March 2

1296 - Pope Boniface VIII proclaimed the 'Bull of Clericis Laicos.'

Boniface’s decree stated no layperson (including kings) had the right to demand taxation from the clergy without consent from the Pope...A powerful decree, but one destined to failure.

The Dark/Middle Ages were a time of papal supremacy, but the European kings of the 13th-16th Centuries challenged the power of the Church in their attempts to consolidate power within their kingdoms...The power-struggle was eventually won by the kings, who used the Reformation as a tool to crush Catholic domination in their lands. Which is why the Reformation is as much of a political movement as a religious one - as is the Catholic Church.

274 - Mani, prophet and founder of Manichaeism, died in a Persian prison.

Manichaeism was one of the great religions of the ancient world, and was a direct threat to Zoroastrianism (official religion of Persia) and Christianity.

Obviously, Manichaeism was defeated as a religion but has played a huge roll in Christianity, through the teachings of St. Augustine...Prior to accepting Christianity, Augustine was a Manichean and many of his teachings incorporated his previous religious beliefs, which have been passed down to this day.

1877 - Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election over Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden won the popular vote and was just one electoral vote shy of victory.

The 2000 Election wasn’t the first contested election, and it wasn’t even the most hotly contested...Had the Democrats not attempted to steal it, the 2000 Election wouldn’t have been a Constitutional issue at all. Especially when compared to America's previous election battles.

1897 - President Grover Cleveland vetoed legislation requiring a literacy test for immigrants.

I'd settle for an English test?  Especially considering the amount of Americans who are illiterate.

1917 - Congress passed the Jones Act, which made Puerto Rico a U.S. territory and its inhabitants U.S. citizens.

Puerto Rico should either become a state or be given complete independence...But the reality is they have the best of both worlds: Semi-independence, with American welfare.

1923 - Benito Mussolini admitted women should have a right to vote, but declared the time was not right.

Only a dictator could get away with spinning such illogical B.S.

1939 - The Massachusetts Legislature voted to ratify the Bill of Rights, 147-years after the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution went into effect.

I didn’t know this. How disgusting...But not unexpected from the Massachusetts Soviet Socialist Republic.

1962 - Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game.

100 points in one game, and because it was before the modern era very few people saw it - or will ever see it, because there is no film of the game.

An amazing feat which will never be matched - no other player has ever scored more than 81 in a game (Kobe Bryant).  Even Michael Jordan never got in the 70's...Only four players have ever scored 60+ in a game:  Kobe did it 6 times, Jordan 5 times, and Elgin Baylor did it 4 times.  Wilt did it 32 times!

In fact, in the modern-day NBA some teams average scoring less than 100 points per game.

Wilt was truly a man-among-boys.  The most dominant player ever - even if he's not the greatest.

2004 - NASA scientists reported the Mars rover 'Opportunity' discovered evidence water was once present on the Martian surface.

Can you imagine the excitement there would be if LIFE was found on Mars...It would be amazing.

Surprisingly, LIFE IN THE WOMB isn’t nearly as cherished...Not in Liberalville, that is.

February 17

1801 - The U.S. House of Representatives chose Thomas Jefferson as the third President of the United States. Aaron Burr, who tied with Jefferson in the Electoral College, became Vice President.

Burr was a true American scoundrel, and it was an enormous blessing for the nation that Jefferson was chosen by the House...It's hard to imagine such a great man as Jefferson being passed over for Burr, but due to a glitch in the Electoral College counting system it could have happened.

Also, this event is a reminder the 2000 Election wasn’t the first time the Presidency was in question, and was by no means a 'Constitutional Crisis'...If anything it was an opportunity for the Constitution to prove itself.

1947 - The 'Voice of America' began broadcasting to the Soviet Union.

It would be a good idea to do likewise in the Middle East, instead of leaving the information void to be filled by Islamic propagandists...Nah!

1993 - President Bill Clinton addressed a joint session of Congress, asking Americans to accept one of the biggest tax increases in history as part of a plan to curb massive budget deficits and stimulate the economy.

How on Earth did he come to the conclusion a 'tax increase' would in any way 'stimulate the economy?'...The way to stimulate the economy is to lower tax rates, and significantly lower government spending.

Clinton was lucky he had the Republican Congress and 'Computer Revolution' at his back, and also that he didn't bother to spend money on the military (which came back to bite us after 9/11/01). Unfortunately, the result of this luck was the Democrats didn't properly learn the lesson of 'taxing to stimulate'...We re-learned this lesson under Barack Obama instead.

1995 - A Federal judge allowed a lawsuit claiming U.S. tobacco makers knew nicotine was addictive and manipulated its levels to keep its customers addicted.

I have no doubt this is correct...Yet the same government continues to subsidize tobacco companies.

1998 - President Bill Clinton, preparing Americans for possible air strikes against Iraq, said military force is never the first answer "but sometimes it's the only answer."

It would have been nice for Bubba to acknowledge Bush reached this point...Nah, that wouldn't have fit into the 'Bush is the Devil' theme the Democrats played for eight years.

Also, I thought Liberals always say "war is never the answer.”

2003 - European Union leaders declared their solidarity with the United States, warning Saddam Hussein that Iraq faced one "last chance" to disarm peacefully but calling war a last resort.

Nothing but a bunch of talk, in the hope of covering their own bribes and scandals.

February 11 (A Double)

1945 - President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement.

I’m a Conservative ‘hawk,’ but it is foolish for anyone to claim FDR 'gave up Eastern Europe and Berlin' to the Soviets at Yalta...We weren't going to war with the Soviets to save Eastern Europe, and were not going to beat the Ruskies to Berlin.

Sure Roosevelt was on his deathbed, but he did not betray anyone, and wasn’t swindled by Stalin.

Plus, from the very beginning of the war, the Western allies main goal was to defeat Germany and contain them in the future - at the time, 50-years was a pipe dream...The Soviets were a strong force on the Eastern flank, and to this day the Germans are still cowed from their resounding defeat - proving the 50-year goal to be much more achievable than anyone could have hoped for.

The one ‘mistake’ FDR did made at Yalta was pushing so hard to get Soviet involvement in the Japanese theatre of battle. It was completely unnecessary at this point of the war, and proved terribly costly because it was Uncle Joe’s excuse to openly intervene in China and Korea.

1979 - Followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power in Iran, nine days after the religious leader returned to his home country following 15-years of exile.

Thank you Jimmy Carter...This should have been stopped before it began, but he didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to assassinate the 'Lenin of the Middle East.' We will continue to pay dearly for this mistake, because this joke-of-a-president was unwilling to take care of the situation while it was possible at a minimal cost.

660 B.C. - Japan was founded by Emperor Jimmu Tenno.

Of course this date is mythical, but it's a great story, for a great culture and people...Here’s hoping they are our perpetual allies, because their genius and national discipline would combine to make a terrible foe - again!

