February 3 (A Triple)

1451 - Mehmed II became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Mehmed wasn't any ol' sultan - he was one of the greatest Ottoman rulers...Also known as Mehmed the Conqueror, for taking Constantinople - ending the Byzantine empire, which put an end to the Roman Empire - as well as reclaiming all of Anatolia, portions of the Balkans in Europe, and extending the empire further into Asia.

As such, the Ottoman Sultanate became not only an empire, but one of the most powerful and vibrant nations on earth.

1870 - The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting the right of citizens to vote regardless of race, color or previous condition of servitude.

For all its greatness, the Constitution and its founders failed on this issue. Many of the Founders knew they were wrong to allow slavery to continue, but they also knew the Constitution would have never been passed by the states if the issue of slavery was tackled at that time...Like most things in life, they had to serve the greater good at the expense of some obvious wrongs.

Fortunately, the Founders were brilliant enough to know the document's flaws and left it open ended with a means of righting this and other wrongs...Such was the brilliance of the amendment process.

1913 – The 16th Amendment, allowing the establishment of an income tax, was ratified. The new income tax laws included an exemption on life insurance to help widows and orphans. Also, the first $3,000 was exempted, and the top rate on incomes over $500,000 was 6%.

The Founders may have missed on the issues of the 13th-15th Amendments, but...

That said, there is no reason we shouldn’t return to the 6% top rate, and then tax consumption at a reasonable rate...Business would boom, and the government would get more money than it ever dreamed.

But this will never happen, because everyone would have to pay the consumption tax, including those who currently don’t pay income tax...The Democrats aren't about to do this to one of their primary voting bases.

1160 - Emperor Frederick Barbarossa hurtled prisoners, including children, at the Italian city of Crema, forcing its surrender.

That might have be a violation of the Geneva Conventions :)

1887 - The U.S. Congress passes the Electoral Count Act, designed to prevent the sort of confusion which marred the 1876 presidential election. Individual states were to be responsible for determining their own electoral vote counts.

The system could use a few more tweaks, but fraud will never be completely avoided...Not as long as politics is the method of choice to determine who rules the country. Which isn't perfect, but is highly preferable to civil war.

1919 - The first meeting of the League of Nations took place in Paris.

What a waste of time. Almost as much as the U.N...ALMOST!

1950 - Nuclear physicist Klaus Fuchs was arrested on spy charges. His confession revealed the Soviet Union obtained the atomic bomb from sources within the Manhattan Project.

The Ruskies would have caught up eventually, but treasonous American help definitely sped them up.

This event drastically altered the world, and led to the enslavement of many million people, because the U.S. no longer had the ultimate power to save them without having to commit millions of troops to the cause (E. Europe, Korea, China, etc).

1969 - The Palestine National Congress appointed Yasir Arafat head of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The Hitler-in-a-Headdress got a promotion...Congratulations.

1973 - President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law.

I can't imagine Nixon had any idea how drastically this law would be used to restrict production and commerce, instead of as a method to 'save our precious animals.'

Lefties were very aware of its potential future uses, however.

1998 - The state of Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker for the pick-ax killing of two people in 1983.

What’s good for the gander is good for the goose...At least it should be.

January 11

532 - The Nika Revolt: A general revolt against Byzantine emperor Justinian.

This event wasn't a revolution - it was a massive riot. One of the largest in history...It almost destroyed Justinian, which would have likely brought on a much quicker downfall of the Byzantine Empire - which was nothing less than a continuation of the Roman Empire in the East.

Luckily, Justinian's wife, Theodora, helped him 'keep his head' and gave him the inner strength to put down the riot...Not only did Justinian survive the riot, ending up the greatest Byzantine emperor, but he rebuilt Constantinople which helped strengthen the empire enough to last another 1000 years.

1879 - The Zulu War began:  South African colonials vs. Britain.

Shaka was dead, but he trained his people well...Unfortunately for the Zulus, the Brits were also trained, and had modern weapons.

1922 - Insulin was first used to treat diabetes. Leonard Thompson, from Canada, was the first patient.

Diabetes is a horrible disease, and it's hard to imagine what it would be like without the genius of such medicines.

1923 - France and Belgium occupied the Ruhr as a way to collect reparations from Germany.

I hope they collected plenty because the Ruhr was quickly reclaimed by Germany when Hitler took power, and the Germans soon returned to France and Belgium...Payback-for-payback is a bitch.

1929 - In the Soviet Union, the Bolsheviks officially reduced the workday to seven hours.

Hahahahaha!!! Those silly communists had such a way with words.

I bet if you asked any person who lived in the Soviet system how long their workday was they’d say much longer than seven hours a day...Maybe they meant seven before lunch and seven after lunch.

