/Austria and Spain/New World), and the rest of Europe let out a collective moan.

It had been over 700-years since one European ruler held such a vast amount of territory (Charlemagne), and the other powers could not allow this...As a result Charles had very few, if any, years of peace during his reign.

1668 - The Triple Alliance was founded:  Britain, the Netherlands and Sweden.

This was a defensive alliance against France, and was absolutely necessary with the 'Sun King' looking outwards towards new lands to dominate.

1793 - The Second Partition of Poland:  Prussia and Russia divided Lithuania and Poland.

I can’t think of any nation as geographically unlucky as Poland, sandwiched between the Russian and German beasts.

1812 - A 7.8 earthquake struck New Madrid, Missouri.

The New Madrid Fault Line is a monster, and the center of the U.S. is captive to it's reawakening...A reawakening which, if history proves correct, will likely make this 7.8 look small.

1948 - The Soviets refused U.N. entry into North Korea to administer elections.

From the very beginning the U.N. was a corrupt ‘Paper Tiger’ with no teeth...This should have been the day the U.S. withdrew from the Circle-Jerk Group.

1989 - The U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a Richmond, Virginia program requiring 30% of the city’s public works funds be set aside for 'minority-owned' construction firms.

What kind of ‘Reverse Racism' plan was this? I don’t know for certain, but I’d be willing to bet 30% of the city’s construction firms aren't owned by minorities, yet they thought they should get 30% of the contracts?

I’d also be willing to bet this had more to do with lining the pockets of a few minority owned companies (fraud), than to being a civil rights program.

1991 - Iraqi forces in Kuwait deliberately created a huge oil spill in the Persian Gulf.

This was a small act compared to what they later did, but Liberals would still prefer Saddam over President Bush...Even the EnviroNuts who 'supposedly' care about such things as oil spills.

2002 - John Walker Lindh, a U.S.-born Taliban fighter, was returned to the United States to face criminal charges that he conspired to kill fellow Americans.

What kind of message is sent that this POS wasn’t executed as a traitor?

2002 - The U.N. sent famine relief to Zimbabwe.

I’m sure ‘The Beast’ (President Mugabe) made sure all of this 'relief' went to the starving Zimbabwean people...Sure.

January 22

1973 - The U.S. Supreme Court handed down the 'Roe v. Wade' decision, legalizing abortion.

I'm sure many Conservatives hate to hear me say this, but I am not an anti-abortion zealot or absolutist...But I am an abortion realist.

I'm pretty sure most Americans would be shocked to know there have been over 50,000,000 abortions in the U.S. since 1973...That's 50 million.  As in 50 million would-have-been-Americans eliminated before they were born.

There is no way to deny this is a fetal holocaust, and there is no way to deny this is a national shame...Even for those who can justify the practice.

What’s really sick is rapists, child molesters, murderers, Mexican wolfs, dung beetles, and thousands of other 'Liberal causes' have more rights than innocent unborn babies...I’m sure this makes me a radical, though, because I'm not willing to say abortion should be a right up until the time a baby is born, or that women shouldn't have other options as their primary option.

Just wait until the idea of post-term abortions becomes a thing.

1517 - The Ottoman Turks conquered Cairo, Egypt.

The Turks were in the process of completing the conquest of the Middle East and North Africa, and it wasn't long until they started taking chunks out of Europe...The Caliphate was getting a new hegemon, and the Ottomans proved to be one of the great forces of the era.

1917 - President Woodrow Wilson pleaded for an end to WWI, calling for "peace without victory."

"Peace without victory"???? I thought only a Euro, or the modern Democrat Party - which really was created by Wilson, could think like that.

Unfortunately, WWI ended without 'victory' for the Allies, because the Germans weren't defeated.  As a result, the 'peace' which followed WWI was a hollow one, and simply served as a timeout until WWII.

