February 18

1405 - Emir al Kebir Timur 'i-Leng' (Tamerlane) died while leading an expedition to China.

How can one person be known by so many names? Timur - also known as Temur, Taimur, Timur Lenk, Timur i Leng, Tamerlane, Tamburlaine, or Taimur-e-Lang, which translates to Timur the Lame.

No matter what he was called, this Turko-Mongol was a fantastic leader, and one of the few to go down in history with 'the Great' after his name - a well earned title.

1536 - France and the Ottoman Empire signed a trade and military alliance against the Holy Roman Empire.

It's important to remember the Ottomans held large chunks of Eastern Europe and were major players in the European power structure...It's also important to remember the French have always been willing to take on any allies - even Muslims who wanted to crush Christian Europe.

1546 - Martin Luther, German Augustinian Friar and leader of the Protestant Reformation, died.

Luther is one of the twenty most important people in history...Anyone could have taken on the Church, but very few could have survived its attacks, and almost none could have won.

1861 – Jefferson Davis was inaugurated the Confederacy’s provisional president at a ceremony held in Montgomery, Ala...“All we ask is to be left alone,” Davis stated.

Thankfully President Lincoln was at the helm...If a man of lesser qualities had been president, the America we know today would be a much different place.

1932 - Japan declared Manchurian independence from China.

How nice of the Japanese...In reality, Japan placed a puppet in charge of Manchuria and held it for themselves, but the headline is nice.

1962 - Robert F. Kennedy said U.S. troops would stay in Vietnam until Communism was defeated.

Or until peaceniks flooded his party and forced the defeat of our proud military.

I have no doubt the war would have went differently if JFK hadn’t been assassinated...If nothing else, a reasonably Conservative leader would have been Commander-in-Chief, instead of LBJ.

1979 - Snow fell in the Sahara Desert.

Global Cooling at its finest.

1985 - General William C. Westmoreland and CBS reached an out-of-court settlement in Westmoreland's $120 million libel suit from a CBS News documentary, 'The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam Deception.'

You’d think CBS would have learned, but they obviously haven’t and continue to put out 'hate-the-military propaganda.'

1998 - President Bill Clinton's foreign policy team encountered jeers during a town meeting at Ohio State University while trying to defend the administration's threat to bomb Iraq into compliance with U.N. weapons edicts. "One, two, three, four, we don't want your racist war," shouted some of the handful of hecklers at The Ohio State University in Columbus, catching Secretary of State Madeleine Albright off guard and drowning out what she was trying to say.

This puts a big challenge to the 'Bombs with (D) = Good, Bombs with (R) = Bad' theory.

That said, I’m sure Halfbright was 'caught off guard,' because she had no reason to think 'her people' would turn on her.

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.

February 2 (A Double)

962 - Otto I, King of the Lombards, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor.

Otto is considered the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, but this history is very sketchy.

Some historians claim Charlemagne was the founder of the HRE, after being crowned Emperor of the Romans, but his empire was dissolved shortly after his death.

The first known use of the term Holy Roman Empire was in 1254, and the formal name of the empire, the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (Heiliges Römisches Reich deutscher Nation) first appeared in the 1500's...But the HRE was fact long before this.

Also, I hope you understand the Holy Roman Empire was neither 'holy' nor 'Roman,' and wasn't much of an 'empire'...It was a collection of German states, which at times ranged outside of Central Europe but not often enough to be considered an empire.

1942 - The Battle of Stalingrad ended:  WWII.

There were approximately two million casualties in this battle, and the Soviets took the brunt of the beating, but on this day the German 6th Army surrendered, ending what is considered one of the greatest battles in history...If you are not a historian and want to read about any part of WWII this is the battle I recommend.  There are many excellent books on the subject, and I promise you will be enthralled by its enormity, barbarism, and turns of fate.

Not only was this battle one of the greatest ever, but Stalingrad was the beginning of the end for the Germans in the East - a true turning point in WWII.

1653 - New Amsterdam became a city.

The city is still there, but it's better known as New York...Never forget the Dutch had colonies in North America before having to cede them to the English.

1811 - Russian Settlers established Ft. Ross trading post.