1650 - Rene Descartes died.

Many will say: 'Who cares?' (myself included)...The reason this event is memorable is because most historians link his death with the end of the Renaissance Period.

1847 - Thomas Alva Edison was born.

Thankfully this genius was born long before the days of mass abortion.

I wonder how many Edison’s, Einstein’s, Da Vinci’s, Newton’s, etc., have been executed in the womb during the Prenatal Holocaust? Odds are, at least a few with such brilliance are killed off in the 45,000,000 abortions per year worldwide.

1904 - President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed strict neutrality for the U.S. in the Russo-Japanese War.

This war was so short it wouldn’t have mattered if T.R. proclaimed our alliance with either, because by the time we would have gotten there the war would have been over.

1943 - General Dwight Eisenhower was selected Supreme Allied Commander of all Allied armies in Europe:  WWII.

Ike was the perfect ‘political-general’ for the difficult task of invading the Continent with a multi-national force...He didn’t have the tactical genius of Patton or the strategic and logistical genius of Marshall (who outranked him), but it is doubtful any other general could have molded such a perfect Allied force.

1975 - Margaret Thatcher became the first female leader of a British political party when she was elected leader of the Conservatives.

The 'Iron Lady' was a great leader, and proved to be the third most important person in the downfall of the USSR...After President Reagan and Pope John Paul II.

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 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 5

1919 - The German Workers Party - later known as the National Socialist (Nazi) Party - was formed in Germany.

It isn’t amazing Germany fell under the spell of Hitler and his nutty Nazis.  It could happen again; it could happen anywhere - including in the U.S., because people in general are want for a strongman...What's amazing is how so many psychopaths were able to gather in one place and function as well as they did. It would have been much more natural for them to cannibalize one another much faster than they did.

1066 - English King Edward the Confessor died.

Edward died without a son, and allegedly promised the English crown to Norman duke, William...But before he died, he named another man as his successor - Earl of Essex Harold.

Harold became King on January 6, but William never forgot the 'promise' Edward made.  And it wasn't long until William came to stake claim to that promise.

1349 - Jews were massacred at Nuremberg during Black Death riots.

'The Jews poisoned the wells, causing the Plague'...People in the Middle Ages were scientifically ignorant, and it's always been easy to blame the Jews for just about anything - not just in Germany, either.

1781 - A British naval expedition, led by Benedict Arnold - infamous American traitor - burned Richmond, Virginia:  American Revolutionary War.

Arnold was one of the true heroes of the American Revolution, but he was a narcissist who didn't feel he received 'enough love' from Washington and the political leadership, so he turned.  It's too bad, because had he stayed the course, Arnold would have went down in American history below only George Washington and Nathaniel Greene as military leaders in the War for Independence.

1896 - German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays.

The Germans were far ahead of the rest of the world scientifically at this time, and continued its domination throughout WWII...Sadly, they made far too much use of this genius destroying their neighbors and themselves, instead of creating such things as medical x-ray technology.

1945 – The 'House Un-American Activities Committee' (HUAC) became a permanent House committee.

With the modern-day Benedict Arnold's running around, it would be nice to see Congress revive this long-since-dead, 'permanent House committee.'

1948 - Alfred Kinsey's 'Sexual Behavior in the Human Male' was published.

How many little boys were raped by Kinsey's subjects in order to get his deviant research? I'm sure a few little girls were 'test subjects,' too.

1993 - The state of Washington executed Westley Allan Dodd, an admitted child sex-killer, in America's first legal hanging since 1965.

All sexual predators should face execution...I guarantee if we killed enough of them the level of sexual crimes would drop.

December 31

406 - Vandals, Alans and Sueves invaded Roman Gaul.

Time for a history lesson (I'm not sure where the following reference comes from; probably one of my old reference books - but I don't want to have anyone think it is all my own.)

The Alans or Alani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike pastoralists of mixed backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian Language
- The Sarmatians, Sarmatae or Sauromatae (the second form is mostly used by early Greek writers, the other by the later Greeks and the Romans) were a people whom Herodotus put on the eastern boundary of Scythia beyond the Tanais (Don River). They were Iranian people akin to the Scythians (Saka).
- Scythia was an area in Eurasia inhabited in ancient times by an Iranian people known as Scythians. The location and extent of Scythia varied over time from the Altai region where Mongolia, China, Russia and Kazakhstan come together to the lower Danube River area and Bulgaria. Saka are Asian Scythians.

The Sueves, Suebi or Suevi were a Germanic people whose origin was near the Baltic Sea.
- The term Germanic peoples or Germanic tribes applies to the ancient Germanic peoples of Europe. The Germanic tribes spoke mutually intelligible dialectics and shared a common mythology and story telling, for instance Beowulf and the Volsunga Saga.

The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe who entered the late Roman Empire, and created a state in North Africa, centered on the city of Carthage. The Vandals probably gave their name to the province of Andalusia (originally, Vandalusia), in Spain, where they temporarily settled before pushing on to Africa.

Needless to say, by this time the Roman Empire was in its death throes, and these were just three of the many barbarian tribes in the process of overrunning it.

1775 - George Washington ordered recruiting officers to accept free blacks into the army.

How sad...Blacks were good enough to fight for America's independence, but not to receive it themselves.

Such is the cruelty of history...Luckily, hundreds of thousands of white Americans fought to right this injustice less than 100 years later.

1946 - President Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.

The war had been over for a year, but the killing was nowhere near ended...Winning the peace is often as hard as winning the war.

1964 - Syrian-based al-Fatah guerrillas of Yasser Arafat launched their first raid on Israel with the aim of provoking a retaliation and sparking an Arab war against Israel.

50-years later and nothing has changed...How the Israelis have survived, surrounded by the Islamic horde, is a miracle.

The question is, can they continue; or, how long can they continue?

1987 - Robert Mugabe was sworn in as Zimbabwe's first executive president.

Mugabe may be called President by the jackasses at the U.N., but here in Peroville he is nothing more than a butcher...But then again, the rest of the world accepted Saddam Hussein as well.

In the eyes of the U.N., Mugabes and Saddams are good, but George Bush is bad...Which is why the U.N. is nothing more than a Circle Jerk Group.

1998 - Europe's leaders proclaimed a new era when eleven nations merged currencies to create the euro, a shared money they said would boost business, underpin unity and strengthen their role in world affairs.

Many Americans are worried about how well the Euro has performed against the Dollar, but the Dollar is 'tried & true,' and the Euro is the monetary system of a group of people who will never stay together...Sure the Euro was hot for a decent period of the early 21st Century, but long term I'd put my money on the Dollar.