Oops.  I forgot, lunch was a myth, too.

1943 - The Soviet Red Army encircled Stalingrad:  WWII.

Hitler's army was enveloped, and his insistence on capturing Stalingrad was about to end in disaster...German Field Marshall von Paulus surrendered shortly after this, and the Soviet rout was on.

1944 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his 'State of the Union,' proposed a National Service Act and a new set of rights, including: a right to a job, a right of decent income to farmers, a right to a decent home, a right to medical care, etc.

Sounds like FDR was proposing the U.S. become Utopia. Unfortunately, for Liberals, America is a place situated in 'REALITY,' and is based on 'LIBERTY,' not 'EQUALITY.'

We have the freedom (Liberty) to make our lot in life. We are not owed anything except opportunity, and Equality isn’t an attainable goal, or even a goal worth wanting, because the only way to make everyone Equal is to make everyone 'MISERABLE.'

Incredibly, President Obama attempted to revive FDR's silly program...Which led to the electoral disasters of 2010-2016 for Democrats - ultimately giving rise to the presidency of Donald Trump.

1989 - 140 nations agreed to ban chemical weapons.

How many have kept this agreement?  Did the U.S. keep it?

2000 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled state employees cannot go into federal court to sue over age bias.

This sounds like a simple ‘states rights’ issue, but some cried because they’d rather have their 'Uncle' (Sam) control everything...Most notably the federal courts, and their Liberal agenda.

2002 - The first al-Qaeda prisoners arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

I'm so glad President Obama is using his last days in office freeing these poor prisoners...I'm sure we'll be much safer for such actions.

November 14

1994 - After many delays, the first trains for the public were run in the Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) under the English Channel.

The Chunnel is an awesome feet of engineering: A 50-km-long, rail tunnel beneath the English Channel at the Straits of Dover, connecting England and France...Here’s hoping the Brits have a kill-switch to blow it up the next time the Germans plow through France.

Ok, the Germans are out of the conquest business...But the Muslims aren't.

565 - Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, 'the Great,' died.

Justinian ruled the Byzantines for 38-years, and was one of the greatest of the Roman emperors, and also its last great emperor.

I hope you understand the Byzantine Empire was nothing less than the continuation of the traditional Roman Empire, but was situated in Constantinople rather than Rome...Rome may have fallen in the 400's, but the Roman Empire lasted at Constantinople well into the 1500's.

1305 - Clement V was crowned the first 'Avignon Pope.'

The Avignon Papacy (1305-1378) was a period of ‘dual Popes,’ with one in Rome (the traditional Pope), and one in France (a French puppet).

This period is also know as the 'Western Schism' or the 'Period of the Anti-Popes'...Sadly, most Americans (even Catholic Americans) have no clue of this event, but it was a major issue in its time.

1863 – Nathan Bedford Forrest was assigned to command the Confederate forces of western Tennessee:  U.S. Civil War.

N.B. Forrest is one of the greatest commanders of the Civil War, and it is lucky for the U.S. he was held in check by his own superiors. When given a chance to lead in the field, the Union forces he faced were amazed at his skill, ingenuity, and bravery, even though he was never formally trained in the military arts - He was a slave-trader, with exceptional instincts and no fear.

Oh by the way, NBF was also the first Grand Wizard of the KKK.

I highly recommend you read this fantastic book about this incredibly interesting (though terribly flawed) man: NB Forrest: A Biography.

1908 - Albert Einstein presented the Quantum Theory of Light.

I’m not going to try to explain this, but I’m sure there are some who’d like to read about it: photoelectric effect.

1935 - The Nazis deprived German Jews of their citizenship.

This is nothing compared to what was to come...It’s one thing to be 'deprived of citizenship,' and another to be ‘deprived of humanity.’

1940 - German planes bombed Coventry, England, destroying or damaging 69,000 buildings:  WWII.

How come Liberals cry about the Allied bombing of Dresden and other German cities, but never mention the ‘rain of Hell’ the Krauts dropped on the Brits and the rest of Europe?? Seems to me every bomb the Germans received was well-earned.

1969 - 'Apollo 12' blasted off for the Moon.

Apollo 12 was the second manned lunar mission, and we must make sure to never forget the greatness of those who have been there. On this trip it was:  Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F. Gordon Jr., and Alan L. Bean.

The membership of those who’ve been to the Moon is very small, hasn’t been increased in four decades, and includes only Americans.

1991 - Michael Jackson's 'Black or White' video premiered on FOX-TV.

Mikey didn't discriminate at all. He likes black little boys or white little boys...Or both at the same time.