1944 - Operation Shingle. As part of the Italian Campaign, American troops landed at Anzio Beach in a move to outflank German defensive positions:  WWII.

The invasion of the German Empire moved from Africa to Europe, but didn't begin in total until June 6 at Normandy.

Stalin was pissed, and he was right. The Soviets were left to tie up as many German troops as possible, which made the eventual Normandy invasion less difficult than it would have been if the Germans could have devoted more troops to fight back the Allied invasion from France and Italy.

It also cost the Soviets a couple million deaths...Which is exactly what Uncle Joe deserved for dealing with the Nazi's in 1939.

1993 - On the 20th anniversary of the 'Roe v. Wade' decision, President Bill Clinton lifted a series of abortion restrictions imposed by his Republican predecessors.

Not enough babies were dying I guess.

1997 - The U.S. Senate confirmed Madeleine Albright as Secretary of State, the first woman to hold the office.

Congratulations Madeleine Halfbright, and thank you for thinking it was a good idea to appease the North Koreans, giving them nuclear material...America is much safer for having you in this position. NOT!!!!

Also, why is it a big deal when a Democrat 'woman' is placed in such a position, but a Republican 'woman' or 'minority' would be called a 'sell-out' or an 'Uncle Tom'?

1998 - Theodore John Kaczynski pleaded guilty to charges he was the 'Unibomber.'

What a POS...The same cannot be said for his brother, who put decency ahead of family and turned his brother in.

Oh, and lets not forget many of the Liberals who want unlimited fetal executions have a problem with pukes like Theodore being executed..."Lunatic Fringe, we all know you're out there." - Red Ryder.

1999 - President Bill Clinton called for spending $2.8 billion to protect the nation from cyber-terrorism, chemical and germ warfare.

Who was Bill worried about? I thought the Democrats have been saying there is no real threat of terrorism...Especially not against bio/chem terror. They said Bush was "fear mongering," and made it all up.

Bunch of lying, lunatic bastards.

January 21

1924 - Vladimir Lenin died of a brain hemorrhage.

Lenin is one of the most important figures of the 20th Century...I'd like to say for better or for worse, but truth be told it was only for worse.

Sadly, as bad as the pathetic Soviet people had it under Lenin, they didn't get a reprieve after his death.  Instead they found out the real meaning of Hell - under Joseph Stalin.

1522 - Adrian Florisz Boeyens was elected Pope, as Adrian VI.

Normally I don't make much of Popes being elected, but this one is special for his previous role:  He was the leader of the Inquisition.

I've said it many times, but this event proves it as well as any, the Church has had its share of scoundrels.  Adrian was one of the most bloody.

1880 - The first sewage system which was separated from storm drains was created; in Memphis, Tennessee.

It's hard to put enough emphasis on sanitation, because as a modern American I've never lived in a place of filth...Thankfully.

1954 - The first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched at Groton, Connecticut.

Global Reach, Global Power, By Sea, Land or Air, 24/7, 365 days a year...Here's hoping President Trump will rebuild our military and restore it to it's former power - especially the Navy.

1968 - The Battle of Khe Sanh began:  U.S.-Vietnam War.

Both sides claimed victory in this battle - per normal - but the ultimate outcome was the Americans leaving the base, and the North Vietnamese laying the groundwork for the Tet Offensive.

1977 - President Carter pardoned American Vietnam War-era draft evaders and ordered a case-by-case study of deserters.

This makes me sick...Any and all draft evaders should be tried for subversive activities. Including our pathetic 41st president.

1997 - Trying to improve its tarnished image, the Democratic National Committee announced it would no longer accept money from people or companies with foreign ties and would limit contributions from labor unions and wealthy benefactors.

Hahahaha!!! This is one of the biggest lies ever told by the DNC. And that's saying a lot considering how high the bar is...It’s time they change their party logo from the Jackass to Pinocchio.

And no one has ever mastered the cash-grab from foreigners, labor unions and the super-rich more than Barack Obama and the Clintons.