1999 - Russian President Boris Yeltsin announced his resignation and handed power over to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

His status in our time is iffy, but history will be kind to Yeltsin - it will take awhile, however...It will be interesting to see about Putin.  So far he has proven to be a chameleon, but like most Russian strongmen I'm betting he comes out ok - by Russian standards.

2002 - U.S. executions for the year rose from 66 to 71, with 33 in Texas.

Of course this doesn't include fetal executions: 2001 = over 1,300,00, 2002 = over 1,300,000.
Every one of the 66 and 71 executions noted above was protested against by Leftist idiots, but I doubt if any of the 2,600,000 innocent BABIES were.

December 17

1903 - Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first successful controlled flight in a powered aircraft, the Wright Flyer, on the beach at Kitty Hawk, N.C.

The world shrank considerably with this event...The ability to overcome time and space is a huge factor in civilian and military life. Travel was sped up by an incredible amount, and as a result the enormity of the planet was cut down more than a little.

The ability to pull off such genius is one of the many things which separates humans from every other living thing on earth.

546 - Totila, King of the Ostrogoths, captured Rome.

The Goths claimed Rome when the Empire fell, but the East Roman Empire (Byzantine) rightfully felt they were the true holders of the Roman tradition...Unfortunately for these ‘Romans,’ they couldn’t hold the Goths out of Rome, and were eventually run out themselves.

That said, it's a joke to think of anyone ruling Rome at this time as anything close to ruling the Empire - which had ceased to exist in reality around a hundred years earlier.

1526 - Ferdinand Hapsburg, of Austria, was elected King of Bohemia - establishing the Kingdom of Austria-Hungary.

The Hapbsurgs had been consolidating power for years (through political marriages), and uniting the Austrian and Hungarian nations was a major issue...It also re-started a period of non-stop European wars over control of Central Europe.  And more important, it led to a European fight about Hapsburg control of Spain and its possessions - most important of which were the the Netherlands, South and Central America

1538 - Pope Paul III excommunicated England's King Henry VIII for the second time.

Another in a long line of events which pushed England away from the Continent...A blessing for the English, and later, American people.

1777 - France formally recognized American independence, and agreed to send the new nation money, troops and ships.

France had its own strategic issues in mind with this act, which was more an act against Britain than for the U.S...That said, receiving French help was instrumental in the American victory.

Little did the French know, they'd soon have their own revolution coming their way.

1927 - U.S. Secretary of State Frank Kellogg suggested a worldwide pact renouncing war.

What an idiotic Utopian.

"Sometimes war is the only answer.” – Dennis Prager

War is part of the human condition.  Always has been.  Always will be.

1944 - The U.S. Army announced the end of its policy of holding Japanese-Americans in internment camps, allowing 'evacuees' to return home:  WWII.

Japanese Internment was terrible, but necessary...National Security is every nation’s top priority, and it's unfortunate that civil liberties are often stomped on, but the other option isn’t acceptable.

Sadly, it will happen again someday - with Muslims.

FYI:  I made that statement long before Donald Trump became a presidential contender.

1957 - The United States successfully test-fired the 'Atlas' intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

An extension of the U.S. Military’s policy of ‘Global Reach, Global Power’...And a truly awesome power it is.

November 19

1863 - President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania:  U.S. Civil War.

In less than 300 words, Lincoln delivered the greatest speech in American history - which included the history of the past and hopes for the future of the young American nation...It was a perfect wartime propaganda speech, and at the same time a speech for the ages which will have meaning to every American generation.

The U.S. has three great texts:  The Declaration of Independence (the Anvil of Freedom), the U.S. Constitution (the Forge of Union), and the Gettysburg Address (the monumental statement of the Civil War which proved the Declaration and Constitution would stand.)

Copy of the text:

"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

439 - The Vandals, led by King Gaiseric, conquered Carthage in North Africa.

The history of the Vandals is usually forgotten in the post-Roman world, but they controlled North Africa for many years, and weren’t just a crazed group who pillaged Rome...Even though they are forever linked with such by the creation of the term 'vandalism.'

It's also important to realize how important North Africa was to the Western world at this time...Which it remained until it was conquered by the Muslims.

1521 - The Battle of Milan: Emperor Charles V's Spanish, German, and Papal troops beat France and occupied Milan.

Just another day in the world the of 16th century Habsburg-Valois wars for the supremacy of the European continent.

1874 - William Marcy 'Boss' Tweed, of Tammany Hall was convicted of defrauding New York City of $6 million and sentenced to 12-years imprisonment.

This conviction was long overdue for the king of all election fixers.

Tammany Hall was a creation of Aaron Burr (former VP, and overall POS) as a measure to control New York City politics. It was the most successful ‘machine’ in American history and should be held in high regard by every cheating Democrat.

1919 - The U.S. Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles by a vote of 55-39 against, short of the two-thirds majority needed for ratification.

What a mess this treaty created.

1. The League of Nations was every bit as bad as the U.N. is.

2. The French insisted on raping the Germans through reparations.

3. The document was a complete sham, and simply acted as a passing-through point between WWI and WWII.

1942 - Soviet forces began a massive counter-offensive at the Battle of Stalingrad:  WWII.

Stalingrad was one of the most brutal battles in the history of the world, and the turning-point of WWII in the East European Theatre...At the time, the Germans held over 90% of Stalingrad, but the situation was about to turn very quickly, and this offensive was the beginning of the end for the German Army.

It was also the beginning for what became the awesome Soviet Army.

1945 - The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials began (ended October 1, 1946):  WWII.

Many Nazi’s met justice in these trials. That said, it’s too bad more weren’t caught and executed...Luckily the World Court hadn’t been founded at this time or the SOB’s would have been slapped on the wrist and sent on their merry way.

2005 - India and Pakistan opened their disputed border in Kashmir for the first time in 58-years, a temporary measure to allow divided families to check on each other after the region's devastating earthquake.

2006 - India successfully test-fired a medium-range nuclear-capable missile, days after its rival Pakistan launched a similar missile.

No one knows how the situation between India and Pakistan is going to end, but the fact both have nukes with missiles capable of easily reaching each other, as well as religio-cultural systems which are completely contradictory, should lead a logical person to figure it might end poorly.

November 18

1095 - Pope Urban II convened the Council of Clermont to plan the First Crusade.

I hope you haven't bought into the myth of the Crusades brought to us via the American media and public school system, who would have us believe the 'poor Muslims' were brutally attacked by the loony-religious, warmongering Europeans...What a joke.

One it's important to remember Islam conquered the area of the modern-Middle East from the West...For over a thousand years, the Western/Christian world extended from the Atlantic Ocean to the current borders of Russia, Persia and India, and included North Africa until they were conquered by Islam.

Also, Islam spread its reign of death and conquest not just through Asia and North Africa, but also into much of Eastern Europe, and ruled Spain for over 300 years by this time...Thankfully, Western Europe north of Spain was saved by the Franks (Charles Martel and Charlemagne) and the Habsburg Empire halted the Muslims in Central Europe.