Like the Dutch (above) it's important to remember the Russians held territory in North America, as well...Today this area is more or less the city of San Francisco.

1848 - The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: This treaty ended the Mexican-American War, and turned over to the United States a huge portion of the present-day Southwestern United States, including Texas, New Mexico and California for $15 million.

America's 'Manifest Destiny' was getting closer to it's natural point...The Gadsden Purchase occurred a few years later, Hawaii and Alaska were a bonus, and 'space' is still to be conquered.

1933 - Two days after becoming German Chancellor, Adolf Hitler ordered the dissolution of the German Parliament.

Never forget good ol' Adolf was ELECTED by the German people. They should have seen this coming, yet they chose him anyway...And Europe sat around with its thumbs up their rectum allowing it to happen.

Sometimes you get what you ask for...We must keep this in mind in our time, as well.

1954 - President Eisenhower reported the detonation of the first hydrogen bomb.

This test occurred in 1952.  Thankfully, 60 year later the world has only seen them tested - not used in anger.

1971 - Ugandan Army strongman, Major-General Idi Amin took full power as military head of state and formed an 18-man cabinet to run the country.

Idi has gotten a bad rap. He was nowhere near as prolific a 'democidal dictator' as some of his peers...He only killed around 250,000 (give or take a few).

Compared to the other great butchers of the 20th Century (Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc.), Amin is a pauper on the list of madmen...A pretty sad statement about the history of the 20th Century.

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 24 (A Triple)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1965 - Winston Churchill died in London at age 90.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This department was long overdue.

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

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

January 16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

January 1

1356 - The Pope published the 'Golden Bull' ('Bulla Aurea').

This was a very important document, which more or less acted as a ‘semi-constitution’ for the Holy Roman Empire. It stated each emperor would be chosen by election, the right of voting being vested in electoral princes (electors).

The reality of the electoral process was much more messy than this great edict wished, however, setting the stage for 500-years of political intrigue and wars for control of Central Europe...Lands which were in a perpetual state of infighting until Napoleon broke them in the early 1800's, and the German Empire was created in 1870.

5777 B.C. - Origin of the Solar Cycle.

4713 B.C. - Origin of the Julian Period.

45 B.C. - The Julian Calendar was introduced.

1 - The Christian Era began.

Different calendars throughout history are a source of much confusion among historians - as should be expected considering there are at least 30 different calendar systems in use in our day...Imagine trying to figure out exact dating on any of these, let alone extinct calendar systems.

On this blog, I do my best to use the accepted dates in the Western world...Which is where the initials A.D. come from - 'anno Domini' = 'in the year of our Lord.'

404 - The last gladiator competition in Rome.

I can't lie, I would have watched and enjoyed these games.

1610 - Simon Marius, a German astronomer, discovered the moons of Jupiter.

Marius should have officially reported this finding; instead Galileo claimed the finding on July 1 of the same year.

1863 - The Emancipation Proclamation, declared the previous September by Abraham Lincoln, took effect. It declared freedom for slaves in all areas of the Confederacy still in rebellion against the Union.

The North had very little control of the South at this time, which means there was no effective way of putting this proclamation into force...That said, the proclamation was an excellent political tool for Lincoln, as well as an additional battle-cry for the North.

1902 - The first Rose Bowl game.  Michigan crushed Stanford, 49-0.

The 'grand-daddy of them all' started a fantastic tradition of college football bowl games.

1906 - The British Parliament curtailed immigration for the insane, impoverished, criminal and diseased.

You'd think this would be common sense.  You'd think the U.S. would have a similar policy...And then you'd remember immigration has become more a tool to control the native population than one to help it - from both American political parties.

1912 - The Chinese Republic was founded by Sun Yat-sen.

China has never had anything near a republic, and certainly nothing resembling a democracy.  That said, Chinese civilization has been as successful as any in the history of mankind and I am not here to say they do it wrong.

1920 - The League of Nations convened for the first time.

This worked just about as well as the U.N. has.

1920 - The 'Great Raid of the Red Scare': 'Radicals' were arrested in 33 U.S. cities.