1994 - President Clinton held one-on-one meetings with the leaders of China, Japan and South Korea, winning pledges to keep the pressure on North Korea to freeze its nuclear weapons program.

What he should have been doing was persuading China to kill Kim Jong il...There was no reasoning with him (nor his son, or grandson), and the only way to bring North Korea to the table of diplomacy is to rid it of the Kim family of nutty dictators - and yes, it's going to have to be the Chinese who finally get it done.

1998 - Iraq said it would resume cooperating with U.N. weapons inspectors as it appeared to back down in the face of a threatened U.S. attack.

I’m sure Iraqi pharmacy manufacturers were afraid of a U.S. attack, but Saddam knew Bubba didn’t have the spine to come after him.

1999 - The United Nations imposed sanctions on Afghanistan for refusing to hand over suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden.

What were they 'sanctioning?' The Afghanis only have two industries: Opium and Jihad.

November 8 (Another Huge Day)

Another day of huge events...As such each will be highlighted in blue.
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641 - Alexandria, Egypt, fell to Islam.

Alexandria was one of the greatest cities in the ancient world, but he Byzantines had no chance of holding it against the Muslim Horde...Unfortunately it will never reclaim its former greatness - not as long as it's held by barbarians who seems to 'advance in reverse', that is.

General Amr Ibn al-As's letter to Caliph Omar: "I have taken the city, which contains' 4,000 palaces, 4,000 baths, 12,000 dealers in fresh oil, 12,000 gardeners, 40,000 Jews who pay tribute, 400 theatres or places of amusement."

Needless to say, the great city has remained in Muslim hands for almost 1,400 years, and probably will for another 1,400.

1519 - Cortes entered Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztecs.

Rule #1 of Invasions: "Do not allow the invader off the beach"...And surely don’t meet and play nice with them.

Not understanding this rule cost the Aztecs - and the rest of the original Americans - their civilizations.

1864 - Abraham Lincoln was elected to his second term as U.S. President.

Thankfully George McClellan didn’t win the election, after running on a platform to 'end the war'...Which would have resulted in an untenable situation between the U.S.A. and C.S.A.

1917 - The Council of People's Commissars was established as the new government of Russia, and named Lenin as Chairman, Trotsky as Foreign Commissar and Stalin as Commissar of Nationalities.

An awesome triumvirate! Lenin and Trotsky were the brains, Stalin and Trotsky the muscle.

You should notice Trotsky made both lists...But his muscle was nowhere near that of Stalin’s, which is why Stalin became Lenin’s eventual successor.

1923 – The Beer-Hall Putsch: Adolf Hitler launched his first attempt at seizing power with a failed coup in Munich.

This was a pathetic attempt, with little more than a rag-tag group of Nazi’s...But it was a turning-point in Nazi history. A turning-point because Hitler wasn’t killed in the battle, or given a death sentence for trying to overthrow the government. Instead it showed he had to take over Germany at the ballot-box. Amazingly, he did just that in less than 10-years.

FYI: This battle is also where the brilliant, strong, energetic, Herman Goering began his decline towards becoming a pathetic, fat, degenerate...Goering was shot in the groin, which led him to pain medication addiction - as well as further addictions - obesity and megalomania.

1933 - President Franklin Roosevelt created the Civil Works Administration, designed to create jobs for more than four million unemployed Americans.

1. Creating jobs isn’t the government’s function.

2. Creating these artificial jobs didn’t work worth a damn...The Depression wasn’t halted by one single minute due to FDR's New Deal schemes.

3. The New Deal probably stagnated the economy and caused the Depression to last longer than it should have lasted.

All of which are something to keep in mind in future recessions...Sadly, it's not something the government will ever learn - because the people will never learn that it's not the job of the government, and will force the government into such poor choices.

1942 - Operation Torch began:  WWII.

This was the first large-scale action for the Americans in WWII, who landed with a combined 400,000 man Allied force...And it’s important to note this invasion was in French North Africa, against the combined German and Vichy France forces.

The Western Allies attacked Hitler’s 'Soft Underbelly,' which allowed them to eliminate the Vichy SOBs, end any chance of the Nazi’s taking the Middle Eastern oil fields, and was a much better training-ground for American troops than the European meat-grinder would have been.

Plus, it allowed the Soviets to absorb the majority of the German blow in 1942-43...Sorry Uncle Joe, you double-crossing bastard.

1942 - Hitler proclaimed the fall of Stalingrad:  WWII.

Nostradamus he was not...Instead Stalingrad became the site of Germany’s worst loss - a true 'Kessel.'

Hitler was a political genius, but militarily he was a complete moron...Thankfully!

1950 – The first jet-plane battle in history took place:  Korean War.

USAF Lieutenant Russell J. Brown shot down a North Korean MiG-15, and a new age in warfare began.