The Europeans were responding to never-ending attacks and invasions, and it's a good thing they did because the Muslim world was advancing almost unchecked until the Crusaders took the fight back to them.

Ultimately, neither side was able to destroy the other, but the Crusades and Spanish Reconquista effectively limited the Muslim Horde to the Middle East, North Africa and the far reaches of Eastern Europe...A blessing those of us who live in the modern Western world should always be thankful for.

1307 - William Tell shot an apple off his son's head? Did it happen? No one knows for sure. The origin of the story is unknown, but is of either Swiss, Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic or Persian origin.

If he did or didn’t is of no importance, and the event is of even less importance...But I do love the mythology of such events.

What's interesting is the origin of the story being of far north European (Germanic) or Persian origin.

1803 - The Battle of Vertieres: The Haitian 'air force' defeated a French invasion force.

The Haitian air force was the main combatant the French had to deal with, and was decimated by...What was the Haitian air force? Mosquitoes which spread malaria to the French troops, making them sick or killing them as fast as they arrived.

1903 - The Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty gave the U.S. exclusive canal rights in Panama.

And then President Dumb Ass (Carter) and the Democrat Congress decided we should give it back to the Panamanians...Who are in the process of selling it to the Chinese.

Reason #3,851 never to trust Democrats with National Security issues.

1916 - General Douglas Haig finally called off the first Battle of the Somme in Europe after five months of futile battle which included the first use of tanks in battle. The Allied advance of just 125 square miles claimed 420,000 British and 195,000 French casualties. German losses were over 650,000:  WWI.

The Somme was one of the great battles of WWI, and also one of the most useless...The Allies began the assault with the hope of keeping German troops from reaching the Battle of Verdun, but as it turned out the Battle of the Somme was more destructive than Verdun.

1936 - Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco.

Of course they did...And Hitler took full advantage of the Spanish Civil War to train his troops and air force for his upcoming plans.

1978 - Jim Jones led 914 of his followers to their deaths at Jonestown, Guyana, by drinking a cyanide-laced fruit drink. Cult members who refused to swallow the drink were shot.

How sad, and how pathetic...I will never understand how people can be corralled into these insane asylums.

1988 - President Reagan signed major legislation creating a cabinet-level drug czar and providing the death penalty for drug traffickers who kill.

Executing 'drug traffickers who kill' is a great idea...But why not others who kill? And it seems to me that drug traffickers kill people’s health and minds even if they don’t take their actual life.

So, all drug traffickers should be executed...If for no other reason than for contributing to the destruction of American society.

1993 - The U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate in approving legislation aimed at protecting abortion facilities, staff and patients.

No one should be threatened or killed...But it should be noted they did nothing to protect the most innocent and defenseless of all at an abortion clinic: UNBORN BABIES!!!

1996 - One time CIA station chief Harold J. Nicholson was charged with selling top secrets to the Russians.

This POS was sentenced to 23-years in prison...WHAT A LOAD OF SHIT!!!! All treasonous, traitorous Americans should be executed. No deals, no mercy.

2003 - The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled the right to same sex marriage was guaranteed by the state constitution.

Gotta love the Judicial Super-Legislators making stuff up as they go...How about letting the people of Massachusetts put the issue to a vote? Nah! Because we all know the perverse idea would go down in flame(r)s.

2004 - The U.N. Security Council held a two-day session in Nairobi. This was the first time it had convened outside of New York headquarters.

Too bad they weren't looking for a new home. The U.N. would be much better off in Nairobi, or Denmark, or Iran, or Korea, or...(fill in the blank with any non-American nation).

2005 - Conservative leader Angela Merkel took a last step toward becoming Germany's first female chancellor when she and other party officials signed a hard-won agreement to form a left-right coalition government.

Make no mistake, neither Merkel nor her party are Conservatives in the American sense, but they are much more so than their Lefty coalition partners.

November 17 (A Double)

1558 - Elizabeth I ascended to the English throne upon the death of Queen Mary (Bloody Mary).

Elizabeth is also known as 'The Virgin Queen' (since she never married or had children), 'Gloriana,' or 'Good Queen Bess'...She is also one of the few people in history to have an era named after her: 'The Elizabethan Era.'

Her reign proved to be one of the most important in English history, and saw the rise of England from a minor power to becoming one of the greatest powers ever.

1869 - The Suez Canal opened in Egypt, linking the Mediterranean and Red seas.

The importance of the Suez Canal cannot be minimized, because it allows direct, north-south trade between Europe and Asia without the need to go around the African continent.

Since the time of the Ancient Egyptians, attempts have been made to link the two continents through the Mediterranean water route, and at various times temporary canals have succeeded...It wasn't until the Suez Canal, however, that a permanent, reliable mode of passable transport was accomplished.

Sadly, the canal is in the middle of Jihadistan and has been, and will forever be, a tool used by Egypt and the Jihadists against the West.

1800 - The U.S. Congress held its first session in Washington D.C. in the partially completed Capitol building.

The U.S. Congress is the greatest legislative body in the history of the world, even though it is, and has always been, filled with a bunch of lying, cheating, scoundrels...Which speaks volumes about the rest of the world.

1917 - Vladamir Lenin defended the "temporary" removal of freedom of the press.

Quite the funny guy, ol' Vlad was...There was no such thing as a 'temporary removal' of anything in the Soviet Onion (spelling by intent).

I'll never understand how the Beatles got away with singing "...you don't know how lucky you are, boy, back in the U.S.S.R." These dumb SOB's obviously never read Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

1956 - "We will bury you," said U.S.S.R. Premier Khrushchev at the end of a long speech given at the Polish Embassy in Moscow.

Nikki was a beauty, but he was a true believer in the communist system...And truly believed it would 'bury' the capitalist system.

Thankfully, he and the Soviet Hell Sate have long since been 'buried.'

1993 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve legislation implementing the North American Free Trade Agreement in what was seen as a major political victory for President Clinton.

NAFTA is a complete mess, and the politics of it brought strange bedfellows together: The Republicans in Congress sided with Clinton, and the Democrats in Congress sided with traditional Conservatives.

I will say the acronym was at least proper: North American Frequent Trafficking of Aliens (NAFTA).

November 10

461 - Pope Leo 'The Great' died.

Why is Leo 'The Great'? Well, he was the only person who personally faced off with and defeated Attila the Hun, which is enough to earn anyone the title of 'The Great.'

Amazingly, he did it without bloodshed, and forced the Hun to turn-tail and never return to Italy...What did he do, or what did he say? No one knows, but this event forever changed history, and set the Christian Church up as the eventual successor to the Roman Empire.

1775 - The United States Marine Corps was formed by order of the Continental Congress.

Happy birthday to the greatest amphibious military force in the history of the world...Semper Fi!!