They could round up many more 'Reds' if they'd just go to each city's modern-day DNC headquarters.

1934 - Germany passed the "Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring."

It wasn't long till they started considering anyone who wasn't German to be 'diseased.'

1946 - Japanese Emperor Hirohito rejected the notion the emperor is a living god and the notion the Japanese are superior to other races and destined to govern the world.

A thorough 'whoopin' will do this to most people bent on conquest and subjugation...It's usually the only thing which works - something all freedom-loving people must always keep in mind.
 
1949 - The U.N. brokered a cease-fire in Kashmir granting it the right to vote on whether to remain in India or join Pakistan.

No vote has taken place, and the cease-fire is in constant danger of dissolving...A reality made even more dangerous by the fact India and Pakistan are nuclear powers.

1959 - Fidel Castro led Cuban revolutionaries to victory over Fulgencio Batista.

It's a disgrace President Eisenhower let this happen right off the shores of the U.S...It's an even bigger disgrace no succeeding president has righted this wrong.  And even worse that President Obama embraced the Castros.

1986 - Soviet television aired a five-minute greeting from President Reagan, and Americans got the same from Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in the first such exchange between the superpowers.

The iron fist of the Soviet Union was loosening.  It wasn't long until it completely crumbled.

1993 - Czechoslovakia dissolved, and the Czech Republic and Slovakia were formed.

As Liberalism takes over American popular culture, the memory of Ronald Reagan may shrink, but the people of Eastern Europe will long remember him for bringing down the Soviet Union and her hold on her neighbors.  This 'Velvet Revolution' has been the most successful of the previous communist nations.

1994 - The North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect.

Free trade is always good for the U.S...As long as it is 'fair' trade.  And as long as the deal isn't just a means to smuggle more foreigners in.

1999 - President Fidel Castro, marking 40-years as Cuba's leader, portrayed his Socialist nation as a defender of humanity against rapacious capitalism.

You'd think with such magnanimity Americans would be fleeing to Cuba, instead of vice verse.

2002 - Euro banknotes and coins became the legal tender in 12 EU states.

The Euro will ultimately fail without a united Europe, which will never happen.  Sadly, this process of failing is in the process of occurring.

December 25 (A Triple)

1 - The date celebrated as the birth of Jesus Christ.

Was Christ born on this date? No. Is Christ the son of God? Personally, I'd say no...Neither of these questions - or my opinion - is of importance, however.

What is important is the life and death of Jesus Christ, and the historical results of his life and death...Results which have been as important as any life and death in history.

336 - The first recorded celebration of Christmas on December 25th took place in Rome.

The ‘birth of Christ’ had been celebrated on various dates for over 200 years, but this is the first sanctioned by the 'Church' on the 25th.

800 - Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Romans.

The Pope crowned Charlemagne emperor in order to pay back the many times Charles saved him from his enemies in the Vatican, and also from his own family...Charlemagne was also a strong defender of the church, and liked to think of himself as the founder of a new Roman Empire.

There are many who consider Charlemagne as the founder of the Holy Roman Empire, and there are others who consider Otto I the founder in 962...I fall in line with those who look at Otto, because it was he who stabilized the 'Germanic nation,' and made the HRE a consistent functioning institution.

Either way, I hope you aren't foolish enough to think the Holy Roman Empire was either 'Holy,' 'Roman,' or an 'Empire.'

1. 'Holy': Hahahaha! This was a political entity if there ever was one.
2. 'Roman': Hardly. Remember Charlemagne was a Frank and Otto a Saxon (both were Germanic tribes), and the HRE was always ruled by Germans/Austrians in the future.
3. 'Empire': The HRE had a brief period as an empire thanks to it's association with the Spanish Empire (during the reign of Charles V), but other than that, it was a loose confederation of German States...Nothing more, nothing less.

1066 - William the Conqueror was crowned King William I of England.

A great day in the history of what had previously been a backward nation, and what would eventually became one of the greatest empires in world history.

1651 - The General Court of Massachusetts passed a law making the observance of Christmas a penal offense and ordered a fine of five shillings for "observing any such day as Christmas."