1956 – The U.N. demanded the USSR leave Hungary; a demand which was ignored.

Hahahaha! I hope I’m not the only one who finds humor in the Circle Jerk Group’s demands…They can’t even make demands on countries like Haiti, let alone the world’s superpowers. Well, except the weak-kneed U.S., that is.

1960 - Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard Nixon for the presidency in a cliffhanger.

'Cliffhanger' = Mob voter fraud?

Hmmmmmmm. I can’t find that definition in any of my dictionaries.

Make no mistake, this election in 1960 greatly influenced the Nixon team's problems in the 1972 election.

1994 - Midterm elections resulted in Republicans winning a majority in the Senate while at the same time gaining control of the House for the first time in 40-years.

It only took 2-years for Clinton to piss off enough people to lose the House and Senate...Which is part of the reason his presidency had any success.

I hope you understand the second part of that statement...Obama was forced into the same Congressional situation, but unlike Clinton he didn't learn the lessons.  Which is why his presidency was a constant battle, because he chose to 'RULE' against the will of the people.

1994 - California voters approved Proposition 187, designed to deny education and social services and non-emergency health care to illegal aliens.

Voters passed the initiative by a 59% to 41% margin...But the courts immediately blocked the new law, and have tied up the measure to this day.

So much for the 'will of the people'...It's funny how Liberals are all for denying 'democracy' when it doesn't fit their needs, but cling to it when it does.  Funny in a sick way, that is.

1997 - Chinese engineers diverted the Yangtze River to make way for the Three Gorges Dam, the most ambitious construction project in modern China's history.

This is an awesome project, matching that of any in the history of the world.

My favorite part is the Chinese government more or less telling people in the way of the new water-flow to 'get out of the way or become part of the project'...Such is the value of life when you hit the billion people mark. Or in Communist countries.

August 25 (A Double)

291 B.C. - Poison gas was first used in warfare, by the Chinese.

Look at how far the Chinese were in advance of the West on this matter - thousands of years.

"War is all Hell." - General William T. Sherman...Sherman was correct, and as such war should be about winning. Nations shouldn't go to war unless they are willing to risk extermination.

Yes, I know this makes me a super-radical, but if people fully understood the possible results of going to war there would likely be fewer of them.

325 - The Council Of Nicaea ended with the adoption of the Nicene Creed, establishing the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.

The Church has had many meetings of doctrine and practice, but few have been as important as this one...Many precedents were established at Nicaea, and none were more important than the issue of the Trinity and date of Easter.

"The question, touching the day for the celebration of the Feast of Easter, was settled. It was to be kept on the first Sunday after the first ‘Calendar’ full moon, happening upon, or next after, the 21st of March; and if the full moon happened on a Sunday, Easter-day was to be the next Sunday following."

716 - The Siege of Constantinople began.

One of the many 'sieges' of the great city, and one it survived. Amazingly the Byzantines held out against the Muslim Horde - as well as Christian Crusaders - for another 800+ years!!!

1940 - The British Air Force dropped its first bombs on Berlin during an overnight raid:  WWII.

There were many more to come...Especially when the Americans finally got in the game.

1944 - Paris was liberated when the local German commander, General Choltitz, surrendered to the allies:  WWII.

The French still haven’t recovered from being rescued by the Brits and Americans...It’s not beyond the realm of possibility they’d rather have remained German than be saved by these two.

Think that sounds crazy?  Just look at how quickly they surrendered to the Germans in the first place.

1950 - President Truman ordered the U.S. Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike.

Of course he did. Unions can’t be allowed to break the nation’s infrastructure...Which is exactly why Reagan stuck it to the air traffic controllers in the 1980’s.

1989 - Congressman Barney Frank acknowledged hiring a male prostitute as a personal employee, then firing him after suspecting the aide was selling sex from Frank's apartment.

I’m sure the good people of Massachusetts loved having a Congressman with a whore house for an office...Can you imagine if this were a Republican soliciting sex instead of a Democrat doing so?

I’m sure this makes me a Right-Wing radical, too.

1999 - The FBI reversed itself after six years, admitting its agents might have fired some potentially flammable tear gas canisters on the final day of the 1993 standoff with the Branch Davidians near Waco, Texas, but said it continued to believe law enforcement agents did not start the fire which engulfed the cult's compound.

Which is exactly why Janet Reno is properly known as Janet 'Sterno'...Can you imagine if Bush or Trump did anything like this?

August 15 (A Double)

1096 - The First Crusade set out for Jerusalem.

A Battle of Civilizations was about to begin...A battle which neither side won, and neither side lost - to this day.