1917 - The new Russian government suspended freedom of the press.

Of course they did...They were Communists.

The suppression of human rights is the norm in every Communist state ever created...Which is why Communism is a failed theory. Even though it hasn’t been exterminated and has found a 'soft home' in Western Liberalism.

1919 - Abrams v. United States:  The U.S Supreme Court ruled the federal government could suspend constitutional rights when the nation faced "a clear and present danger."

Duh!! How can anyone think otherwise? There will be no 'constitutional rights' without the existence of the U.S.

Obviously this is a slippery-slope and must be avoided, but desperate times call for desperate measures...This is also why every American must be armed. To make sure the government doesn’t use tools like this without necessary cause.

1964 - Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara said the United States had no plans to send combat units into Vietnam.

What a sad joke...We should never make such a promise with anyone!

1975 - The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution equating Zionism with racism.

That's par for the course in the U.N...Reason #873,466 why the U.S. should not be in the U.N.

November 1

1952 - The U.S. exploded the world's first hydrogen bomb, at Eniwetok Atoll, in the Pacific Ocean.

20 tons of TNT, and 1000 times larger than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan...Definitely a huge event in history.

We better all hope testing is as far as it goes, and one of these monsters is never used in anger.

82 B.C. - The Battle of the Porta Collina (Colline Gate).

The Roman Republic was fighting for its life, and after an extended civil war, Sulla emerged from this battle, capturing Rome and assuming the title of dictator...A title which had a much different meaning at that time than during ours.

1755 - An earthquake in Lisbon, Portugal, killed 60,000 people (about 2/3 of the population).

A terrible event for sure, but this isn't what I find interesting about the headline.

In 1755 Lisbon had just under 100,000 people...250 years later this city has over 3,500,000 people. An increase of 3500%!!!

1861 - General George B. McClellan was promoted to General-in-Chief of the Union Armies:  U.S. Civil War.

McClellan was a favorite of the ‘Eastern elite,’ and had a great reputation as a military commander. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the testicular fortitude to put the worlds largest and best equipped army to use...And make no mistake, at this point in history this army was exactly what I stated - huge, equipped, but with poor leadership and green troops.

McClellan spent a great amount of time planning battles instead of fighting them, and didn’t have the instincts it took to crush the Confederates when he had his chances in 1861-62...In other words McClellan was the Civil War's version of post-El Alamein Monty in WWII.

1871 - Gustav Mahler wrote he had become a vegetarian, saying he thought it would regenerate the human race if everybody stopped eating meat.

I wish people like this would stop eating all together.

1918 - The Habsburg monarchy of Austria-Hungary was dissolved.

This kingdom was also known as the Dual Monarchy or the K.U.K. Monarchy = 'Kaiserlich und Königlich.' German for 'Imperial and Royal.'

The dissolution of Austria-Hungary was long overdue, and good for both Austria and Hungary...That said, had it not been for the former strength of the Habsburg, it's likely most of Europe would be praying to Allah.

1922 - Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey became a republic.

The land of modern-day Turkey has always been one of immense importance, and continues to be...It's too bad in its current form it's much closer to its Ottoman than its Byzantine roots.

1936 - In a speech in Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini described the alliance between his country and Nazi Germany as an "axis" running between Rome and Berlin.

The Paperboy almost had it right...He should have said 'asses' instead of axis.

1990 - President GHW Bush accused Iraqi forces of engaging in "barbarism" and "brutality," adding "I don't believe that Adolf Hitler ever participated in anything of that nature."

GHW Bush is a good man, but this was an absolutely ignorant comment.

There are few people in the history of the world who's actions can be compared to the barbarism and brutality of Hitler...The Iraqis may have been his peers, though not in quantity, but they were in no way his superior when it comes to either barbarism or brutality.

1993 - The Maastricht Treaty was enacted, establishing the European Union.

What a colossal joke!!!

Since the fall of Rome, Europeans have been hoping for a united Europe...And since this same time have failed.

The continent is made up of so many dissimilar people, and the history of warfare among them has been awesome. Brutally awesome.

It will never happen, And proof of the failure is the fact it is 2017 and there is no European constitution, because they can't work one out to everyone's satisfaction...If anything, it's much more likely the EU will collapse, the euro will fail, and traditional European states will splinter.

October 31

1517 - Martin Luther posted the '95 Theses' on the door of the Wittenberg Palace Church, marking the start of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.

The proper name for the '95 Theses' is 'The Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences.'

Luther was a Catholic monk, and grew tired of the bastardizations of the Christian faith...Even a strict Catholic would have difficulty denying Luther's claims, because the Church had grown quite fat and abusive.

It's important to note Luther didn't set out to destroy the Catholic Church or to found his own version of Christianity...Instead he wanted to reform the existing church - to cleanse it of abuses of power and un-holiness.

This didn't work out because the Church was far too big for anyone to make demands on, and the Church had Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to lean on for military support...But, both the Papacy and Charles made a huge mistake: They allowed Luther to live. Had they killed him immediately, the Reformation would have likely died with him.

Instead, Luther found refuge in the German states and the Reformation took root - a pivot in European history the likes of which hadn't happened since the fall of Rome.

475 - Romulus Augustulus, last Western Roman Emperor, was elevated to the throne.

What a pathetic figure. He didn’t last long, though, and the Empire was in its last months.

It is interesting to look at the name of this last emperor and its irony: Romulus was the legendary founder of Rome, and Augustus the founder of the Roman Empire...Romulus Augustus proved to be much less than either.

1803 - The USS Philadelphia grounded off Tripoli and was captured by the Barbary pirates.

This event sparked the Barbary Wars, which were the U.S.'s first as an independent nation...It's not surprising it was Muslim pirates who were our first enemy. Just as they are today.

1846 - The Donner party, unable to cross the Donner Pass, began constructing a winter camp.

It was a long Winter - For some.

1914 - The Battle of the Vistula River ended.  Russian troops pushed the Germans back to their original positions:  WWI.

This battle is also known as the Battle of Warsaw.

It was one of the first WWI battles on the Eastern Front, and the Russians were able to overwhelm the Germans due to superior numbers...This was the case for all of 1914 and much of 1915, but it didn't last past that point. After 1915 the Russians found themselves on the opposite end of most of these battles.

1942 - One of the great wartime radio shows premiered, as CBS debuted 'Thanks to the Yanks.' The show, starring Bob Hawk, became one of the most popular of the wartime programs.

This was back in the day when the media and Hollywood were pro-American...Oh how things have changed.

1961 - The body of Joseph Stalin was removed from public display (in Stalin's Tomb). The longtime dictator of the former Soviet Union was reburied in a simple grave, beginning the USSR's 'de-Stalinization policy.'