During this time, Christmas in the Americas resembled Mardi Gras, and the Massachusetts Puritans wanted nothing to do with such debauchery...As a result it was a long time before Christmas became a mainstream American holiday.

1776 - The Battle of Trenton: American Revolution.  General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River in a surprise attack against Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey.

A 'surprise attack' on a drunken force...It was a minor tactical battle, but an enormous strategic victory because it provided an important psychological lift for the Colonists.

1799 - Napoleon’s new constitution went into effect. It gave him, as First Consul, powers to promulgate laws, nominate senior officials, control finances and conduct negotiations with foreign powers.

A dictator was born, and France began a periods of true greatness...Though not necessarily one of 'goodness.'

1868 - President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all persons involved in the Southern rebellion which resulted in the Civil War.

You have to wonder if Lincoln would have done likewise.  I tend to think he would have, because from the beginning of the war his intent was to keep the Union whole...This pardon went a long way towards re-establishing this wholeness - though it pissed off many in the North who felt the South should pay a much greater price then it did.

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.

October 25 (A Double)

1415 – The Battle of Agincourt.

This is one of the most decisive battles of the Hundred Years War - a complete English route of the French.

The French greatly outnumbered the English (at least 2-1), but the English had the dominant weapon of the time: The longbow...Amazingly, the English suffered around 500 casualties compared to over 5,000 for the French.

From this point till the Battle of Orleans (1428-29) England dominated France, but was unable to force a conclusion to the war...It took a woman (Joan of Arc) to turn the tide in the favor of the French and bring an end to this seemingly endless war.
 
1556 - Charles V abdicated as Holy Roman Emperor.

Charles’ empire was one of the largest in history (Holy Roman Empire, Spain and most of South and Central America, much of Italy, the Netherlands, etc.)...It was also one of the most tumultuous in history, as well, which is why he resigned at such a young age (56).

His abdication saw the split of the Habsburg lands between the Austrian and Spanish branches, and severed the Netherlands from the German lands, giving it to Spain...This was the final reward for Spanish loyalty, and final slap for the troubles the Germans caused him.

But , this switch was bad for both Austria and Spain.

Spain spent the better part of the next century unsuccessfully fighting to keep the Low Countries.

The Austrians and Holy Roman Empire lost the most important part of its economy (trade, banks, ports, etc), and was weakened militarily by not having the Dutch Navy at it's disposal...All of which more or less ruined it's influence in the West, and limited it to Central and Eastern Europe.

As a result the Dutch were the only winners in Charles' decision, because there was no way the Spanish could ultimately control the Netherlands as effectively as the Germans could (not with France between them, and England supporting them), which eventually resulted in Dutch independence.

2137 B.C. - Ho and Hsi, Chinese royal astronomers, were beheaded after failing to accurately predict an eclipse of the sun, which caused panic in the streets of China.

How sad...The Chinese should have known it wasn’t the astronomers fault, and there was no way Bush could have gotten FEMA out fast enough to stop the 'panic in the streets.'

1854 - The 'Charge of the Light Brigade': Crimean War.

Britain's Lord Cardigan led a cavalry attack against the Russians at Balaclava, one of the most heroic episodes in British military history.

'Heroic' and stupid...670 British cavalrymen attacked a heavily fortified Russian position and were wiped out. They met no objective, except death - and mythological status.

1917 (November 7 on the new-style calendar) - In Russia, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, seized power.

This event will be detailed in November, but is noted here to help explain why this part of the Revolution is often referred to as the 'November Revolution' as well as the 'October Revolution.'

Changes in calendar systems always cause problems with dating, but it is the event, not the date which is important...Anyone who tells you otherwise is a fool.

1923 - The Teapot Dome scandal came to public attention when Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Montana, revealed the findings of the past 18-months of investigation. His case resulted in the conviction of Harry F. Sinclair of Mammoth Oil, and later Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall, the first cabinet member in American history to go to jail. The scandal, named for the Teapot Dome oil reserves in Wyoming, involved Fall secretly leasing naval oil reserve lands to private companies.

This was a terrible scandal in its day, but would be nothing compared to the shenanigans going on in both parties today.