January 20 (A Triple)

1265 - The first English Parliament, the Commons and the House of Lords, was called into session by the Earl of Leicester, Simon de Montfort.

This marks the beginning of a pseudo-democratic system in England, established in order to decide the methods of government administration and collecting taxes...The 'Montfort Parliament' wasn’t the same as the modern British Parliament, but its importance is huge because it's the forefather to the current English-speaking governmental systems across the globe (UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, etc).

1942 - The Wannsee Conference.  Nazi officials decided on the 'Final Solution,' calling for the extermination of Europe's Jews:  WWII.

What a glorious day for the Reich, and all of humanity's Jew-hating psychotics for that matter.

What else would you expect from the Hitlers, Himmlers, Eichmanns and Heydrichs of the world? And hey, what’s six-million Jews? If they could have, they would've killed every last one of them and then went on to the Poles, Russians, Roma, Magyrars, French, Belgians, etc., etc.

2009 - Barack Obama was inaugurated as President of the United States.

It would be idiotic to deny the importance of the first black man elected U.S. President, because it is a fantastic event in the history of this great nation...An event which could only happen in the United States of America - a nation which has never been perfect, but has always been the most fair on earth.

Sadly, Obama's inauguration also saw another barrier broken down: Barack Obama is the first truly 'Leftist President' in U.S. history...He won't be the last - nor the worst.

1320 - Wladislaw I, also known as Wladislaw the Short, was crowned King of Poland. In defeating the Knights of the Teutonic Order, he created strong foundations for one Polish nation.

Unfortunately for the Polish people Wladislaw was one of the few strong, competent rulers in their history...It's even more unfortunate the Polish nation was sandwiched between the much stronger Germans and Russians who over time brutalized and carved up their country.

1801 - John Marshall was appointed Chief Justice of the United States.

Marshall is a huge figure in American History, but sadly I'm willing to bet most Americans have no clue of his importance...They also have no clue of the danger he created in a strong court.

1920 - The American Civil Liberties Union was organized.

I just can’t do it. My children need their father and my heart might give out if I did.

1941- President Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated for a third term.

1945 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn into office for his fourth term.

I’m a Conservative, but I’m not a Roosevelt-basher. In fact, I am quite fond of FDR and believe he was a great war-time president.

That said, what an arrogant bastard. No American should have ever been president longer than Washington, who set the two-term standard...It was legal, but legal isn’t always right.

1946 - The Central Intelligence Group, later to become the Central Intelligence Agency, was established by President Truman.

The CIA has a shady reputation, but what can be expected from an organization who’s job is to spy and lie? It is a necessary evil, and has done much to protect America. Sure there have been rogue agents, and the CIA isn’t ‘lily white,’ but most of the problems of the agency are a factor of politics, which is always ugly.

1961 - John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th U.S. President. As part of his brief address he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

1. What happened to the Democrat Party? It has completely turned Kennedy’s famous phrase upside down...They've become the party of 'Ask what your country can do for you, not what you can do for your country.'

2. Why didn’t JFK give credit to Marcus Tullius Cicero for this quote?  Cicero proclaimed it almost 2,000 years before Kennedy - in Rome.

1995 - The United States announced it was easing the trade embargo in effect against North Korea since the Korean War.

Nice decision President Bill Clinton...In exchange we received many thanks from Dr. Ill.

January 19

570 (assumed date) - Mohammad, founder of Islam, was born into the Quraysh tribe in Makkah. His birthday is observed on the 12th day of Rabi ul’Awwal, the 3rd month of the lunar calendar, in a festival known as Mawlid-al-Nabi.

Mohammad brought hell to the Bedouin people of the Middle East, and his successors spread this hell throughout North Africa, most of South and Southwest Asia, Spain and Southeastern Europe...It should be noted, this 'Religion of Peace' has never been about peace, and from the very beginning has been about conquest and subjugation - which should be evident in the meaning of the word Islam:  "submission."

