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.

October 29 (A Double)

539 B.C. - Persian King Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon.

The Persians had long been kicking at the gates of Mesopotamia, but it wasn't until Cyrus came along that they had the leadership it took to overwhelm the Assyrians (Babylonians)...Cyrus proved to be much more than an average leader, and eventually conquered most of the area of the modern-day Middle East. Which is why he was able to found the world's first true empire, was known as the King of Kings, and later as 'the Great.'

1929 - Black Tuesday.

The day the Great Depression began, with the massive trading of 13,000,000 shares on the N.Y. Stock Exchange.

There were many reasons for the Depression, which was a global phenomenon not an American one...Most important was the destabilization of the world economy after WWI, and the excessive reparations put on German with the Treaty of Versailles.

Unfortunately, this state of economic destabilization was one of the many factors leading to WWII.

1940 - U.S. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson drew the first number (158) in America's first peacetime military draft:  WWII.

This was a year before the Japanese invaded Pearl Harbor...Thankfully the U.S. military was ramping up.

FDR should have begun this process in 1939, and entered the war in 1940, but didn't have the courage or conviction to do what was right, because it would have been unpopular...In other words, FDR was a politician not a statesman.  That said, he did prove to be a great war president once he was dragged into it.

1942 - Nazis murdered 16,000 Jews in Pinsk, Soviet Union:  WWII.

Another big day for the 'Master Race.'

1966 - The National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded.

This name is so deceiving...It should be NOMLMHW: National Organization for Marxist Lesbian Man Hating Women. Anything less is a huge lie.

1997 - Iraq barred Americans from the U.N. disarmament effort in Iraq. A move which outraged chief weapons inspector Richard Butler and prompted him to suspend inspections.

It’s a good thing the Clinton Administration was tough on Saddam. Riiiiiiiight...Instead he left the problem for his successor.

October 12

1492 - Believing he reached India, Christopher Columbus arrived with his expedition in the present-day Bahamas.

History changed with this event, adding a whole 'new world' to the geography of the known world, and a massive new territory for the genius of Western Civilization to conquer, settle, exploit and populate.

Some may look at this as a terrible thing, but it is what it is, which is nothing more than the natural evolution of mankind: The spread and conquest of man over space, distance and one another.

539 B.C. - Persian ruler Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon.

Cyrus founded the dynasty which created the world's first truly great empire, and was the greatest power in history until Alexander the Great and the Romans came along:  "At its greatest extent, the empire included the modern territories of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, all significant population centers of ancient Egypt as far west as Libya, Turkey, Thrace and Macedonia, much of the Black Sea coastal regions, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, much of Central Asia, Afghanistan, northern Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and parts of Oman and the UAE." - Wikipedia

1518 - Martin Luther was summoned before the Diet of Augsburg, where he refused to recant his protestation against the Church.

Luther snubbed the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope, and it’s amazing he survived this meeting.

Both Charles and the Pope would regret the decision not to kill him, because Luther's life ensured the survival of the Reformation (which didn't have a name at the time) and empowered the German princes who supported and protected Luther.

1862 - J.E.B. Stuart completed his 'second ride around McClellan':  U.S. Civil War.

General McClellan had one of the largest and best trained, though terribly green, forces in the world, but didn’t have the testicular fortitude to put it to use...The fact that Lee, Stonewall, Stuart, etc., made him look incompetent is no surprise.

Unfortunately, it took years before Lincoln found his 'fighting general' - Grant...McClellan was just the first of many without a clue how to fight a winning war.

1960 - Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev began banging his shoe on a desktop at a U.N. General Assembly meeting.

Nikki was quite the dramatist, but he certainly wasn't a nut...Not compared to other nutters of the time, that is.

1973 - President Nixon nominated House Minority Leader Gerald Ford for the vice presidency to replace Spiro Agnew, who resigned in disgrace two days earlier.

Nixon picked a good man...Which was necessary, because he knew his ass was about to be strung up as well.

1999 - NBA Hall-of-Famer Wilt Chamberlain died at the age of 63.

I still don’t know how 'The Stilt' managed to have his way with 10,000 fillies (allegedly)...It’s amazing he lived to 63 at that rate.

2000 - The USS Cole was attacked by Islamists in Yemen, killing 17 U.S. sailors.

I thought the Jihadists ‘loved the U.S.’ before G.W. Bush? Hmmmm.

Oh well, at least our bold Commander-in-Chief (Clinton) taught them a lesson...Ooops. I forgot, he did nothing, except embolden them.

October 1 (A Double)

331 B.C. - The Battle of Gaugamela.

Also known as the Battle of Arbela.

Alexander the Great crushed King Darius III's Persian army, even though Darius entered the battle with a 1,000,000 man army (according to ancient historian, Arrian).

Obviously the ancient estimate is terribly inaccurate, but there's little doubt the Persians had at least a 4-1 advantage, which simply meant Alexander had more enemies to kill...Reasonable estimates claim Alexander suffered around 10,000 casualties compared to 140,000 for Darius.

Gaugamela is one of the most decisive and important battles in history, and it's result went a long way towards Alexander becoming the 'Master of the Known World'...A fact which destined the Western world to become Greco/Roman instead of possibly Persian.