1932 - Mussolini promised to remain dictator of Italy for 30-years.

He didn’t even make it half way...At least he didn’t promise a '1000 year Reich' like his lunatic pal Adolph.

1994 - Susan Smith reported to police that her two young boys had been taken in a carjacking. Nine days later, she confessed she rolled the car into a lake, drowning the children.

This sick bitch committed the ultimate crime: She killed her children!!! And she won’t be executed!! Instead she was given a life sentence, with a shot at parole in 2025.

I guess performing 'post-term abortions' isn’t a crime worthy of the death penalty...Which is only logical since we allow 'pre-term abortions.'

It makes me sick that this woman is still alive, and we should hope 'Shanks' becomes her cell-mate sometime between now and 2025.

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 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.

September 29

1918 - Allied forces scored a decisive breakthrough of the Hindenburg Line:  World War I.

The Allies called this defensive frontier the Hindenburg Line and the Germans called it the Siegfried Line...Regardless of it's name, this extensive defensive position had held the Allies at bay since 1917.

The entry of the Americans proved too much for the Germans to hold the line, however, and this breakthrough proved to break the Germans.

440 - Saint Leo I, the Great, was elected Roman Catholic Pope.

Leo's greatness is defined in one single event: He was the only man who tamed Attila the Hun.

No one knows how he got the Hun to leave Italy, but he did, which established the power of the Church...And as it turned out, the Church was the only entity strong enough to pick up the pieces of European Civilization after the fall of Rome.

1227 - Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II was excommunicated.

Not only was Frederick excommunicated, but Pope Gregory IX also went so far as to call him the anti-Christ.

What was his crime? He challenged the power of the Church.

1879 - The Meeker Massacre: Dissatisfied Ute Indians killed federal agent Nathan Meeker and nine others.

I can't say I blame the Indians...They should have killed every 'White-man' they encountered.

But they didn't, and eventually found themselves annihilated and/or absorbed instead...Such is the cruelty of history.

1916 - On this day, John D. Rockefeller's wealth made him the first American billionaire.

A billion dollars is impressive in any time, but especially when this billion is put in the context of current dollars: $1,000,000,000 in 1916 = over $20,000,000,000 in 2012!

He made much more before he was through.

1923 - Britain began to govern Palestine under a League of Nations mandate.

It's too bad Turkey became so pathetic, because the Ottomans kept this region in check for the better part of four centuries. They may have done it through oppression, but it's undeniable they did a good job of keeping the Bedouin and Islamic radicals under control...The Brits proved much less capable, and the Americans have done even worse than the Brits.

1941 - The Babi Yar Massacre.  Over two days (September 29-30) the Germans killed 33,771 Jewish men, women and children near Kiev:  WWII.

An account of the massacre: "There was no question of being able to dodge or get away. Brutal blows, immediately drawing blood, descended on their heads, backs and shoulders from left and right. The soldiers kept shouting: "Schnell, schnell!" laughing happily, as if they were watching a circus act; they even found ways of delivering harder blows in the more vulnerable places, the ribs, the stomach and the groin...Those who hesitated had their clothes ripped off them by force, and were kicked and struck with knuckledusters or clubs by the Germans, who seemed to be drunk with fury in a sort of sadistic rage." - A. Anatoli

The massacre was horrific, but the result of it was even worse.

This was before the Nazi's perfected the 'gas & burn technique,' and most of these Jews were shot to death...A method which was hard on the psyche of the murderers - even the twisted minds of the psychos in the S.S.

The end result was a more 'efficient' and 'humane' ways of eliminating the 'untermenchen'...More humane for the killers that is.

1943 - Adolf Hitler's book 'Mein Kampf' was published in the United States.

Huh?? Check that date out...The book was published while the U.S. was at war with Germany.

I'm sure the publishers sold it under the guise of the First Amendment and anti-censorship...As our brave soldiers died fighting to save Western Civilization from the lunatic who wrote the book.

1965 - President Lyndon Johnson signed the 'Federal Aid to the Arts Act,' establishing the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, out of which came the National Endowment for the Arts.

What an enormous waste of money! No one needs this garbage, and few Americans ever bother to deal with the arts and humanities.