The West won many battles, but couldn’t invest and control the Middle East...On the flip side, Islam was kept at bay by the Crusaders, and was never able to conquer Central Europe.

1945 - V.J. Day: Japan agreed to surrender unconditionally, ending WWII. In a recorded radio message, Emperor Hirohito called upon the Japanese people to "bear the unbearable" and lay down their arms.

Don't forget WWII started in 1937 with Japan invading China, not in 1939 with the Germans invading Poland...And please don't feel sorry for the Japanese or Germans, regardless of how revisionist historians play games with the history of the war. Both deserved the ass kicking they received - and then some.

That said, almost 60,000,000 people were killed as a result of this war, and the world was turned upside down...Sadly, there will eventually be a third, and who knows what the damage and outcome will be. 

636 - The Battle at Yarmuk: Islamic forces beat a Byzantine army and gained control of Syria.

Islam was on the march, and the Byzantines were in the process of a long decline...A deadly reality for the Western world.

778 - Charlemagne's rear guard, returning from Spain, was attacked by Muslim Basques.

This headline is confusing if you don't understand Spain was a Muslim country at this time...If you come here daily you should already know this, though, and Charlemagne and the Franks were the only force which kept Islam from sweeping through Western Europe.

Of note in this battle is the death of Roland, Charlemagne’s 'right hand,' whose death was a terrible blow to the great king...It was also an event which put Charlemagne on the offensive, keeping Islam isolated in Spain.

I highly recommend you read The Song of Roland, one of the greatest books of the Middle Ages, and a great story for all time.

1620 - The Mayflower set sail from Southampton with 102 Pilgrims.

These Puritans could have met the same fate as the settlers at Roanoke (probably should have), but they were destined to survive...And a great nation emerged from their founding.

1914 - The Panama Canal opened.

The Canal is an awesome engineering achievement, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and should be put right up  with any of the ‘Wonders of the World’...Ancient or modern

1947- The Indian Independence Bill created the two independent states of India and Pakistan, after some 200-years of British rule.

Two nations with awesome and terrible potential...Both have proven nuclear capability and both border some of the world’s hot spots:  China, Afghanistan, Iran, etc.

Oh, and they have ancient hatred for each other, for various ethnic and religious reasons - with nukes and missiles to deliver them...Both will be major players on the world stage in the 21nd Century - for better or worse.

1961 - East Germany began building the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall was a terrible monument to the reality of the Cold War...I wasn't alive when it went up, but remember the day 'The Wall' came down, and still get tears in my eyes at the event of it falling.

1971 - President Nixon announced a plan to help the economy recover from the costs of the Vietnam and Cold Wars - freezing wages and rents for 90-days.

Oh goody, the government threw itself even more into the lives of the American people - specifically the economy...So, how'd that work out?

The Down Jones went up!  For one day...Followed by a dismal economy for a decade...Genius!!!

That said, it's predictable, and should be a warning to our overlords to quit trying to 'help'.

2001 - Astronomers announced the discovery of the first solar system outside our own.

We are not alone...We have no understanding of the enormity and power of the universe, and must admit we (Earth) are but one of what is possibly millions of planets with life on them (or not). The more we search, the more we will find.

2005 - Israel began to pull out from the Gaza Strip.

This is working out great for the Israelis...Not! As predicted by anyone willing to admit the truth about the Palestinians.

August 1 (A 5'er)

527 - Justinian I became the sole Byzantine Emperor.

There was only one great 'Roman' emperor after the fall of Rome; his name was Justinian...His most famous work was the creation of the Justinian Code, but he also expanded the Byzantine Empire militarily, and was a proponent of the Church - it hadn't split at this time.

Justinian is also a saint in the Orthodox Christian tradition.

1619 - The first twenty blacks landed in the territory of the modern United States - at Jamestown, Va.

A big day, on many levels...Of course slavery was horrible, and can't be looked at in any other light. But I wonder if some good came of it for blacks?

It sounds insensitive, but I often wonder if American blacks would rather still be in Africa?

Africa is the Hell-pit of the Earth, and its population suffers mightily - especially sub-Saharan Africa...If they could turn back time, would American blacks wish their forefathers to have been left alone in Africa?

I think the instant answer would be YES!! But I wonder if this answer would be the same if thought through.

1834 - The British Empire outlawed slavery.

This was a huge event in the global slave trade, because the Brits controlled the seas, and used its navy to slow the transit of slaves from Africa to Europe and the New World.

The unfortunate aspect of it was slavery in the Americas was such a 'necessary' source of labor, a new system was devised to continue acquiring slaves: Chattel Slavery...They were bred, born and traded as a commodity, and often separated from their family.

1914 - Germany declared war on Russia, France mobilized against Germany, and Italy declared its neutrality:  WWI.