That said, Mohammad will go down as one of the most important people in the history of the world. Right there with Christ, Alexander, Caesar, Augustus, etc...He may end up being the most important.

1523 - In Switzerland, Ulrich Zwingli published his 67 Articles, the first manifesto of the Zurich Reformation attacking the authority of the Pope.

Zwingli was a contemporary of Luther and Calvin, and a major player in the Protestant Reformation.

1917 - The Zimmermann Note.  A coded message sent to Germany’s minister in Mexico by German Foreign secretary Arthur Zimmermann, proposing an alliance between Germany and Mexico in the event war broke out between the U.S. and Germany. Intercepted by British naval intelligence, the note proposed, among other things, "We shall give generous financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the lost territory in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona." The message was forwarded by the British to the U.S. State Department:  WWII.

I'm not quite sure why Germany thought Mexico would be a strong or reliable ally, but this note blew up in their face politically.

President Wilson wanted very little to do with the 'European squabble,' but to a certain extent his hand was forced by the belligerence of the Germans themselves. As far as Mexico goes, they had another plan to reclaim the areas listed in the 'Note' - They'd just flood the areas with people and reconquer them right under our noses, through the process of creating a demographic shift in the Southwest U.S.

1920 - The U.S. Senate rejected American membership in the League of Nations.

Why couldn't we have been so lucky in 1945? We should have answered the U.N. in the same fashion we did the League of Nations...With a huge 'HELL NO!!'

1922 - A geological survey indicated America's oil supply would be depleted in 20-years.

The Enviro-Idiots are nothing new.  They've been running around, stark mad, for decades...I often wonder what their real goal is, because they can’t possibly be this stupid.

If anything, it's pretty likely if we drill anywhere dinosaurs or sea life lived (which is everywhere) we'd probably eventually strike oil - or some other useful natural resource.

1974 - UCLA's men's basketball winning streak was ended by Notre Dame.

88 consecutive wins in a major men's sport - at any level - is insane!  But these UCLA teams were insanely good.

1977 - President Gerald Ford pardoned Tokyo Rose (Iva Toguri D'Aquino)

WHY?  Why wasn't this traitorous piece of garbage hung?  There was no reason to save her, and the fact she didn't die at the hands of an American executioner is a disgrace.

January 18 (A Triple)

1701 - Frederick III of Brandenburg was crowned as King Frederick I of Prussia.

Central Europe was about to be turned upside down, because the Prussians proved to be a brilliant people and created one of the world’s most effective military forces...It didn't take long for Britain, France, the Ottomans, Austria, Russia, and Sweden (yes, Sweden) to have to accept a seventh member to their European group of powers.

Which led to... 

1871 - William of Prussia was crowned the first German emperor - establishing the Second Reich.

From Brandenburg to Prussia, to Germany...The world was in for a terrible shock with the maturity of this group.

For those wondering what the First Reich was (I assume you know of the Third Reich - Nazis), the First Reich was the Holy Roman Empire.

Which led to...

1919 - The Versailles Peace Conference began with the agenda of drafting a treaty to settle World War I.

Look at how far little Brandenburg had come...Germany lost WWI, but the Goth was coming out of its shell, and continued to do so for the next 26-years.

The Allies should have completed the war and forced Germany to capitulate under duress...Instead they simply wounded the deadly animal, which healed and turned into a complete beast. But that's not the European way, and the barbarian was left for the Americans and Soviets to finally kill off in 1945.

1911 - The first landing of a plane on a ship.

Within 30-years this landing led to the creation of one of the most powerful military forces on Earth:  The aircraft carrier.

1943 - The USSR announced it had broken the Siege of Leningrad:  WWII.

Over a million Soviets died in this siege.  The Nazis didn't have to have it, but the Ruskies had to fight to keep it...Not only was Leningrad the birthplace of the Revolution, it was also one of most important industrial centers in the USSR, and tied up an enormous amount of German troops who could have been put to much better use elsewhere.