That said, I have nothing against the legitimate arts (plenty of problems with the degenerate arts, though), but either way this should be a private venture not one paid with taxpayer dollars.

1988 - U.N. peacekeeping forces won the Nobel Peace Prize.

This is great...U.S. troops protect the globe, and get nothing but disdain from the world (and many at home), but the clowns at the U.N. get a prize.

We get what we ask for by participating in the 'Circle Jerk Group,' however.

1999 - Vice President Al Gore abruptly moved his presidential campaign headquarters from Washington to Nashville to get "out of the Beltway and into the heartland."

Buuuullllllllllll Ssssssssssshhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttt!

Al couldn't have cared less about the 'heartland'...He left D.C. because he wanted to get as far away from the ‘stain of Bill Clinton’ as possible.

September 26

1414 - The export of gunpowder from England was prohibited.

Every era has seen the hope of banning weapons technology and keeping them in the hands of those who have them...And every era has seen these efforts fail.

War is a constant in the human condition, and the human desire to procure the means of making war are stronger than those to stop war.
 
The Clausewitz-Pero Corollary
Clausewitz: “War is the continuation of Politics by other means."
Pero: “Politics is the continuation of War by other means.”

Clausewitz was correct, but he had the ordering wrong.  War came first, and is a natural human instinct...Politics is the civilized method of warfare. Even when it is barely civil.

1371 - The Battle of Maritsa.

Another in the long process of the Turks overwhelming the Balkans, defeating the Serbians.

Had it not been for the Crusaders and the Habsburg Empire, the Ottomans might have overwhelmed all of Europe.

1580 - Sir Francis Drake returned to England with a shipload of loot from the Spanish after the first successful circumnavigation of the globe by an Englishman.

Drake was a great naval commander...And an even greater pirate.

1789 - Thomas Jefferson was appointed America's first Secretary of State; John Jay the first Chief Justice of the United States; Samuel Osgood the first Postmaster-General; and Edmund Jennings Randolph the first Attorney General.

The young nation was evolving, and luckily had many brilliant, fertile minds to choose from.

Thank God the modern-day idiots weren't around back then, or the ‘American Experiment’ would have blown up in the lab.

1913 - The first boat was raised in the locks of the Panama Canal.

The world shrunk with this event...No longer would commerce have to travel to the tip of South America (a terribly dangerous trip, due to weather patterns) to get to and from Europe and Africa to the U.S. West Coast or the Orient.

This event also greatly reduced the importance of the South American countries bypassed due to the Canal crossing (Brazil, Chile, etc.)

1941 - Nazis slaughtered about 34,000 Jews in Kiev:  WWII.

34,000 in 24 hours = 1,400+/hour = 23+/minute.

An impressive day for the 'Master Race Killing Machine'...Especially considering this was before the 'Final Solution' perfected the gassing/oven technique.

1960 - The first televised debate between presidential candidates Richard Nixon and John Kennedy took place.

Kennedy looked and sounded great...Nixon looked like a sweaty corpse, and sounded like Hell.

Needless to say, this event went a long way in JFK getting elected...That and the Mob, of course.

September 21

1949 - The People's Republic of China was proclaimed by its Communist leaders.

The West almost fell off its chair, and the global balance of power took a sudden shift...Luckily for the world, the U.S. was so far ahead of everyone else militarily and economically this shift didn’t completely flip the balance of power.  Plus the two main commie countries (the USSR and  China) have never trusted each other, and probably never will - no matter how much they may currently pretend otherwise.

454 - Aetius, Roman Supreme Army Commander, was murdered on the order of Valentinian III, Emperor of the West.

The Empire was on it’s last legs, yet the emperor thought it prudent to kill his best general.

Aetius is often called the “last of the Romans,” and was the only Roman who ever defeated Attila, which is why Valentinian killed him...He feared Aetius overthrowing him as emperor.

1348 - Jews in Zurich Switzerland were accused of poisoning wells.

The belief was Jews were causing the Bubonic Plague through the water supply...Just another case of the long standing European tradition of: 'If in doubt blame the Jews.'