1952 - Britain exploded its first atom bomb, at Monte Bello Island, Australia.

Anytime a country solves and figures out how to weaponize the power of the atom it signifies a great event...Maybe not a good one, but definitely a great one.

1800 - The Treaty of San Ildefonso.

A secret treaty between France and Spain:  Spain gave the Louisiana Territory to France...Spain didn't have much of a choice, with Napoleon threatening to take over Spain.

France didn't control the territory for long, though, and sold it to the U.S. in 1803.

1903 - The first World Series began in Boston.

Not the Boston Red Sox.

The Boston Pilgrims v. Pittsburgh Pirates...Eventually won by the Pilgrims, who won 5 of 8 games in the best-of-nine series.

1934 - Adolph Hitler expanded the German army and navy, and created an air force, violating the Treaty of Versailles.

Hitler promised he'd do it, and no one took him seriously...Sadly, this reality continued for the next five years, but by then it was too late to reverse his gains.

Sadly, the civilized world continues to make similar mistakes with madmen in our time.

1939 - Winston Churchill said the USSR "is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma":  WWII.

Churchill is the greatest leader of the 20th Century and he had this description perfectly pegged...The Soviets did nothing to prove otherwise with their bizarre actions in the first years of the war - nor during the rest of or after the war.  Including the Russians in our time.

1942 - The German Army ground to a complete halt within the city of Stalingrad:  WWII.

The great German Army was about to get it's first taste of 'Hell on Earth'...Which they'd been giving the rest of Europe for the past three years.

The battle turned into an artillery and sniper's battle, with both sides looking for any breakout possibility.

Needless to say, it was damn cold pretty soon, and the Germans were extremely unprepared for a prolonged battle in the Russian winter. But at least they had the 'Fat Field Marshal' to count on delivering his promise of supplying the Army from the air...Hahahaha!! If you don't get that, you need to visit this site more often.

The offensive phases of Stalingrad were awesome (Germans in the beginning and Soviets in the end), but this period of stagnant-warfare proved to be a slaughter-house for both sides.

Again, I can't stress how much I recommend you read up on the Battle of Stalingrad.  Simply, the greatest battle in the history of the world.

1949 - Communist Party Chairman Mao Tse-tung raised the first flag of the People's Republic of China during a ceremony in Beijing.

There's no way the Communists should have been able to win this battle, but they did.

Fortunately, China proved to be a different kind of communism than the Soviet system...Unfortunately, it proved to be equally deadly - also much heartier and sustaining.

1961 - Roger Maris of the New York Yankees hit his 61st home run.

MARIS IS THE REAL SINGLE-SEASON HOME RUN KING!!!

Forget 'Roids Mac,' 'Roids Sammy,' and 'Roids Bonds.'

September 20 (A Triple)

480 B.C. – The Battle of Salamis.

One of the most famous naval battles in history, which more or less ended the Persian Wars between the Greeks and Persia.

The Athenians, who dominated the Delian League, won the battle, and after the battles of Marathon and Salamis felt it was their turn to be the Greek hegemon...Unfortunately for the Athenians, the Spartans had other plans and within 40-years the Peloponnesian War began.

I know most don't know it, but the Athenians had a very small window of dominance in Greece...Most of Classical Greek history is dominated by the Spartans. If you didn't know this it's not your fault the Liberal education establishment doesn't teach history as it actually happened. It will be your fault if you refuse to return to these posts on a daily basis, however.

451 - The Battle of Chalons-sur-Marne: A Roman victory over Attila the Hun.

This battle is also known as the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields, or simply the Battle of Chalons...In modern-day France.

Chalons was the one time the Romans (with the help of the Visigoths) got the best of the 'Scourge of God'...But it was the last win of any note for the once proud Romans - not just against Attila.

The non-stop succession of invasions and battles were catching up with Rome, and this victory did little more than force Attila into Italy...Lucky for Rome, Attila had no way of successfully taking on the great city's walls.  So, instead he ravaged the rest of the Italy.

622 - Mohammad's Hegira.

The 'Prophet' completed his migration from Mecca to Yathrib, a city he renamed to Madinat Al-Nabi ("city of the Prophet") or Al Madinah Al Munawara ("the enlightened city" or "the radiant city")...Most know this city by its short form, Medina, which simply means "city."

1519 - Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain on a voyage to find a western passage to the Spice Islands in Indonesia. He was killed en route, but one of his ships eventually circumnavigated the world.

The captain made it about half way around the globe, dying in the Philippines, and only about 1/10th of his fleet completed the journey.

'Going to the Moon' is dangerous work, and expeditions such as this in the 16th Century were nothing short of shooting for the stars.

1806 - Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark passed the French village of La Charette on their return trip, the first white settlement they saw in more than two years.

Speaking of astronauts of their time. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was America’s first great exploration...And it should have failed, but Jefferson picked the perfect captain in Lewis, who picked the perfect co-captain in Clark.

I highly recommend you read: Undaunted Courage. Of all Stephen Ambrose’s brilliant books, this is the one I recommend most, even though his specialty is WWII.

