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was flaunted by mobsters, bootleggers and many average American citizens throughout the country, and was eventually repealed in 1933.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 3

1868 - The Meiji Restoration.

The authority of Japan's emperor was re-established, ending the Shogun period of military rulers. The feudal clan system was also abolished, industrialization started, and Japan opened itself up to the West - thereby obtaining the benefits of Western technology.

The Shogunate was replaced, but their militarist system wasn’t...Instead it was expanded, and ceased to limit itself to the Japanese islands.  In a short period of time (1905 - Russia, 1937 - China, 1941 - U.S. and British Empire, etc.), the world would find out just how much Japan ceases limiting itself.

1521 - Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

Excommunication is a terrible sentence for any Catholic - especially in the 1500’s...Luther was condemned to Hell, and more or less evicted from the 'community of man.'

Lucky for Luther, there were plenty who were as disgusted with the Church as he was, and even more important there were enough German princes who were jealous of the power of the Holy Roman Empire and the Church who were willing to provide protection for him...Without the help of these princes, Luther would have died very shortly after this date, and the Protestant Reformation would have likely died with him.

1565 - Ivan the Terrible threatened to abdicate the Russian throne.

'Terrible' he was, but he was also a great Russian leader...At least by the standards of the time. As such, he was begged to stay, which cost the Russian nobility greatly, but saved the Russian nation from its neighbors.

1777 - The Battle of Princeton: American Revolution.  The Continental Army, commanded by General George Washington, defeated the British at Princeton, New Jersey.

The Battle of Princeton had little tactical value, but was a strategic victory because it was a huge moral boost for the Colonial cause.  As a result, recruitment for the revolution increased.

1920 - The New York Yankees purchased Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox for $125,000.

Not only is this the worst trade in the history of American sports, but it is the beginning of the greatest dynasty (Yankees) and one of the worst curses (Red Sox) in American sports.

1925 – Italian Fascist leader Benito Mussolini dissolved the Italian Parliament and announced he was assuming dictatorial powers in Italy.

Italy was ripe for a strongman, and Mussolini was such a man.  Oh, and the 'trains ran on time'...Unfortunately for Italy, ‘Il Duce’ also proved to be a nut, and made a huge mistake joining with the even more nutty lunatics to the north - Nazi Germany.

1930 - The Second Conference on War Reparations began in the Hague.

The French decided they needed to bleed Germany a little more for their actions in WWI...Another in the long line of events leading to the Nazi’s and WWII.

1932:  Martial law was declared in Honduras to stop a revolt of workers fired by United Fruit.

Ever wonder where the term "banana republic" came from?

1938:  The March of Dimes was established to fight polio.

Less than 20 years later a polio vaccine was created...I have no doubt we could cure many of our current diseases just as successfully if the political and regulatory chains were taken off.  And if there wasn't such tremendous fear of lawsuits due to negative reactions to new medications.

1961 - The United States severed diplomatic relations with Cuba after Fidel Castro announced he was a Communist.

Eisenhower was a good man, a great general, and an above-average president…Unfortunately, his presidency will always be tainted with the establishment of a Communist country next door.

He was a lame duck president, but he and Kennedy should have worked out a way to eliminate this problem.

1973:  George Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees for $12 million.

As of 2017, the Yankees estimated worth is over $3 billion...A pretty fair deal for the 'Boss.'

January 2

1492- Muhammad XI, leader of the last Arab/Moor stronghold in Granada, Spain, surrendered to Spanish forces loyal to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

Muslim Moors held Spain for around 780-years before the Spanish Reconquista was complete. The Christian Spanish have held it for around 500-years, and the Muslim Reconquista is just beginning...It's debatable if the Christians - though its almost comical to call any European country 'Christian' anymore - will be able to hold off the Muslims long enough to match their 780-year reign.

Personally, I doubt if they can...If nothing else they'll be conquered through moronic immigration policies, which will lead to the Christian population being out-bred by the Islamic.

1570 - Russian Czar Ivan the Terrible began marching on Novgorod.

Ivan was most definitely 'terrible', for his own people and his neighbors, but he was instrumental in strengthening and building the Russian nation...Which is why he is one of the most respected and approved of Russian rulers in history - by the Russian people.  A fact, which is true for most of the 'great' Russian rulers - including in our time.

1776 - George Washington designed the first U.S. Flag with thirteen red and white stripes and a Union Jack in the corner:  American Revolutionary War.

Most will wonder why he put the British 'Jack' on the flag, but it's important to remember the colonies hadn't declared independence from England at this time - and many still held out hope of avoiding doing so.

1872 - Brigham Young, leader of the Mormon Church, was arrested on a charge of bigamy. He had 25 wives.

Here's betting bigamy/polygamy, incest and pedophilia become the next battle in the redefinition of marriage.  And those who support multiple marriages will take the same path as those who support gay marriage:  'Who is to stand in the way of consenting adults in love?'

Mark my words.  All of this will be brought forward in the name of 'progress' (which is actually historical regression) in our lifetime.

1882 - Standard Oil was organized as a trust to avoid anti-monopoly laws.

Interestingly, this same 'trust' was eventually broken up under anti-trust laws designed to break up monopolies.

1905 - After a six-month siege, Russia surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese.

The Japanese Navy destroyed the Russian Far East and Baltic Fleets, setting itself up for a 40-year run as one of the world's great military nations...An accomplishment of major significance; especially considering Japan is such a small nation with almost no natural resources - outside of its loyal and brilliant people.

1954 - Senator Joseph McCarthy was condemned by Congress, and later censured by the Senate.

McCarthy went over the top - particularly in attacking the Army - but it's not surprising many of his claims proved to be true about Communist infiltration of the government and Hollywood.

1997 - California's law against smoking in public places, passed in 1995, was extended to bars. Reports from the first day in effect was the law was widely ignored.

I'm not a smoker, and generally prefer not being in places where smokers are, but I can't be the only one who finds it bizarre that California fights smoking tobacco so hard yet finds ways to support smoking marijuana.

2001 - President Bill Clinton met with Yasser Arafat and coaxed him to curb Middle East violence.

These two should always be listed together for their efforts at ending the Jihadist insanity in the Middle East.  In other words: They should be linked as absolute frauds and failures when it comes to Middle East peace.