1529 - Turks under Suleiman I laid siege to Vienna.

The Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburgs have often been reviled by historians, but they played a huge roll in keeping the Muslim Horde out of Central and Western Europe...They were attacked repeatedly by the Ottomans, but Vienna never fell, and the Ottomans never got past Eastern Europe.

1780 – Major General Benedict Arnold gave British Major John Andre the plans to West Point: American Revolutionary War.

Arnold was one of America's first great heroes, as the victor at the Battle of Saratoga - the turning-point of the Revolutionary War.

But he was a traitor, indeed, and had his plan succeeded there is some doubt the Revolution could have sustained itself...West Point held the key to the Hudson River Valley (an incredibly important strategic region), and would have split the Continentals in two.

Somehow Arnold felt he could justify his decision, in a letter to George Washington: "love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man's actions."

What a crock of crap...It's too bad he escaped to England and avoided a proper execution at the hands of his former troops.

1893 - The first successful American-made, gasoline-operated motor-car appeared on the streets of Springfield, Massachusetts. It was designed and built by Charles and Frank Duryea.

I bet you thought Henry Ford invented the automobile.

Unfortunately our education system doesn’t bother with details...Ford may have perfected the assembly system to mass produce the automobile, but in no way did he invent the car itself.

1904 - Exiled Nez Perce leader Chief Joseph died of a 'broken heart.'

Give me a break! The 'Noble Savages' were nothing more than the modern-day Phrygians, Hittites, Sumerians, Ancient Egyptians, etc...And I never hear anyone cry for these extinct cultures.

Trust me, all of 'our people' and civilizations will eventually disappear to the trash-heap of history...It is the way of the world, it is natural, and it will be a truth for as long as humans are animals - which will be forever.

1941 - The German Army cut off the Crimean Peninsula from the rest of the Soviet Union: WWII.
The War in the East European Theatre was awesome...The longest fronts, bloodiest battles, massive use of tanks and aircraft, horrific suffering and heroism among the civilian population, and an overall battle of annihilation were just some of the factors in the greatest war in the history of the world.

And I hope you understand when I say 'awesome' and 'greatest,' I’m talking about size, scope and importance.

1981 - Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Was that a Democrat or a Republican who put the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court? Of course it was a Republican - Reagan.

That said, she wasn't a very good choice...Unless you are a Liberal, that is.

1992 - President GHW Bush addressed the U.N. General Assembly, offering U.S. support to strengthen international peacekeeping.

Bush was at the end of his presidency, and Bubba used this pledge to lead some of the most inept military missions in U.S. history...Somalia and the Balkans in particular.

Luckily, Somalia is of little consequence, and the Russians were too weak after the fall of the Soviet Union to support their Serbian cousins.

September 7

1901 - The Boxer Rebellion, an attempt in China to drive out all foreigners, ended with the signing of the Peking Protocol.

China agreed to pay an indemnity to the European powers, lower tariffs on imports, and accept a strengthening of European protection of its representatives and interests...In other words, the Chinese agreed to continue taking it in the shorts from the European powers and Japan.
 
I have no doubt there will be a period of payback in the future.

1502 - Amerigo Vespucci returned from the New World to Lisbon, Portugal.

I love the name America, but it’s a shame Columbus wasn’t properly recognized.

By the way, the New World was originally named ‘Americus' until the map-makers decided to follow Europe’s lead and gave the new land a female name.

1714 - The Treaty of Baden was signed between the Holy Roman Empire and France, ending the War of Spanish Succession.

Like many European treaties, this one did little more than set the board for the next war...It did a little more than others, though, because it gave Alsace to France. A territory which the French and Germans fought over till the end of World War II.

As usual, the only real winner in this scrap was Great Britain.

1812 - The Battle at Borodino.

Napoleon showed his brilliance, but Borodino was a battle he couldn’t afford to fight, even though he won...It was a Phyrric victory which cost him in the end, and hastened his retreat from Russian.

1813 - The earliest known printed reference to the United States by the nickname 'Uncle Sam' occurred in the Troy Post.

Unfortunately, too many Americans actually think of the U.S. as their family...But not as an uncle - as their mommy and daddy.