1862 - Prussian minister Otto von Bismarck stated Germany needed "Blood and Iron."

Over the next 80+ years the Germans did just as Bismark said: Producing much 'iron' and even more 'blood'...Europe should have known better than to allow the awakening of the Goth in the Germans, and paid dearly for not stomping on them when they had a chance.

1870 - Italian troops took control of the Papal States, leading to the unification of Italy.

The secular power of the Pope had been fading for years, and truth be told this was a good thing for the Catholic Church...It allowed the Church to look inward, and focus on its true path, instead of being a power-hungry, political whore.

1962 - Black student James Meredith was blocked from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Governor Ross R. Barnett.

Multiple choice question: Was Governor 'Racist' Ross Barnett a Republican or a Democrat?? Of course he was a Democrat.

1963 - In a speech to the U.N. General Assembly, President Kennedy proposed a joint U.S.-Soviet expedition to the moon.

Thankfully the Ruskies declined the offer.

1973 - In the so-called 'Battle of the Sexes,' tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets.

What a joke...Riggs was old and decrepit.  But reality wasn't the goal - propaganda was.

1984 - A suicide car bomber attacked the U.S. embassy annex in northern Beirut, killing twelve.

I thought Democrats have been saying the Islamists didn’t start hating the U.S. until George Bush took office? Hmmm!

1990 - Demanding equal time, Iraq asked U.S. TV networks to broadcast a message by President Saddam Hussein in response to President Bush's videotaped address to the Iraqi people.

Saddam knew what a bunch of jokers he was dealing with...Bunch of duplicitous SOB’s.

1996 - President Bill Clinton announced the signing of a bill outlawing homosexual marriages, but said it should not be used as an excuse for discrimination, violence or intimidation against gays and lesbians. (The actual signing came a little after midnight.)

Clinton signed the 'Defense of Marriage Act' (DOMA), making it the law of the land...And he was right in his comment.

But the GLBTTBNPR? crowd continued to fight the fight, and shopped the issue from one Liberal judge to the next, until they got their way with the SCOTUS.

Time will tell how this social experiment turns out.

1998 - After 2,632 consecutive games, Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles sat out a game against the New York Yankees, ending a 16-year run.

Cal is one of my favorite players, but he should have stopped at 2,130 and tied Gehrig...'The Streak' was great because it was Gehrig’s, and Ripken would have stood taller had he stood next to the Iron Horse than he does being on top of him.

September 12

490 B.C. (Exact date is unknown, but it is assumed to be sometime between September 10-12) - The Battle of Marathon.  Athenian and Plataean hoplites commanded by General Miltiades drove back a Persian invasion force under General Datis.

Marathon is one of the most famous battles in history, and one which could have changed history had the Persians won...Instead the Athenians won, keeping the Greeks free from Persian rule, and reaping the glory of defeating the great empire.

The Athenians had approximately 10,000 troops, to the Persians 20,000+...Amazingly, the Athenians lost less than 200 troops, compared to over 6,000 for the Persians.

It must be noted, the Spartans missed out on the battle because they were too slow to understand the dire straits the Greeks were in. This lack of effort to show up in time for the battle was a terribly humiliating fact for the Spartans, and a rare case where the Athenians claimed hegemony in the Greek world...A fact which lead to the Pelopponesian War between Athens and Sparta - where the Spartans reclaimed their traditional role.

1814 - A British fleet under Sir Alexander Cochrane began the bombardment of Fort McHenry, the last American defense before Baltimore. As the sun rose the next day, Lawyer Francis Scott Key was amazed to see the American Flag still flying over the battered fort. This experience inspired Key to write the lyrics to 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' which he adapted to the tune of a well-known British drinking song:  War of 1812.

The Brits weren't necessarily trying to reclaim their former colonies, but they did want to let them know they were still under their thumb...The new nation wasn’t about to allow it to happen, though.

Because of this fact 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is a brilliant song, and one we can easily sing with passion and pride.

1918 - U.S. forces, led by General John J. Pershing, launched an attack on the German-occupied St. Mihiel salient north of Verdun, France:  WWI.

This was the first American battle in World War I, and they showed well..It wasn't long before the Axis surrendered, but had the Americans been in the war in 1914 it would have never lasted this long.

1919 - Adolf Hitler joined the German Worker’s Party.

Soon to become the National Socialist German Workers Party...Better known as the Nazi Party.

Oh, did you catch that 'socialist' thingy?

1938 - Adolf Hitler demanded self-determination for the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia.

Hitler was looking for a fight and used this issue to get one...Instead the French and Brits simply handed him the Sudetenland.

Der Fuhrer was disappointed and disgusted to have this event end in peace, yet elated to see the pansies in the West show their true color: YELLOW!!

1943 - German paratroopers rescued Benito Mussolini from the hotel where he was being held by the Italian government:  WWII.

The Italians had to wait another year-and-a-half to hang Il Duce from a lamp-post.

1944 - U.S. Army troops entered Germany for the first time in World War II.

The route was on, and the only question left was who would get to Berlin first, the U.S. or the Soviets...Sadly it was the Ruskies.

1983 - The Soviet Union vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution deploring the shooting down of a Korean jetliner by a Soviet jet fighter on Sept. 1.