1943 - Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began the resistance of Nazi control:  WWII.

The Germans ultimately squashed this rebellion, but the Jews can forever look back at this battle as a model of hope for their people. Sort of a modern-day Masada...In both cases the Jews lost, but in both cases they overcame incredible odds and fought the good fight.

Sadly, it's my opinion they are in another such fight at this time with Islam...With a similar eventual fate.

1964 - The Beatles first cracked into the Billboard Chart: #35, with 'I Want to Hold Your Hand.'

From here the greatest band in history took off unlike any entertainment act ever. A truly amazing assortment of talent.

1990 - Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry was arrested in an FBI sting at a hotel in the capital. He was charged with buying and smoking crack-cocaine after being videotaped doing it. Mayor Barry was later convicted of a misdemeanor.

A MISDEMEANOR!?!?! What a joke. What's even more of a joke (but not surprising) is he was re-elected mayor after his conviction.

January 17

1991 - The U.S. Patriot Defense Missile was used in battle for the first time.  It shot down an Iraqi Scud fired at Saudi Arabia.

The Patriot defense system is truly revolutionary, because never in the history of ballistic warfare had a defensive weapon been used to intentionally eliminate an offensive weapon in use.

And for those who question the efficacy of missile defense:  The Russians and Chinese oppose and hate the development, production and placement of all types of missile defense...Which should say a lot about its effectiveness.

395 - Roman Emperor Theodosius died.

Theodosius was the last emperor to effectively rule the Roman Empire as a complete unit...Another event in a long line of events leading to the 'Fall of Rome.'

On his death, he granted his two sons parts of the Empire, which was permanently divided between the East and West...The West (Rome) fell in about 100 years, but the East (Constantinople) lasted for over 1,000 more.

1501 - The Papacy returned from Avignon to Rome.

Most people have no idea the Catholic Church went through a period where the Pope wasn't at Rome, or that there were periods of two competing Popes...Such is the ignorance of the American educational system - which is great when it comes to degenerate studies and Leftwing propaganda, but fails miserably when it comes to legitimate history.

The Catholic Church has always been a political entity, but never as much as it was during the pre-Reformation era.  It's too bad for the Church it took its fracturing, as well as being 'put in its place' by the various European princes and monarchs, before it was able to return to its primary position as the spiritual leader of the Christian world.

1821 - Mexico allowed Moses Austin and 300 U.S. families to settle in Texas.

Big mistake for the Mexicans...Huge boom for the U.S.

1935 - The League of Nations voted to award Germany the Saar Basin.

The first Nazi appeasement.

Hitler could tell from the beginning that France, Britain and the Soviets would do just about anything to avoid a fight...Unfortunately, Hitler was willing to do anything to force them to fight.

1945 - Soviet and Polish forces liberated Warsaw:  WWII.

The Soviets were nice enough to let the Poles do most of the fighting - and dying...A systematic scheme to undermine the Poles from the very beginning of their liberation.

Once again, lets not get too crazy about any sentence containing the words 'Soviet' and 'liberate.'

1946 - The United Nations Security Council held its first meeting.

Vomit In, Vomit Out!!

1964 - The PLO charter was put together with articles proclaiming Israel an illegal state, pledging "the elimination of Zionism in Palestine."

Few things are as amazing as the survival of the Jewish State in the middle of the Muslim wasteland...I’ve said for years, I don’t see how Israel can outlast its enemies. Here’s hoping I’m very wrong. Past history says I'm probably not.

1982 - 'Cold Sunday':  The U.S. saw temperatures drop to the lowest levels in over 100 years in many cities.

Had to be Global Cooling, back before Global Warming, back before Climate Change, of course...Sure.

1995 - The Kobe Earthquake:  A massive 7.2 earthquake destroyed Kobe, Japan, killing over 5,000.