Austria v. Serbia would have been a small matter, but the introduction of Germany, Russia and France into the war made it a huge issue - a World War...Italy declaring neutrality was just its way of saying it was waiting to see which was going to be the winning side.

1992 - Pero married his wonderful wife - Melissa.

A life-changing day, the likes of which I hadn't had since I was eight years old, and didn't have again until my children came along.

I love you, Melissa!

1794 - The Whiskey Rebellion.

This was the second great internal battle in the new nation (after the 1786 Shays Rebellion), and one President Washington attacked head on...Thankfully, because it had the possibility of splitting the country.

Washington looked at this as a chance to test federalism, and along with Alexander Hamilton took the necessary steps to put the rebellion down.

1881 - The U.S. Quarantine Station was authorized at Angel Island, San Francisco Bay.

Oh what most Americans would give to have such an entity re-established at every port of entry.

But this wouldn't be fair to those coming over with HIV, AIDS, TB, Hep A/B/C, WMD, etc...I can already picture the ACLU running amok, defending the right to enter the U.S. with diseases and weapons from Hell.

1936 - Adolph Hitler opened the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin.

Last I checked the Olympic 'Ideal' is everything the Nazi's weren't...But if one takes a closer look, both are/were little more than groups of crooked scumbags.

Thankfully Jesse Owens was there to stick it up Der Fuhrer's ass...Sadly, within three years Hitler was marching on the very neighbors who allowed him to host this pathetic spectacle.

1944 - An uprising broke out in Warsaw, Poland against Nazi occupation, which lasted two months before collapsing:  WWII.

Too little, too late for the Poles, but within a few months they were 'liberated'...A cruel joke, considering their new masters (the Soviets) were little better than their old ones.

1966 - Britain disbanded the Colonial Office, ending the British Empire.

The Empire had been over for a long time, but this marks its legal ending...That said, there are still many members of the 'Commonweatlh', and Britain is still a major player on the world stage - as America's best ally.

1975 - The Helsinki Pact: Guaranteeing boundaries and civil rights in Europe.

Hahahahaha! The only thing guaranteeing anything for the Euros is the might of the United States, and the 'Peace Americana' it has established.

If left to their own, the Euros would continue their centuries old game of never-ending warfare...And to a certain extent the French and Germans are continuing to do so, but through the methods of E.U. politics and euro monetary strangulation instead of war.

Also, the Ruskies are still at the eastern fringe of Europe, and they won't be weak forever - as we've seen in Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, etc...And let's never forget the Muslims to the south and east haven't given up their intentions of conquering - or re-conquering - Europe.  If they're smart, they'll quit with the business of jihad, and simply overtake Europe the process of breeding.

Never forget these two truths:

"War is the continuation of Politics by other means." - Carl von Clauswitz
"Politics is the continuation of War by other means." - Poison Pero

May 29

1453 - The Byzantine Empire fell to Turkish Sultan Mehemet II, who captured Constantinople.

This is the 'real date' of the Fall of the Roman Empire...The Western capital (Rome) fell in the 5th Century, but the Eastern capital lasted for almost another 1,000 years.

It's sad this isn't properly taught in schools. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not - probably not.

The splendor of the Byzantines was every bit as impressive as that of Rome, and the power of the Roman Empire was centered in the East long before the West fell.

Unfortunately, I see no way the West ever regains this magnificent piece of territory...Not so much because the Islamic world is so powerful, but because the West has become to pathetic to reclaim it.

1765 - Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act before Virginia's House of Burgesses. Responding to a cry of "Treason!," Henry replied, "If this be treason, make the most of it!"

Henry is one of my favorite Patriots, and one of the leading advocates of revolution...Check out some of his famous quotes, and you'll see why I'm so fond of him.

1864 - Archduke Maximilian of Austria arrived in Mexico to become Emperor.

Gotta love the a Euros trying to reestablish themselves in the Western Hemisphere while the U.S. was in the middle of a civil war.

It's too bad Lincoln didn't have a few extra divisions to send to Mexico and mop up on these pukes...Pathetically, the Euro-scum couldn't even handle the Mexican force, which tossed them out.

1943 - Meat and cheese rationing began in the U.S.:  WWII.

CALL OUT THE ACLU(seless)...How dare the government restrict anyone's liberty of eating meat and cheese!!!

Of course we were in the middle of a world war, but this would mean nothing to the current group of anti-American POS's...In fact, they'd probably be crying we had no business fighting Germany, because they didn't attack us.

2001 - The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case of Elkhart v. Books, letting stand the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling that the display of the Ten Commandments on an Elkhart, Indiana, city monument was in violation of the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

How ridiculous!! Most of the laws we have are based on a scriptural reference or concept...And the Bible (Old and New) has always been a motivating force behind American justice.