You didn’t read that wrong. The Soviets vetoed the plan to denounce themselves...Such is the ridiculousness of the United Nations.

September 2 (A Triple)

31 B.C. - The Battle of Actium: Octavian defeated Marc Antony.

Actium is one of the most important battles in history, because Octavian (later Augustus) finished off any resistance he had in the Roman world, and soon put an end to the Roman Republic - establishing the Roman Empire.

1945 - Japan signed an unconditional surrender aboard the U.S. battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay, formally ending World War II.

"We are gathered here, representatives of the major warring powers - to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored. The issues involving divergent ideals and ideologies, have been determined on the battlefields of the world and hence are not for our discussion or debate. Nor is it for us here to meet, representing as we do a majority of the people of the earth, in a spirit of distrust, malice or hatred. But rather it is for us, both victors and vanquished, to rise to that higher dignity which alone befits the sacred purposes we are about to serve, committing all our people unreservedly to faithful compliance with the obligation they are here formally to assume.

It is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past - a world founded upon faith and understanding - a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish - for freedom, tolerance and justice.

The terms and conditions upon which the surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces is here to be given and accepted are contained in the Instrument of Surrender now before you.

As Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, I announce it my firm purpose, in the tradition of the countries I represent, to proceed in the discharge of my responsibilities with justice and tolerance, while taking all necessary dispositions to insure that the terms of surrender are fully, promptly and faithfully complied with.

Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always. These proceedings are closed." - Gen. Douglas MacArthur

1945 - Ho Chi Minh broke ties with France and declared Vietnam an independent republic.

WWII ended, and in a round-about-way, the first fight of the Cold War began...Such is the cruel reality of human history.

490 B.C. - Phidippides ran the first 'marathon,' seeking aid from Sparta against Persia.

Phidippides didn’t run a 'marathon.'  He was running to Sparta to ask for their help at the Battle of Marathon.

He ran in vain, however, because the Spartans left the Athenians to fend for themselves...And they did just fine, to the great shock and shame of the Spartans.

44 B.C. - Cicero delivered his 'First Philippic,' an attack on Mark Antony, in the Roman Senate.

Cicero was a brilliant orator and politician, but an even better survivor, because he recognized very early that Octavian would be the eventual successor to Caesar.

Make no mistake, however, Cicero was no ally of Octavian’s, and was soon taking shots at the Emperor as well.

1192 - The Treaty of Jaffa put an end to hostilities of the Third Crusade. Negotiated between Richard the Lion Heart and Saladin, Christian pilgrims were granted special rights of travel around Palestine and in Jerusalem.

Richard and Saladin may have 'ended hostilities' but the Crusades were anything but over.

1666 - The Great Fire of London began.

Much of the city went up in flames, including 13,000 houses...Amazingly, only around a dozen people died in the fire.

On a positive note, the fire played a large role in stopping the spread of the Black Plague in London.

1752 - Britain adopted the Gregorian calendar.

Most of Europe made this change 150-years earlier...Which is one of the many reasons historical dates are often convoluted and confusing.

1777 – The Battle of Cooch's Bridge, N.J.:  U.S. Revolutionary War.

This was a small, inconclusive battle, which would normally go unrecognized here...But it is important for one reason: It was the first battle where the new nation used the 'Stars and Stripes Flag' in battle.

1901 - U.S. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt offered the advice, "Speak softly and carry a big stick," in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair.

This was a great quote, and one we should always live up to...That said, it’s important to understand there is no use in “carrying” any size stick if you don’t swing it when necessary.

1929 - An opera, composed by Kurt Weill with a libretto by Berthold Brecht, was in its final minutes when Brecht's wife launched into a speech for communism from the stage.

Sounds just like the current set of thespian idiots we have...Some things never change.

1963 - Alabama Governor George C. Wallace prevented the integration of Tuskegee High School by encircling the building with state troopers.

”In Birmingham they love the governor…” - Lynard Skynard.

They probably still love Gov. Wallace, who was a Democrat by the way.

1995 - At a military cemetery on a hill high above Honolulu, President Bill Clinton marked the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, saying it taught Americans that "the blessings of freedom are never easy or free."

Clinton was 100% correct!! It’s too bad he and his Liberal pals don’t believe a word of what he said, though...But what else is new from the world's greatest shit salesman, who is constantly tossing out 'samples.'

August 19 (A Double)

480 B.C. – The Battle of Thermopylae ended: Persian forces finally overran the heavily outnumbered Spartan defenders of the narrow pass at Thermopylae in Greece.

NOTE: This event was also posted on August 9...The date is often debated, and many note it in September. 

I am posting it again on purpose, because it is one of my favorite and greatest battles in world history - one with many far-reaching results.

1. The Persians suffered so many casualties, this was their best opportunity of crushing the Greeks before they mounted a nationwide defense...They fought many more battles, but this was the beginning of the end.

2. Sparta lost its great king (Leonidas) and suffered such a loss to its finest forces it wasn't strong enough to continue its traditional role as the leader (hegemon) of the Greek city-states following the war.