Nature truly is a 'Mother.'

1997 - A French medical team removed ten bullets from Uday Hussein, son of Saddam Hussein. One bullet was still left lodged in his spine.

How nice of the French to save one of the worlds biggest psychopaths...Papa Hussein was bad, and Kim Jong Ill was a treat as well, but Uday may have taken the cake.

I’m sure the people Uday sent through the plastic shredders, or the soccer players who lost their legs for losing soccer matches, thanked these French bastards for saving Saddam's loony son...Thankfully the U.S. Military gave him a proper ending six years later.

1998 - President Bill Clinton was interrogated during a deposition in the Paula Jones case. It was the first time a sitting president was interrogated in a court case. During the nearly six hours of sworn testimony, Clinton denied he engaged in a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

This was a civil trial, not some 'right wing conspiracy'...AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES COMMITTED PERJURY!!!!!!

That said, the problem with Clinton was never about sexual relations (sadly much of America had no problem with his sexual weakness), but was about his overall lack of honesty and decency...We’ve had rogues in the White House before, but none were quite like Bubba.

Thankfully, his equal despicable wife will never be President.

2001 - The British House of Commons voted to ban fox hunting.

How pathetic for what was formerly the most powerful nation on Earth to have its federal government reduced to such stupid governance.

Sadly, the U.S. government is getting to this point, as well.

2003 - The Strategic Partnership with Africa (SPA), consisting of 15 developed nations, international lending institutions and U.N. agencies, concluded its annual meeting in Addis Ababa, agreeing to increase aid to Africa.

What a colossal joke...No one at the U.N. cares about Africa (as displayed in Rwanda, the Sudan, etc.). They just pay off African dictators in order to get their support in the Circle Jerk Group, and to steal their  natural resources.

January 16

27 B.C. – The Roman 'Imperial Era' was inaugurate when the Senate proclaimed Octavian as 'Augustus.'

Julius Caesar is much more well known, but it's debatable that Augustus is the single most important person in Roman history.

Octavian became Augustus, Augustus became 'the first citizen' (Princeps), the Republic ended and the Empire began...More important, Augustus began a period of relative peace in the Roman world, known as the Pax Romana.

But don't think for a minute there was peace.  There was a relative peace, imposed by Rome - meaning they crushed anyone who tried to break the peace...Until they became weak through decadence and sloth, and allowed their neighbors to overrun them - which brought on a thousand year period of relative chaos in Europe.

1547 - Ivan the Terrible crowned himself Czar of Russia - the first Russian ruler to assume this title.

Ivan was terrible, but he was also a great Russian ruler...Sadly this combination has proven to be more the rule than the exception in Russian history.

1556 - Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, abdicated his crown as Holy Roman Emperor.

Charles was the Charlemagne of his era, and no European ruler had an empire with such power and grand holdings until Napoleon in the 1800s...Unfortunately for his successors, Charles' holdings proved impossible to keep together.

1919 - Prohibition became law in the U.S. with the passage of the Volstead Act, which enforced and defined the 18th Amendment. It was passed over President Wilson's veto with the necessary two-thirds majority of state ratifications.

This act became effective on this day the next year (1/16/1920)...In the end, however, this amendment was a failure. Prohibition was flaunted by mobsters, bootleggers and many average American citizens throughout the country, and was eventually repealed in 1933.

1925 - Leon Trotsky was dismissed as CEO of the Russian Revolution Military Council, and Stalin took over the post.

The ‘Man of Steel’ showed his strength by devouring Lenin’s favorite, and never looked back...Soon every Soviet citizen felt his strength, and Stalin proved to be a leader comparable to Russia's first czar - Ivan the Terrible.

1939 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked for an extension of the Social Security Act to include more women and children.

One of the many attempts bastardizing the Social Security system...It was a boondoggle from the day it was instituted, and has become a political lightning-rod, as well as an economic noose around the neck of every American's future.