I'm sure they'd have no problem if a judge decided to post the Code of Hammurabi, though! Which was codification of religious laws as well, but it isn't Judeo-Christian so it would pass...Hell, they'd probably allow Sharia to be posted, as well.

May 11

330 - Constantinople, named after Emperor Constantine and built over the ancient city of Byzantium, was dedicated as the new capital of the Roman Empire.

This was one of the greatest cities in the ancient world, and succeeded Rome as capital of the 'Roman Empire' after the fall of the Western Empire...I hope you understand the Roman Empire was much greater than Rome itself, and continued on for another thousand years after the 'fall of Rome.'

If you did not know this, you must come back to this blog more regularly.

You should also know, this great city is now Istanbul, Turkey.

1864 - The Battle of Yellow Tavern: U.S. Civil War.  J.E.B. Stuart was mortally wounded.

Lee lost Stonewall at Chancellorsville, and here he lost his next most trusted commander...Stuart was no Stonewall, but those who followed him weren’t his equal either; the result of which was another factor in the final Confederate defeat.

1960 - Israeli agents captured Adolf Eichmann in Argentina.

Eichmann was a special Nazi, as Head of the Gestapo Jewish Section (Final Solution), with the nickname of 'Chief Executioner of the Reich'...He escaped his day at Nuremberg but could not run forever from the Nazi Hunters, and received justice at the end of a rope in 1962.

Eichmann's last words: "I was just following orders."

That's what they all said.

1994 - Arkansas put to death two convicted murderers.  It was the first time a state executed two people on the same day since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to restore the death penalty in 1976.

What a beautiful day...Every murderer and  every rapist should be executed, and the more they do per-day the better.

1995 - A United Nations conference indefinitely extended the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which was originally set to expire after 25 years.

Hahahaha!! What a waste of time...These ‘pie-in-the-sky’ morons have such wonderful ideas, but exactly how are they going to prevent nations from joining the Nuke Club?

Truth is, if the U.S. doesn't stop other nations from getting nukes, no one will...Least of all the clowns at the U.N.

April 4

1968 - Civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis.

The Reverend wasn’t a perfect man, but he was the perfect Civil Rights leader. His message of peaceful disobedience and cultural assimilation is the only one which would have worked, and had the movement been led by any other type of leader it would have failed...Sadly this has become evident by the clowns who have succeeded MLK and bastardized his efforts.

527 - Justinian I was crowned Byzantine Emperor.

Justinian was one of the greatest ‘Roman’ emperors, and his rule marks the complete demarcation between the ancient Empire and the Byzantine Empire proper...That said, I hope you understand the Byzantine Empire was the Roman Empire.

1581 - Frances Drake completed his second circumnavigation of the world.

Drake was one of the 'astronauts' of his time...And an excellent pirate, too.

1818 - The U.S. Congress decided the Flag of the United States would consist of 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars, with a new star to be added for every new state of the Union.

”I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, One nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”

1896 - Gold was discovered in the Yukon, Alaska.

’Seward’s Folly’ proved to be very profitable...And then came the discovery of oil in Alaska, which made it incredibly profitable.

The Ruskies have to be kicking themselves on this one.

1945 - Hungary was liberated from Nazi occupation:  WWII.

Always be mindful of the word 'liberated' when it comes to the Russian Theatre of WWII...I’m quite certain the Hungarians would doubt they were 'liberated' by their soon-to-be Soviet overlords.

1949 - Representatives of eleven nations gathered in Washington, D.C. to sign the North Atlantic Treaty, creating the NATO alliance.

NATO, a dubious alliance since its inception, had a purpose as an alliance against Soviet aggression...That said, the dissolution of the Soviet Union should have led to the dissolution of NATO. Especially if our European 'friends' refuse to play a much bigger role in the alliance - financially and in personnel.

1973 - The ribbon was cut to open the World Trade Center in New York City.

On 9/11/01 the WTC disappeared...Never Forget. Never Forgive!!

1988 - The Arizona Senate convicted Governor Evan Mecham on two charges of official misconduct and removed him from office. Mecham was the first U.S. governor to be impeached and removed from office in nearly six decades.

I was only 17, but was in Arizona during this time, and Mecham shouldn’t have been impeached...He was a jackass, and an embarrassment to the state, but he committed no criminal acts or impeachable offenses. And if we impeached every political jackass there would be many empty political offices.

1989 - Democrat Richard Daley was elected mayor of Chicago.

Compared to Mecham, Daley should have been an absolute impeachment possibility...There have been few bigger crooks in American politics. Well, I guess his father may have been a bigger crook.