3. As a result of Persian losses at the battle, the Athenians were able to lead the Greek city-states to a win in the rest of the war...And as a result of Spartan losses, Athens was able to establish itself as the Greek hegemon, which eventually led to the Peloponnesian War.

A few details of the battle: The Spartans had around 300 troops and about 7,000 allied forces, which suffered over 4,000 casualties, including all but one Spartan. The Persians had 3,400,000 troops and suffered around 30,000 casualties...Alright, Herodotus probably exaggerated a little on the 3.4 million, but it is estimated the Persians had at least 170,000 troops.

14 - Roman Emperor Augustus Caesar died.

Augustus was an incredibly important figure in history...He was Julius Caesar’s hand-picked (adopted) successor, and the man who put the final end to the Roman Republic - establishing the Roman Empire after winning a civil war.

Also, his 40-year reign began an unprecedented time of peace, known as the Pax Romana (the Roman Peace)...A peace enforced by Rome.

Unfortunately for the Empire, there were few emperors of Augustus’ skill and Augustus didn’t establish a method for peaceful succession, which wreaked havoc on the Empire for the rest of its days.

1503 - Pope Alexander VI died accidentally of poison intended for a guest.

Such was papal politics in the Middle Ages...Which is why the Reformation had to come.

1936 - The Soviet Purges: Generals Kamenev and Zinovjev were tried for 'Trotskyism.'

The Purges were one of the many ways Stalin eliminated his enemies, and the 1930’s saw an awesome display of his power through the purging of the Communist Party and officer corp of the Soviet military...As well as millions of otherwise innocent Soviet citizens.

Sadly, but predictably, the Soviet Union paid dearly for these purges when Hitler invaded, because the Soviet military was in complete disarray due to lack of experienced leadership.

1942 - The German Sixth Army was ordered to capture Stalingrad:  WWII.

The city of Stalingrad wasn’t a necessary objective for the Germans, but Der Fuhrer wanted to eliminate the city of Joseph Stalin's name and desperately needed the Caucasian oil fields...No one ever accused Hitler of being a strategic genius, and he insisted on ordering his troops into what became the largest, most bloody battle in world history.

The result was awesome, brutal, and the turning-point in the war on this front.

1944 - President Franklin Roosevelt sent an envoy to China to reconcile problems between the Nationalists and Communists:  WWII.

Too little, too late...There was no reconciliation of the two factions, and truth be told both used WWII as a stockpiling, recruiting, and training ground for their war which followed The War.

1991 - Soviet hard-liners announced President Mikhail S. Gorbachev had been removed from power.

The Communists and Gorbachev - who was a commie - were at the end of their rope, and this event ended poorly for both...But a new Russian power-broker was emerging, and becoming the star of this event. This Russian was Boris Yeltsin (President of the Russian Federation), who took on the coup plotters by calling for a general strike.

1996 - Ralph Nader accepted the presidential nomination of the Green Party, denouncing tax breaks for corporations and calling for a "political alternative" to the two mainstream parties.

Third Party candidates, and their parties, are a joke. Those on the Right only help the Left by stealing votes from Republicans, and those on the Left only help the Right by stealing votes from Democrats...Anyone who tells you otherwise either doesn't know better or is out and out lying to you.

August 9 (A 5'er)

480 B.C. - The Battle of Thermopylae ended (began August 7 - though some calendar systems list it as September 8-10).

The Persians won the battle and should have won the war, which would have drastically altered the history of the West...But the Persians had no way of knowing what waited for them at 'The Hot Gates' - Leonidas and the prowess of Sparta, 300 Lacedaemonians strong.

The Persian Empire was history's first great empire, by far the strongest nation in the Middle/Near East and Europe at the time, and invaded Greece with the intention of conquest through the weight of an estimated million man fighting force...Defending the Thermopylae Pass against this invading force the Spartans fought with an estimated strength of 3000 men (300 Spartans and 2700 allies).

Needless to say, the Persians didn't have a million troops but they had far more than the Spartans, and there was no way the Spartans could overcome such odds in this battle, but they did enough to help Greece win the war...At the Battle of Thermopylae, the Spartans put up one of the greatest defensive holding battles in history, which gave the Greeks enough time - and will - to mount a nationwide defensive force and also eliminated the best Persian troops:  The Immortals.

This battle is one of the classics of all time, and I can't tell you how much I recommend you read 'Gates of Fire: An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae' and see the movie '300'.

48 B.C. - The Battle of Pharsalus: Julius Caesar defeated Pompey.

Caesar chased Pompey all over the Mediterranean world, and was on the verge of crushing his force...Pompey was lucky to escape to Egypt after this battle, but his days were numbered and it didn't take long for the Egyptians to murder him in order to win favor with Caesar.

378 - The Battle of Adrianople: Visigoth Calvary crushed a Roman Army.

The Roman Empire was in a steady state of decline, but at this battle the empire showed it was in it's death-throws.

The Visigoths annihilated the Roman force in the battle, which had the effect of forever opening the eastern portion of the Roman Empire to a tidal wave of Goths, Huns, Vandals, Franks, etc. - barbarian invaders.

1945 (11:02 am, local time) - The United States exploded a nuclear device over Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people:  WWII.