1944 - The U.S. First and Third Armies linked up at Houffalize, Belgium, effectively ending the Battle of the Bulge:  WWII.

The Battle of the Bulge temporarily halted the Allied offensive, but from here the route resumed and didn’t end until VE-Day.

The 'Bulge' was a failure, and it was Hitler’s last betrayal of the German people, because its short success was enough to ensure the Ruskies took Berlin before the Western Allies could get to it...A reality which doomed East Germany to 50-years of Soviet controlled Hell.

1973 - 'National Nothing Day' was first celebrated; set aside each year for people to sit around for the entire day and just hang out. No celebrating, observing or honoring anything.

Too many Americans celebrate this day everyday...These same turds vote (D) every two years as well.

1991 - The White House announced the start of Operation Desert Storm to drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. President G.H.W. Bush said in a nationally broadcast address "the battle has been joined" as fighter bombers pounded Iraqi targets. (Because of the time difference, it was early January 17 in the Persian Gulf when the attack began).

What an amazing display of planning, power and speed. As impressive as any in history.

Unfortunately, Bush didn’t remove Sadaam Hussein...The decision to leave him in power was a costly one for the U.S. and the Iraqi people.

2003 - The space shuttle Columbia blasted off on what was its final mission.

Space exploration and exploitation is definitely another frontier in America’s ‘Manifest Destiny,’ but 17 days after this shuttle's launch the world saw this fateful mission end in tragedy.

January 15

1929 - The U.S. Senate ratified the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

A group of 62 nations agreed to outlaw war, which was incredibly successful...What a pathetic JOKE!

1931: Japan invaded Manchuria.

1935: Italy invaded Ethiopia.

1936: The Spanish Civil War began...Many of Europe's players got involved as a tune-up for WWII.

1937: Japan invaded China.

1938: Germany took Austria (peacefully, hahaha), as well as the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia (peacefully as well...Thanks Nev!).

1939: Germany and the U.S.S.R. invaded Poland - then Western Europe...Europe went to war - sort of.

1939: The U.S.S.R. invaded Finland.

1941: Italy invaded Greece.

1941: Germany invaded the U.S.S.R...The European war became total.

1941: Japan attacked the U.S. at Pearl Harbor...The Pacific was now aflame.

I could do this all day, over the entire globe - FOR ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY.

The sad reality is fighting and war are part of the human condition. Always have been, always will be.

Promises of peace are a joke...There is only one way to have peace, and that is to be strong enough to thoroughly destroy your enemies, and having the will to use such force as needed.

Ultimate strength, and the willingness to use it is the only deterrence to those who threaten peace - which is just about everyone.

588 B.C. - Babylonian king Nebuchadrezzar II began a siege against Jerusalem.

The event isn't great, but the fact it is in the ancient period and is recorded is great...These kind of events are so rare they can't be taken for granted.

1535 - Henry VIII declared himself head of the English Church.

Although he was a buffoon, Henry proved to be the third most important person in the Reformation period, after Luther and Charles V...His decision to leave the Catholic Church forever separated England from the Continent, and led it down a path of greatness only matched by the Romans and Americans in the Western World.

1559 - England's Queen Elizabeth I was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

Elizabeth was one of England's greatest monarchs, and one of the most important women in the history of the world.

1870 - The Democrat Party was represented as a donkey in a cartoon by Thomas Nast in Harper's Weekly.

The Donkey was created as a representation of the Democrats kicking around the Republicans...That said, the Democrats ended up with the perfect character representing its party and ideas: The Jackass.

1919 - Peasants in Central Russia rose against the Bolsheviks.

Those who don't understand the Russian Revolution may think the Russian Communists were supposed to be for the 'peasants,' but Lenin had no intention of following Marx's ideas...Instead he tilted towards the city workers and intelligentsia.