Uncle Joe is one of the greatest butchers in the history of the world, causing death and suffering for millions of his enemies and his own countrymen...They should have drawn and quartered his dead corpse, then burned the remains in the hope of every part of his existence going straight to Hell.

1968 - President Lyndon Johnson ordered a halt to all U.S. bombing in North Vietnam, saying he hoped for fruitful peace negotiations.

Peace never comes through weakness...He should have bombed them into submission and allowed the infantry to force Ho Chi Mihn to surrender.

1998 - President Bill Clinton signed the 'Iraq Liberation Act' which stated it was "... the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime."

Getting rid of Saddam was the official policy of the U.S.

"Today I am signing into law H.R. 4655, the 'Iraq Liberation Act of 1998.' This Act makes clear that it is the sense of the Congress that the United States should support those elements of the Iraqi opposition that advocate a very different future for Iraq than the bitter reality of internal repression and external aggression that the current regime in Baghdad now offers." - President Bill Clinton

So, why didn't Clinton follow through with this official U.S. government policy instead of leaving it to his successor to handle?

It's important to point this out to every fool who questions why Bush took out Hussein. He followed the official policy of the United States, which was signed by Bill Clinton...Clinton wouldn't, Bush did.

I was all for this measure.  The problems began when Bush thought he could bring Western-style freedom and democracy to the Middle East.

October 28

312 - The Battle of the Milvian Bridge: Roman civil war.

1. Constantine the Great became the undisputed master of the Roman Empire by defeating Maxentius in this battle, ending the civil war.

2. This battle also marks the beginning of the Christian Era in Europe.

During this battle Constantine's army wore the Christian Cross after Constantine trusted a vision he had seen of the Cross, inscribed with the words "In this sign conquer"...As a result, Constantine converted to Christianity after emerging victorious in the battle, and became the first Roman emperor to embrace the Christian faith.

This act of faith (regardless of his reasoning) is every bit as important as Moses’ at the ‘burning bush’ (in real terms not religious ones), because it changed Rome, which changed the Western World, because Rome was the axis upon which the West revolved and evolved from.

1886 - The Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, was dedicated in New York Harbor by President Cleveland.

'Gift from the people of France' my ass…This is one of the great myths in American history, but it is definitely a myth.

The Statue was a gift from a few financiers who graciously gave it to the U.S. in the name of the French people...The French have never been our friends, even though they have often been our 'ally.'

In the 18th-19th Centuries they were often on 'our side,' but only did so to spite the Brits...In the 20th Century they were on 'our side' in WWI and WWII because they needed our help to save them from the Germans.

1919 - The Prohibition Enforcement Act (also known as the Volstead Act) became law. This act enforced the 18th Amendment to the Constitution - the prohibition of alcohol manufacture, sale and consumption.

Someday we’ll face a similar attack on personal freedom when the health-nuts try to ban cigarettes or food...While at the same time they fight to allow people to smoke pot, and kill fetuses. I just don’t get the logic.

1922 - Italian Blackshirt Fascists began a march on Rome which ended two days later with the formation of a government led by Benito Mussolini.

The Italians have always reached out for a strongman, and this they found in the 'Paperboy.'  Unfortunately, they were led down the road to Hell, and it took the destruction of much of Italy to escape the tyranny they so dearly wanted.

But at least Il Duce got the ‘trains to run on time.’

1940 - President Franklin Roosevelt complained "Republicans...after opposing rearmament for years, are now protesting that the United States is too weak":  WWII.

It’s interesting to note at this time in history the Republicans were the Chickens and the Democrats the Hawks...And FDR's comment could perfectly be flipped today.

Which is why people shouldn’t get tied to political parties, but to political ideals...When it comes to national defense, FDR Democrats should be modern-day Republicans, as should JFK Democrats.

1940 - Italy invaded Greece:  WWII.

Per normal, the Italians bungled this invasion, and required German help to get out of the mess.

Hitler was very fond of Mussolini, but he had to regret getting in bed with such incompetence…The Brits (the only ones fighting at this time) were happy, though, because Germany diverted many forces to Greece which could have been used elsewhere.

Most important, Germany having to save the Italians in Greece delayed the invasion of Russia, which pushed the calendar closer to winter...A fact which ultimately cost them the war.

1959 - Turkey and the United States signed an agreement for the deployment of fifteen nuclear-tipped Jupiter missiles in Turkey.

Most Americans don’t realize it, but Turkey is a NATO ally...Most also don’t know it, but the decision to put these missiles in Turkey was the Soviet’s excuse for trying to put theirs in Cuba.

1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis effectively ended when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev announced its missiles would be dismantled and returned to the U.S.S.R. President Kennedy immediately replied that the U.S. would lift its blockade of Cuba.

The world wondered who would blink first, and it was Nikki...The world was lucky, too, because I’m pretty sure Kennedy was (rightly) going to the wall on this matter.

1988 - In London, the High Court ruled former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was immune from prosecution in British courts. The House of Lords later overturned the decision, saying Pinochet's arrest could stand.

Pinochet was a brutal dictator, and should have been sent back to Chile for a good ol' fashioned hangin.’

October 24 (A Double)

1648 - The Treaty of Westphalia was signed, ending the Thirty Years War.

The 30 Years War was one of the greatest of the general wars in Europe, and did much to create the foundation for some of the other great wars to follow.

The treaty took a large chunk out of the Holy Roman and Habsburg empires - which largely overlapped...As a result the map of Europe was redrawn, and Westphalia is considered the major turning point in the modernization of the European state system - for better or worse.

It's possible we are witnessing a type of 30 Years War occurring in the Middle East...One which will be just as destructive and meaningful.

1882 - Dr. Robert Koch discovered the germ which causes tuberculosis.

The 'Consumption' (TB) is one of the greatest killers in the history of mankind, and during Koch's time was the world's greatest killer...Koch's find led to the discovery of treatment options for those suffering from TB.

Much of the civilized world has seen the virtual disappearance of tuberculosis, but it is ever-present in Russia, Africa, Asia, and South America...Unfortunately, this monster is beginning to show signs of escaping treatment and finding it's way back into prominence in the West, due to over-treatment (leading to germ mutation) and unchecked immigration - better known as unchecked, state-sponsored stupidity.

1147- Lisbon was captured from the Moors by Alfonso I, King of Portugal.

The Portuguese kicked out the Muslim Horde, and spent the next 300-years helping their Spanish cousins do likewise.

1795 - The Third Partition of Poland: Between Austria, Prussia and Russia.

The Poles have long suffered the sting of history, having settled their homeland in the region between the beasts of the German and Russian people. Unfortunately, this partition wasn't its last, nor anywhere near as horrific as its next - WWII between the Nazis and Soviets.

Those who wonder why the Poles have become one of America's most loyal allies need look no farther than the first sentence in my comment above.

1973 - The Yom Kippur War ended.