The 'Fat Man' hit Nagasaki, forcing the Japanese Empire to finally consider capitulating to the overwhelming force of the U.S...A force which they brought on themselves. Please keep this in mind.

Also keep in mind the horrendous damage and loss of life which would have happened had the U.S. invaded Japan instead of ending the war with the atom bombs: MacArthur and Nimitz would have bombed the hell out of Japan Proper from the sea and air, and then sent in the artillery and infantry to finish the war...A reality which would have caused millions of Japanese deaths, and also completely destroyed the infrastructure and historical landmarks of Japan as well.

Oh, and the Ruskies would have swooped in from the north, looking for a little payback for the loss of their navy in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05)...Never minimize the importance of this in the mind of the Japanese decision to surrender.

1974 - President Richard Nixon formally resigned as President of the United States. Gerald R. Ford became the nation's 38th president.

Nixon is a disgrace, and it's too bad because he was on the verge of being one of America's better presidents...But he let his fears and emotions get the best of him, and vowed to never be cheated again as he was in 1960 by John F. Kennedy and the mob.

What's really sad is Nixon didn't need to pull 'tricks', because there was no way he was going to lose the election in 1972.

Luckily, Ford was a good man who was able to keep the pieces together for the shaken nation...Even though he was the lamest of lame duck presidents in history.

1378 - The election of Urban VI as Pope was declared null when the College of Cardinals declared him a lawless, anti-Christian, devil.

Papal politics has always been brutal, but never as bad as during the Middle Ages...Urban wasn't the first scoundrel-pope, and also wasn't the last.

1790 - The 'Columbia' returned to Boston Harbor after a three-year voyage, becoming the first ship to carry the American Flag around the world.

The new nation was trumpeting its existence, but hadn't yet proved it could last over time...Luckily, the success of the Columbia has been matched by the brilliance and greatness of the future United States of America.

1842 - The Webster-Ashburton Treaty between the U.S. and Britain was signed, establishing the boundary between the U.S. and Canada from Maine to the Great Lakes.

Prior to this time, the U.S. and British contested the divide between Canada and the U.S...I often wonder if Canadians secretly wish the line could have been further north, or if it had become part of the U.S. itself?

May 22 (A Triple)

334 B.C. - The Battle of Granicus: Alexander the Great defeated Persian King Darius III, in modern-day Turkey.

This battle has historical significance for many reasons:

1. It was Alexander's first great victory in his conquest of the Persian Empire.

2. It was the closest Alexander ever came to losing a battle...In fact he almost lost his life.

3. It was the first recorded battle dominated by the strength of cavalry.

4.  It was the beginning of the end of the world's first great dynasty:  The Persian Empire.

1455 - The Battle of St. Albans:  Lancastrians v. Yorkists, beginning England's 30-year War of the Roses.

This battle began a civil war, which wasn't won by either of these 'Roses.'

FYI: The House of Lancaster was symbolized by the 'Red Rose,' and the House of York by the 'White Rose'...Both the Lancasters and Yorks descended from the Plantagenet royal line, which was their basis for claiming the throne

Unfortunately for both, neither ultimately won the war, because it was the House of Tudor - led by Henry VII - which came out the victor...Founding the Tudor Dynasty.

1947 - The 'Truman Doctrine' was enacted when Congress appropriated military and economic aid for Greece and Turkey.

There have been three great National Defense strategies in U.S. history:

1. The Monroe Doctrine: Keeping Europe from dominating the Western Hemisphere...It was strengthened by the Roosevelt Corollary.

2. The Truman Doctrine: Stopping the spread of Communism.

3. The Bush Doctrine: Attacking international terrorism, and those who support terrorists...People can love or hate Bush, but make no mistake, to this point the Bush Doctrine has been effective - we have taken the war to the Jihadis, giving them less chances to bring it to American soil.

Only time will tell if our current and future leaders keep the Bush Doctrine in play...To their credit, President Obama primarily did (even though many may not have liked it), and so has President Trump.

337 - Constantine 'the Great' died.

Constantine’s life was one of the greatest of all time, because his actions affected so many (during and after his time).

He made Christianity the official religion of the Empire, was one of the last of the great Roman emperors, and the founder of one of the ancient world's greatest cities: Constantinople.

1807 - Former Vice President Aaron Burr was put on trial for treason in Richmond, Virginia. He was acquitted in August.

It’s hard to believe this scoundrel was almost President of the United States, and actually was the V.P.

1863 - Union general Ulysses S. Grant’s second attack on Vicksburg failed and he began a siege of the fort:  U.S. Civil War.

Other than ultimately winning the war, this was the beginning of Grant’s finest hour...The fall of Vicksburg was a crushing blow to the Confederacy because the Union gained control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy between east and west.

It's important to point out this is the greatest siege in the history of the American nation...And the only one of consequence on American soil.

1872 - The Amnesty Act restored civil rights to U.S. Southerners.

As a result of this act, most Southerners were allowed to reclaim their position in American society (property, voting, etc)...An important point in the healing of the torn nation.

1939 - The Pact of Steel:  Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini committed Germany and Italy to a military alliance.

Both would regret their decision to take the other as a partner, which ended with their deaths.
 