The entire communist movement was a joke from the beginning, but Lenin and the Ruskies bastardized it to a point of simply being a 'Political Philosophy from Hell.'

1945 - The Soviet Red Army liberated the Krakow-Plaszow Concentration Camp:  WWII.

Lets not make the mistake of ever buying into sentences mixing the words 'liberate' and 'Soviet/Red Army.'

What a treat this must have been for the Jews and Poles to go from being enslaved, abused and killed by the Nazis, to being enslaved, abused and killed by the Soviets.

1951 - The U.S. Supreme Court curbed freedom of speech, ruling "clear and present danger" of incitement to riot was cause for arrest.

This took a ruling by the Supremes???? I guess 'common sense' has never been common.

1989 - NATO, the Warsaw Pact and twelve other European countries adopted a human rights and security agreement in Vienna, Austria.

Blah, blah, blah...Wasted words, and a complete waste of time.

See Kellogg-Briand at the top.

2004 - Amnesty International said more than 400 prisoners had been hanged since 1991 in Singapore, mostly for drug offenses.

Anytime you see 'Amnesty International' you know it is going to be a line of B.S...And this one is right up to par.

Singapore should be proud of itself for executing scumbags with drug offenses...We'd be much better off here in the U.S. if we did likewise. Instead we go limp on the issue, and have chosen to accept an enormous drug problem, along with all the problems drugs contribute to.

January 14

1784 - The United States ratified the Treaty of Paris, formally ending the Revolutionary War.

It took almost 10-years, but the Colonists proved to the world that Americans would never live under a monarch again.

It's important to remember how difficult it was to gain freedom, and how long it took as well...We must keep this in mind as countries around the world take their time establishing a modicum of freedom in previously tyrannical lands.

Freedom isn't free, nor is it easy to obtain...It is even more difficult to maintain.

Sadly, I'm also afraid it isn't for everyone.

1526 - Charles V and Francis I signed the Treaty of Madrid. Francis was forced to give up French claims in Burgundy, Italy and Flanders.

The reign of Charles V is one of the most impressive in all of history...His holdings were greater than that of any previous European ruler (including the Romans and Charlemagne), and matched that of any in world history.

Charles' largest holdings: He was Holy Roman Emperor (Germany, Austria, etc.), and King of Spain (including Spanish America, the Netherlands, the Low Countries and parts of Italy).

Unfortunately for Charles, his holdings were extremely contested, and he spent most of his reign defending them in almost constant warfare...There was also a German priest who raised Hell during his rule as well - Martin Luther - and the never-ending threat of invasion from the Turks.

1942 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered all U.S. aliens to register with the government:  WWII.

Sounds like a good idea. All U.S. citizens are registered with the government (birth certificates, SS#'s, etc.), so why is it such a big deal to do the same with aliens? Hmmmmm?

1963 - George Wallace was sworn in as Governor of Alabama, with a pledge of:  "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!"

I hope everyone realizes the Governor was a good ol’ Democrat...As were most of the hard-line segregationists.

Also, you know President Lincoln was a Republican right? The guy who made the Emancipation Proclamation...Ike was also a Republican president - he's the one who forced Gov. Wallace to accept segregation.

I’m sure this history isn’t properly taught in schools however, because Liberal educrats have never been too worried about history which doesn't fit their propaganda.

1980 - The U.N. General Assembly voted to "deplore" the USSR for invading Afghanistan.

Really?  What a joke!

The Soviets weren't cowed at all by this resolution, and the only thing that got them out of Afghanistan was a good ol' fashioned ass kicking by the Afghanis and their Jihadi pals.

2011 - Tunisian dictator Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia.

It's always good to see dictators deposed - even better when they are killed - but we need to be very careful in our hopes for a better Muslim world after the current crop are kicked out...What follows may be much worse.

I made that comment in 2012...I was correct, even though it must be admitted Tunisia has been much more stable than the other Arab Spring countries.