The Arabs states are lucky the U.S. persuaded Israel to stop their counter-offensive, because they were only 65 miles from Cairo and 26 from Damascus.

1987 - Thirty years after it was expelled for refusing to answer allegations of corruption, the Teamsters Union was welcomed back into the AFL-CIO by a vote of the labor federation's executive council.

Of course the Teamsters were and ARE 'corrupt', but how bad must they have been to be booted from the 'corrupt' AFL-CIO?

1993 - Two George Washington University researchers who cloned non-viable human embryos told a news conference that science was still far from duplicating human beings, but they urged ethicists to prepare for the future.

'Far' as in decades away...And yes, the 'ethical' problems with succeeding are astronomical.

But I'm sure the Frankensteinians will continue their quest to produce a human...While at the same time, their brothers in 'science' are looking for ways to kill as many humans as possible - born and unborn.

1998 - Officials from the United States, China and North and South Korea seeking a permanent peace for the divided Korean peninsula announced they removed the last obstacles to full-blown talks.

Uhhhhh, the 'last obstacle' is the Kim family and their cronies...Who have been anything but removed from the process.

October 19

202 B.C. – The Battle of Zama:  Rome v. Carthage.

The Battle of Zama is one of the five most important battles in Western history, fought between two of the super-powers of the ancient World, and was the decisive battle of the Second Punic War.

Prior to Zama, Rome was in dire straits, losing just about every battle in Europe against Hannibal...Hannibal kicked the Romans around for years, but had no ability to force a siege of the Roman walls, which made it impossible for him to defeat Rome.

The Romans realized they couldn’t defeat Hannibal in the open battlefield, so they put together an army led by Scipio Africanus to invade Carthage...The Carthaginians were caught completely off-guard, and Hannibal was unable to get back to Zama in time to change the outcome of the battle.

As a result, Carthage was forever weakened, and never powerful enough to threaten Rome again. A fact which destined the West to a Roman Civilization instead of a possible Carthaginian one.

439 - The Vandals, led by King Gaiseric, conquered Carthage in North Africa.

North Africa was an important part of the Roman Empire, but the decline of the region began its slide from the West (not just from Rome, but from Western Civilization) with this event...The Vandals and other Germanic people held it for awhile, and the Byzantines for another short period until the Muslims conquered North Africa in the 7th Century - removing North Africa from the sphere of Western Civilization; forever lessening its standing from what it had previously been.

1448 - Ottoman Sultan Murat II defeated Hungarian General Janos Hunyadi at Kosovo, Serbia.

The Ottoman Empire was growing by leaps and bounds, and this victory gave them virtual control of the Balkans, and an invasion route into Central Europe.

That said, the Serbs lost the battle, but never quit fighting the war, which continues to this day.

1453 - The Hundred Years War ended:  England v. France.

The Hundred Years War was actually 116-years long, not 100, and was the result of over 400-years of French, English, Viking, and Norman confrontations.

The result of the war was the end of English territorial claims in France, and is noted as the ‘end of chivalry,’ with the increased use of standing armies, the longbow and gunpowder.

1812 - Napoleon Bonaparte began the retreat of his Grande Armie from Moscow.

The Emperor invaded Russia with 500,000 of his finest troops...He returned to France with around 20,000.

Napoleon was bested by 'General Winter' and the Russian's willingness to suffer, beginning a string of losses for the brilliant commander...Fortunately, the next great European tyrant (Hitler) made the same mistake.

1926 - The Russian Politburo expelled Leon Trotsky and his followers.

Stalin took firm control of the Soviet Union, and tossed his greatest political nemesis out on his ass...Then Uncle Joe spent the next 15-years searching for him all over the globe - for elimination.

1951 - President Truman signed an act formally ending the state of war with Germany:  WWII.

The war ended in 1945, but the state of war ended six years later...This is important to remember in our current and future wars.

2005 - Saddam Hussein pleaded innocent to charges of murder and torture as his long-awaited trial began with the one-time dictator arguing about the legitimacy of the court and scuffling with guards.

Who knows how many Saddam tortured, but we know he killed a million or so...No big deal, I guess.

October 16 (A Huge Day)

1813 - The Battle of Leipzig.

This battle is also known as the Battle of the Nations, and was the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars...It was, also, another in a string of losses for the Emperor.

Napoleon was terribly outnumbered: 430,000 to 191,000, and faced a combined grouping of almost all his Continental enemies: Russia, Austrian Empire, Prussia, Sweden, and other German states.

The French forces fought well, but couldn't overcome the volume of its enemies, and Leipzig combined with the Russian and Peninsular Campaign, signaled the beginning of the end for the Napoleon.

1863 - General U.S. Grant was appointed commander of all operations in the Western Theater:  U.S. Civil War.

Lincoln suffered for years seeking a 'fighting general'- he finally found one in Grant...And he wasn't concerned with Grant's drinking or the way he threw his men into battle.

Lincoln knew the war could only be won if the fight was taken to the Confederacy. Grant was the perfect man to drive on the South, and this promotion was a major step towards ending the war.

1934 - Mao Zedong and 25,000 troops began the 6,000 mile Long March.

The history of the Long March is the decisive event of the Chinese Civil War between the Chinese Nationalists and the Communists.

130,000 'Reds' were surrounded by 400,000 Nationalists, but around 25,000 managed to break out, and start the Long March, which was a full-scale retreat - a forced, fighting retreat.

The Communists should have been annihilated but weren't...Instead they survived, picked up followers among the peasantry, and most important this is where Mao established himself as the ultimate leader of the Chinese Communists.

1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis began when President Kennedy was informed reconnaissance photographs revealed the presence of Russian missile bases in Cuba.

Thankfully we had a Conservative president during this crisis...And make no mistake, this Democrat was a Conservative when it came to national defense!!!

There is no way a Liberal peacenick would have handled this problem in a similar way, and the fact that JFK took us to the brink of nuclear war was brilliant - brilliant because it had to be done...We can never succumb to fear, and must always be willing to swing our 'big stick' when our security is at risk.

Sadly, this is a problem we will likely have to face sooner or later with the North Koreans and Iranians...And then the Chinese.

1964 - China detonated its first atomic bomb.

Welcome to the club...Any nation who joins is an instant world power, and the event is a major one in history.

1859 - John Brown's Raid: John Brown raided the U.S. arsenal at Harper's Ferry, with the intention of obtaining arms to use to liberate slaves. Brown was captured two days later, and hanged on December 2.

Brown's intentions were honorable, but had no chance at succeeding...Also of note is the commanding officer who caught him: Soon to be Confederate general Robert E. Lee.

1901 - President Theodore Roosevelt incited controversy by inviting black leader Booker T. Washington to the White House.

Teddy was a man of bold actions...That said, he never did this again.

The reaction he received for inviting Washington was more than a little loud, and he learned very fast that the country wasn't quite ready to normalize relations between blacks and whites...A sad reality, but a reality, nonetheless.