1985 - U.S. sailor Michael L. Walker was arrested aboard the aircraft carrier Nimitz, two days after his father, John A. Walker Jr., was apprehended; both were later convicted of spying for the Soviet Union.

Both were Navy officers, and both escaped the hangman...What a pathetic lack of justice for two traitorous POS's.

Read more about the Walker Family.

May 5

1260 - Kublai Khan became ruler of the Mongol Empire.
 
Kublai was Genghis Khan's grandson, and proved to be one of the greatest Mongol leaders; ruling until 1294, and founding the Yuan Dynasty in China...That said, his insistence on consolidating his rule in Mongolia and China was one of the reasons for the dissolution of the Mongol Empire - which became splintered from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe.
 
It's unfortunate most Westerners - myself included - are ignorant about the Mongol Empire, but one thing most of us are familiar with is Marco Polo's travels to China...Marco was a guest at Kublai Khan's court.

614 - The Persians captured Jerusalem and seized the 'True Cross.'

"According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. According to medieval legend, the True Cross was built from the Tree of Jesse (father of King David), which became identified with the Tree of Knowledge that had grown in the Garden of Eden."

You can imagine Christians were pissed to have this fall to the Persians...I hope you also know Islam was in its infancy, and Persia certainly wasn’t a Muslim nation at this time.

1821 - Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile on the island of St. Helena.

He went to the island in 1815 (for a second time)...How was he not executed? These Euro’s are pathetic.

1862 - The Battle of Puebla: Mexican forces loyal to Benito Juarez defeated French troops sent by Napoleon III.

What a pathetic event for the French...But not surprising considering the ridiculous state of the French military after the fall of Napoleon.

- 1870 = Prussian debacle.
- 1914-18 = WWI (didn’t lose, but surely didn’t win).
- 1941 = Rolled over like a cheap whore for the Germans.
- 1954 = Whipped by the Vietnamese at Dien Bien Phu (FYI: The U.S. wasn’t beaten in Nam, it quit - which is actually worse.)

No wonder the Frenchies wanted no part of the war in Iraq. Besides the bribes of course.

By the way, Cinco de Mayo is proof we have too many illegals in the U.S....Think I'm wrong? Then name me a Canadian national holiday celebrated in any fashion in the U.S.

1864 - The Battle of the Wilderness began:  American Civil War. General Lee had just over 60,000 men against Grant's 100,000 men, but the Confederates heavily defeated the Federal troops who lost over 17,000 men.

Lee won the battle, but like every battle from 1864-65 he couldn’t afford the losses associated with his 'victory.'

Grant may have lost 17,000, but at the end of the battle he still had 83,000 troops, more than Lee started with, which was Grants overall strategy...It was costly but as long as Grant was willing to do put his men into battle, Lincoln knew he couldn’t fail in the long run.

1892 - The U.S. Congress passed the Geary Chinese Exclusion Act, which required Chinese in the United States to be registered, or face deportation.

How horrible to single the Chinese out like this...We need a Foreigner Exclusion Act, which requires all foreigners to be registered or be deported.

Every American is registered at birth (Birth Certificate and SS#), so why is it unreasonable to expect every non-American to be registered as well?

1893 - The 'Panic of 1893' hit the New York Stock Exchange.

You mean there were recessions and depressions before 1929 and 2008?  How long were they?  Were they as long as the Great Depression and Great Recession?  Of course not...Because they weren't 'fixed' by government intervention.

1912 - The first issue of the Soviet Communist Party newspaper 'Pravda' was published.

I’m sure the LA and NY Times, along with other American Commie rags, celebrate this day like no other.

1925 - Biology teacher John Scopes was arrested for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution in violation of Tennessee state laws.

In less than 100 years we went from one extreme to another. Now a teacher would be fired for teaching anything other than evolution...The sooner we get to a happy medium of teaching both, the better we will be.

1932 - Japan and China signed a peace treaty.

Such is the value of paper...Japan invaded Manchuria in September 1931 and this treaty was little more than a stop-gap until they looked to take more of China.

1936 - Italian troops under Field Marshal Badoglio took Addis Ababa in Ethiopia (Abyssinia).

The grand Italian Army was flexing its muscle by conquering the great world power of Ethiopia...What a joke.

Amazingly this conquest impressed Hitler, who believed Italy would be a strong ally.

1942 - Sales of sugar resumed in the United States under a rationing program:  WWII.

How un-American for sugar to be withheld from any citizen...I can’t believe the ACLU didn’t step in and fight for the right to make as much Kool-Aid as we wanted.

A different time. A better time. A pre-psycho Liberal America.

1945 - In the only fatal attack of its kind during World War II, a Japanese balloon bomb exploded on Gearhart Mountain in Oregon, killing the pregnant wife of a minister and five children.

They bombed the American mainland!!! Imagine if we hadn’t dropped the A-Bombs and they had been successful in their atomic or bio/chem program...These balloons were tests to see if it could be done.

1987 - The U.S. government began a year-long amnesty program, offering citizenship to illegal immigrants who met certain conditions.