1992 - Bill Clinton's campaign acknowledged Clinton received an induction notice in April 1969 while attending college in Oxford, England; Clinton said the notice arrived after he was due to report, and his local draft board told him he could complete the school term.Considering Bubba’s history of truth-telling (or lack of it), I’m sure you believe this claim.

HOW DID WE ELECT A DRAFT-DODGING COMMANDER-in-CHIEF??? I know some of you did!!!

1995 - Francisco Martin Duran, who raked the White House with semi-automatic rifle fire in October 1994, was convicted in Washington of trying to assassinate President Bill Clinton. Duran was later sentenced to 40-years in prison.

I just don’t get it: Why isn’t an attempt on the President a capital crime? Even an attempt on a POS president like Clinton should lead to the shooter’s death.

April 2

1963 - The USSR launched Luna 4 - it missed the Moon by 8,500 km.

1966 - The Soviet Union's Luna 10 became the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.

It's easy to rip on the Soviet space program for its flaws, but it's important to be honest enough to admit they had an awesome program and were ahead of the Americans in many ways in these early years of space exploration...Partly due to their willingness to take human losses - which is something the U.S. rightly chose not to absorb.

999 - Gerbert of Aurillac was elected the first French Pope.

The period of the 'Dual Papacy' is very complicated, and unknown to most Catholics. What's important to know is the reason for this event was due to politics, not religion...This has been the case for much of the history of the Church.

1453 - Mehmed II began the siege of Constantinople.

The great city fell on May 29, 1453, and the Roman Empire finally came to an end...The fact the Eastern Empire lasted 1,000 years longer than the Western Empire is a near miracle. How it survived 700 years of constant Islamic attacks is almost as impressive.

1513 - Explorer Juan Ponce de León claimed Florida for Spain.

The New World had been Spanish for decades, but de Leon opened a whole new region to Spanish domination with the founding of Florida...Luckily the Spanish were never able to get as strong a hold on the territory of the modern-day U.S.

It's amazing to see what became of every former Spanish conquest, compared to that of those ruled by England and France (primarily England)...The difference is massive, and I've often wondered if the difference is due to Spain or due to Catholicism?

1559 - Treaty of Le Cateau-Cambresis: Ended the Habsburg-Valois War.

This treaty was a British-French agreement ending the war between Spain and France, which was fought over control of Italy...If that explanation makes your head spin it should, but such was the state of dynastic wars in 16th Century Europe - make that most of post-Roman European history.

The result of the treaty was Spain kept control of Italy...The truth of this result was it merely began a new phase of battles over control of Italy.

1792 - The U.S. Congress passed the Coinage Act, authorizing the establishment of the U.S. Mint.

The new nation was growing up, and no nation can be truly independent without its own currency.

1865 - Confederate President Davis, and most of his Cabinet, fled the capital of Richmond, Virginia:  U.S. Civil War.

1865 - After a ten-month siege, Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant captured the trenches around Petersburg, Virginia, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee led his troops on a desperate retreat westward:  U.S. Civil War.

The Confederates were on the run and nearly surrounded...The war was coming to an end, but there were still five days of killing left.

1866 - President Andrew Johnson ended the state of war in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Almost a year after the war ended and a state of war still existed...It was many more years before Union troops left the South.

Keep this in mind with all of our wars, because winning wars is often easier than winning the peace.

1876 - The Philadelphia A's and Boston Red Caps played the first National League game, in Philadelphia.

Baseball is the great American game, and this game began Major League Baseball history...It's important to remember this wasn't the first game or the first league, however.

The National League, officially known as the 'National League of Professional Baseball Clubs,' replaced the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, and to this day is the longest running professional sports league in the United States...And please don't try to pull out some obsolete sports league, because I only recognize baseball, football, basketball and hockey as legitimate American sports.

1917 - President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany:  WWI.

"...the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured…The world must be made safe for democracy."

President Wilson's War Message

1917 - Jeannette Rankin became the first female member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

I'd be much more excited about this event if Rankin wasn't such a POS.

For the record:  She voted against entering WWI and WWII...The only congressman with such a dubious honor.

1980 - Wayne Gretzky became the first teenager to score 50 goals in an NHL season.

'The Great One' was the most dominant athlete in the history of North American team sports...Yes, he was greater than Babe Ruth, and he was much more dominant than Michael Jordan.

Amazingly, this 50 goal season was a mere blip on his path towards destroying every important offensive record.

1982 - Several thousand troops from Argentina seized the disputed Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic, from Britain.

Argentina thought the Brits would flinch...Before and after Margarette Thatcher they may have been correct. Unfortunately for them, this was during the time of the Iron Lady.