1925 - The Locarno Pact was signed: European nations agreed to accept their national boundaries as they were at the time of this signing.

This treaty was wishful thinking, but the terms of the Versailles Treaty made it impossible.

The Allies wanted too much from the Germans, and the Germans weren't thoroughly beaten in WWI...The result was plenty of Utopian thinking, but the pact did little but help set the stage for WWII.

1953 - The Batista regime sentenced Fidel Castro to 15-years in prison for rebellion.

Rule #1 of National Defense: Execute all traitors...If you don't the decision will come back to haunt you later.

1978 - The College of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church chose Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to be the new pope; he took the name John Paul II (The first non-Italian pope since 1542).

John Paul II proved to be one of the greatest ‘freedom fighters’ of the 20th Century, belonging in the class of Winston Churchill, FDR, Ronald Reagan, Margarette Thatcher, and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

2002 - The White House announced North Korea disclosed the existence of a secret nuclear weapons program.

This was the world's worst-kept secret...But it was a huge announcement.

Thank you very much Bill Clinton!! At least Kim Jong Il thanks you, Madeleine Albright and Jimmy Carter for the light-water reactors you gave them.

October 15

1529 - The Ottoman Turks, led by Suleiman, abandoned the siege of Vienna.

The importance of the Habsburgs (rulers of the Austrian Empire - among many other holdings) can’t be minimized when it comes to stopping the spread of Islam. There was no other power to stop the onslaught from East to West, and had the Habsburgs not been such staunch defenders it’s likely much of Europe would be speaking Arabic at this time.

1582 – The Gregorian calendar was adopted in Catholic countries.

Ten days disappeared from the calendar...It’s funny to note, many Europeans thought this was nothing but a tax-collection scheme.

1892 - The U.S. government convinced the Crow Indians to give up 1.8 million acres of their reservation for 50 cents per acre.

Sounds like a rip-off, but it’s much more than most Indians got.

Again, I must repeat Rule #1 of invasions: Do not let the defenders off the beach...This rule held absolutely true for the Crow and every other conquered population. As it always has, and will.

1914 - The Clayton Antitrust Act became law.

This law was passed to eliminate monopolistic policies, and put limits on big-business...Worked very well didn’t it?

1923 - The N.Y. Yankees won their first World Series.

It wouldn’t be their last, with the Bombers founding the greatest dynasty in the history of American sports.

1946 - Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering poisoned himself hours before he was scheduled to be executed.

What a complete miscarriage of justice...The Fat Field Marshal had to die, but it shouldn’t have been at his own hands.

The executioner was cheated and so was justice.

1964 - It was announced Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev had been removed from office. He was succeeded as Premier by Alexei N. Kosygin and as Communist Party Secretary by Leonid I. Brezhnev.

Nikki proved to be the last competent Soviet leader (an oxymoron in its own right), and the Evil Empire began a slow period of deterioration from this point on.

1966 - The Endangered Species Preservation Act became law, and the Fish and Wildlife service initially listed 78 species as being 'endangered.' The number of 'endangered species' grew greatly over the following years to a count of 984 in the U.S., as of September 2002.

We protect animals, but we've had no problem executing over 45,000,000 UNBORN BABIES in the past 40-years...Nice set of principles we have.

October 7 (A Double)

1571 – The Battle of Lepanto: The Ottomans were defeated by the Holy League.

The Holy League was a  loosely allied force of the Papacy (Pope Pius V), Spain, Venice, Genoa, Savoy, Naples, and the Knights of Malta.  The Ottoman Turks were the dominant force in the Islamic world and the Mediterranean sea basin...As such this was the greatest naval battle in history between Christian and Muslim forces.

Lepanto is one of the most significant naval battles in history, one of the final naval clashes between ‘galleys,’ and the last gasp of the Ottoman Empire as a legitimate threat to Western Europe...It took centuries, but from this point forward the Christian world began rolling back the forces of Islam, reclaiming Europe, and even conquering much of the Islamic world.

1949 - The Republic of East Germany was formed.

The Soviets drew the demarcation line between ‘democracy’ and ‘communism’ at Berlin, and East Germany was its great wall to keep the West out...Even more important, it was the wall which kept the people of Eastern Europe 'in' - in slavery.

On many levels the Soviets can’t be blamed for doing so, after being invaded by Germany twice in the previous 50-years and losing 20-30 million people as a result of these invasions...And let's not forget that Napoleon also devastated Russia in the 1800's, as well.

Also, it was a division the Germans brought on themselves, and one the West was unable to undo for 50 years…It took the virtual collapse of the Soviet Empire for Germany to be reunited, but to this day the division is felt and the country still isn't fully repaired.

1492 - Christopher Columbus missed Florida after changing course due to a false cry of "land ho."

This is a ‘mislanding’ of great consequence...Had Columbus landed in North America the greatness of the Spanish Empire would have taken over the northern part of the Western Hemisphere, and who knows if the Brits would have been able to root them out.

As a result the New World would have a different look and who knows how history would be different...Needless to say there would not be a United States of America, because part of this country's greatness is in its territory and the English systems which were built on the territory.

1765 - Delegates from nine of the American colonies met in New York to discuss the Stamp Act Crisis and colonial response to it. This 'Stamp Act Congress' went on to draft resolutions (Declaration of Rights) condemning the Stamp and Sugar Acts, trial without jury, and taxation without representation as contrary to their rights as Englishmen.

The Colonists were getting sick of their meddling sovereign, and the Brits were getting sick of their undisciplined, ‘disloyal’ colonists...As such, the stage was being set for war, and a change in the world order.

1993 - President Clinton ordered more troops, heavy armor and naval firepower to Somalia, but also announced he would pull out all Americans by the end of March 1994.

1. He sent more 'power' but didn’t allow the troops on the ground to use this power.

2. Setting a date for 'pulling out' is stupid, because it gives the enemy a date to shoot for, and avoid battle until the date is up...But this is the Democrat modus operandi, as was seen in their demands for a 'pull out' date in Iraq and Afghanistan - with even worse results.

1994 - President Clinton ordered Army troops on alert and dispatched an aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf after Iraqi troops were spotted moving south toward Kuwait.

Saddam played Clinton like a yo-yo, jerking him up and down as he pleased - not in a Monica-way, either...It was sickening how he allowed Hussein to act with impunity, but Clinton had no clue what it meant to be Commander-in-Chief. A fact America continues to pay dearly for.

2001 - Operation Enduring Freedom began. The United States launched its attack in Afghanistan to crush the Taliban and al Qaeda members responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks.

I love the Democrat and European lie that they were in favor of attacking Afghanistan, but not Iraq…Truth is, they didn’t approve of attacking Afghanistan until deciding to use it as a political tool against attacking Iraq.