It was supposed to be a 'year long'...The offer of citizenship ended, but the illegal immigrants have never quit coming. In fact they are coming more than ever in the hope another 'offer' will eventually come.

I hate to admit it, but Reagan really blew it on this one.

1994 - Singapore caned American teenager Michael Fay for vandalism, a day after the sentence was reduced from six lashes to four in response to an appeal by President Clinton, who considered the punishment too harsh.

We’d have a lot less crime here in the U.S. if we’d be a little more harsh...Funny though, Clinton didn’t think lighting up Waco was too harsh. Hmmm!

March 22

1794 - The U.S. Congress prohibited the exportation of slaves to and from the United States.

This act was meant to slow down slavery and possibly to solve the problem, and was founded on good intentions, but in actuality it made the institution of American slavery worse...Since slaveholders couldn’t import slaves they had to breed them.

Slavery was never a good thing, but the establishment of the chattel-slavery system took firm hold with the necessity to breed slaves as a means of continuing the system. Along with the increased practice of breeding slaves, the break-up of whole families became the norm as well.

Like many things in human history war was ultimately the answer to the problem, and it took the U.S. Civil War to end the horrible practice of slavery in the U.S...Regardless of what Liberal peacenik bumper stickers claim.

1621 - The Massasoit Indians and Pilgrims agreed on a league of friendship.

If they could go back in history I’m pretty sure the Indians would rethink this decision.

History is filled with cultures who were beaten back by a force they should have obliterated at first site, but instead chose to take in...For similar reasons as the Massasoit, most of our modern cultures will likely be overrun over time as well.

1765 - The Stamp Act was enacted in Britain as the first direct British tax to raise money from the American colonies.

Nice choice. If the Brits hadn’t decided to suck as much money and blood out of the colonists as they could there may never have been an American Revolution...And the U.K. would still be the greatest power on Earth instead of a virtual protectorate of its previous American colonies.

1882 – The Edmund’s Act was passed: Outlawing polygamy in the U.S.

Polygamy is bad, but homosexual marriages are good?  As long as they are consenting adults, why one but not the other?

1903 - Niagara Falls ran dry - due to drought.

Global Warming/Climate Change in 1903?  Before W?  Nah.  It can't be.

1917 - The U.S. became the first country to recognize the Kerensky (Menshevik) Government in Russia.

Menshevik rule was short-lived, and Lenin and the Bolsheviks shortly eliminated their Communist cousins.

1928 - Peasants in the Soviet Union protested food shortages.

A food shortage in the 'Utopian insane asylum?' Come on. I don’t believe it...Incredibly, food shortages became one of Stalin’s favorite means of intimidation - which was followed by starvation induced extermination.

In our current time, the Communist Hell State of North Korea practises the same population control tactic.

1935 - Persia was renamed Iran.

From Media to Persia, to Parthia, to Persia, to Iran...Someday it will be Persia again.

And if these Persians can ever shake off their ayatollah overlords they will likely return to their previous greatness.

1935 - The first High Definition Television service was officially inaugurated by the director-general of German broadcasting in Berlin.

WOW!!! Such brilliance from the minds of those who had recently opened Dachau...Never compare brilliance with goodness!!

1945 - The Arab League was formed in Cairo, by Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

The Bedouins were reawakening, and looking to put their imprint on the world, again...OK, lets be real: They were establishing a military alliance for future battles against the evolving Jewish State.

March 21

47 B.C. - Julius Caesar defeated Ptolemy XII, Cleopatra's brother and rival, at Alexandria, Egypt.

I hope you aren't misinformed enough to think Cleopatra was an Egyptian...Many don’t know any better, and others like to falsely push this ridiculous idea. But please don't fall prey to historical ignorance. Even though it's likely not your fault, because the Liberal American education system probably led you there.

Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 B.C., and between the time of his death and Roman occupation Egypt was ruled by the Ptolemaic Dynasty, founded by Ptolemy (one of Alexander’s generals)...Therefore Cleopatra was a Macedonian/Greek, not an Egyptian by any means.

Oh, and the Egyptians of this time were over 600 years from becoming Muslim, as well.

630 - Heraclius recovered the 'True Cross' from the Persians.

The True Cross is the cross which Jesus was crucified on.

Heraclius was a Byzantine Emperor, and who knows if his claim of capturing the Cross is true or not...Either way it was a rallying cry against the Persians, as many other relics would be in the future against the Muslims.

1804 - The Code Napoleon (Code Civil des Françaises), drafted by Boulay de la Meurthe and others, went into force throughout France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and French colonies. The code combined Roman Law with some of the radical reforms brought by the French Revolution with respect to conditions affecting the individual, tenure of property, order of inheritance, mortgages, contracts, and the like.

In other words, it attempted to Americanize the French legal system - sort of...The American colonies had such systems long before this time.

1965 - More than 3,000 civil rights demonstrators led by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. began their march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. More than 25,000 people joined in the march by the time the marchers reached Montgomery, Alabama.

This was one of the high points of the Civil Rights Era, and an event which continued Dr. King's 'march' towards becoming one of the most important Americans in history...It's too bad his brand of civil rights activism was exterminated with his death, because it was replaced by a much less productive version - one which focused on differences and hate more than similarities and love.