1888 - An incubator was used for the first time on a premature infant when Edith Eleanor McLean became the first baby to be placed in an incubator. She weighed 2 pounds, 7 ounces.

This is a fantastic use of medical technology, and it’s impossible to count how many lives have been saved by such devices.

1940 - Nazi Germany began its initial 'blitz' on London:  WWII.

The Blitz was a strategic bombing campaign against London, as part of the overall Battle of Britain...It lasted in earnest for 57 continuous nights, but continued in part through 1945.

1977 - The Panama Canal Treaty and Neutrality Act, calling for the U.S. to eventually turn over control of the waterway to Panama, was signed.

Thanks a lot President Carter...The world was much safer with the U.S. controlling the Canal, rather than China. Which is where it is headed.

1979 - The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) made its cable TV debut.

At the time, this was Heaven on Earth for sports-freaks like myself...Unfortunately, it's become much less entertaining as time goes on.

1993 - Dr. Joycelyn Elders was confirmed by the Senate as U.S. Surgeon General.

HOW IN THE HELL DID WE HAVE A U.S. SURGEON GENERAL WHO WAS FRIENDLY TOWARD PEDOPHILIA? This is repulsive, but perfectly in line with the degeneracy of the Clinton Administration.

Don’t believe me? Go see for yourself: Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex. (Foreword by Dr. Joycelyn Elders).

September 3

1939 (11:15 a.m.) - Britain's Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, announced the declaration of war against Germany.

The Brits were soon joined by France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada...But not the U.S. - something to keep in mind when we call on our allies in times of need.

Too bad the Brits and French gave Hitler six years to build up...If Chamberlain had any honor he would have put the "peace in our time" declaration in his mouth and choked to death on it.

Needless to say, the war was on, and Hell on Earth was about to begin...Hell to the tune of an estimated 60-80 million deaths.

590 - Gregory I ('the Great') was consecrated as pope. Regarded as the father of the medieval papacy and last of four Latin 'Doctors of the Church,' he was the first pope to aspire to secular power, the man for whom the Gregorian Chant is named, and one of the main organizers of Roman liturgy and its music. He was also one of the prime promoters of monasticism.

Not many people are recognized with 'the Great' after their name, but Gregory definitely fits the model...I highly recommend you read about him and the effects he had on the Church.

1658 - Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of England, died.

No one is positive what the Lord Protector died of, but most believe he was poisoned or had malaria...I tend to think some Royalists got him.

Either way, Cromwell left only a useless son to succeed him, and the monarchy was reestablished shortly after his death.

A fun tid-bit: Cromwell's body was exhumed from the grave in 1661, and he was executed posthumously...And to make his point very clear, the king had Cromwell's dead body hung then drawn-and-quartered.

1683 - Turkish troops broke through the defenses of Vienna.

Another in the centuries old Muslim attempt to crack Central Europe...Thankfully the Austrian Habsburgs were strong enough to keep them at bay, because had they not there were few other forces strong enough to keep Islam from swallowing up the entire continent.

1752 - This day never happened, nor the next 10, in England.

After England adopted the Gregorian Calendar, 11 days were erased...Many English people rioted, thinking the government stole 11 days of their lives.

1783 - The Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the seven year American Revolutionary War and recognizing U.S. independence from Britain.

The colonies earned their freedom by kicking out the world's greatest power.

Next came the hard part, creating a new nation out of a hodge-podge of people...And then they had to fight the Brits again in the War of 1812 to prove they were worthy of being a sovereign country.

1954 - The U.S. Espionage and Sabotage Act of 1954 was signed, legislating the death penalty for peacetime sabotage.

Sounds like a natural idea to me. Why should a country be held hostage by those who wish to do it harm? Internationally or domestically?

Any chance we can start enforcing this law?

1994 - China and Russia proclaimed an end to any lingering hostilities, pledging they would no longer target nuclear missiles or use force against each other.

Sure.  Such trustworthy deal-makers the Chinese and Ruskies are...Especially considering the extent of land the Russians have in the east - most of which is barely inhabited.  A landmass which a country with over a billion people and limited natural resources might find useful.