February 15

1898 - The U.S.S. Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, killing two officers and 258 crew members:  Spanish-American War.

Did the Spanish blow up the ship? Maybe, maybe not...Either way, the result was the U.S. soon declared war on Spain, beginning the Spanish-American War, which set America on a course of future greatness.

It's hard to believe the whole war was put together by a spunky 'Undersecretary', who would have never had so much power if the 'Secretary' wasn't such a pathetic loser...No one remembers who the 'Secretary of the Navy' was (John Davis Long).  Everyone has heard of the 'Undersecretary of the Navy':  Teddy Roosevelt.

That said, the Spanish-American War also put the final nail in the coffin of what was formerly a strong and proud Spanish Empire...And it's just as well, because being a European weakling allowed Spain to stay out of WWI and WWII.

1944 - Allied forces heavily bombed the monastery atop Monte Cassino in Italy:  WWII.

The U.S. has been ripped for destroying the monastery - by the same fools who hate religion and wish the USSR were still around.

General Clark felt it was the only way to break the German lines, which were using the monastery as a fortress, and he did what he thought was best...He was correct, even though it turned out the monastery's rubble created serious impediments to the Allied advance.  If nothing else, the Allied troops passed a mental obstacle.

1950 - Joseph Stalin and Mao Tse-tung signed a mutual defense treaty in Moscow.

What a dynamic duo...I think it’s safe to say, never in history have two men with so much blood on their hands been in the same place at one time.

1987 - ABC broadcast the first segment of 'Amerika,' a controversial miniseries about a Soviet takeover of the United States which was criticized by some as potentially damaging to superpower relations.

Forget 'superpower relations,' ABC was wishful thinking...SOB’s.

1989 - The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan ended.

It's hard to believe this is where the likes of Osama bin Laden got started, but at the time there was no doubt the U.S. was supporting the right side.

2011 - Protests against Muammar al-Gaddafi's rule in Libya began.

Much like the Soviet-Afghanistan war, it's likely we'll find we supported a future enemy...The difference is, Gaddafi wasn't nearly the enemy the USSR was.

Getting rid of him has proven much more disastrous than when he was around.

It also played a large roll in Hillary Clinton losing the 2016 Presidential Election.

February 6

307 - China's 'War of the Eight Princes' ended.

This was a 15-year civil war in China, between eight princes vying for control of the Jin Dynasty.  It's important to remember at this time China was a loosely controlled empire, and each portion of it was ruled by different warlords...Also during this time, China was under constant pressure from outside 'barbarian' invaders - similar to the events in the West which broke up the Roman Empire.

China did not break, however...It's leadership may have been in flux, but its civilization was much too strong to fall apart.

It is also important to know China has had many civil wars, which is more a fact of its 4,000 year existence than due to any flaw in its civilization. Every great nation has had them, and the longer they are around the more they will have...What makes China so exceptional is Chinese civilization and culture has been able to stand the test of time - unlike most ancient nations, which have either been transformed or destroyed.

1778 - The United States won official recognition from France as the nations signed a treaty of aid in Paris. The Franco-American Treaty of Alliance bound the two powers together “forever against all other powers.” It was the first alliance treaty for the fledgling U.S. government:  American Revolutionary War.

It's undeniable the U.S. owes many thanks to the French for helping defeat the Brits in the American Revolutionary War...It's also undeniable the U.S. has more than paid back it's debt of gratitude to the French - specifically in WWII.

1899 - A peace treaty between the United States and Spain was ratified by the U.S. Senate, ending the Spanish-American War.

The Spanish-American War was extremely one-sided, and the final nail in the coffin of the Spanish Empire, wiping out what little remained of the once proud empire - with Cuba receiving independence and the U.S. gaining the territories of the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico.

Equally important, the results of this war began a period of American prosperity and influence on the world stage.

1929 - Germany accepted the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

HAHAHAHA!!! This agreement was a Utopian joke, and everyone who signed it knew it.

For those who don’t get the joke: The 'pact' was an international agreement outlawing war.

I guess no one told Adolph, Tojo and Mussolini the world previously agreed to ‘make love, not war.’

1992 - Democrat presidential candidate Bill Clinton denied he'd tried to avoid the Vietnam draft, saying he gave up a draft deferment in the fall of 1969 because he "didn't think it was right to keep it."

What a complete jackass...How we elected a draft-dodging POS as Commander-in-Chief will always be beyond my understanding.

1998 - President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair redoubled their pledge to use military force against Iraq if necessary.

Bill triangulated the meaning of the word 'is.'  It's a safe assumption he did the same with the word 'if' in this instance.

2007 - In France nearly 60 nations pledged not to use children to wage war and to disarm and rehabilitate underage soldiers. The Paris Commitments Agreement was seen as a strong moral step against the problem, though it carried no legal weight. They also signed a treaty banning governments from holding people in secret detention, but the United States and some of its key European allies were not among them.

And then the world sang Kumbaya!!

Kind of funny how this joke of a pledge was passed on the same date as Germany accepted the Kellog-Briand Pact.  I'm assuming it wasn't an accident...It was an equal joke, regardless of the timing.

August 13 (A Triple...But I'm Making Note of a Special Fourth)

1521 - Hernando Cortes, Spanish conqueror, captured and destroyed Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City) after a three month siege.

Firepower, cavalry, disease, superstition and neighboring Indian tribes who detested the Aztecs (probably the most important factor) were more than enough for Cortes and his meager band of Spaniards to overwhelm the greatest nation in the New World...It's a story beyond belief - maybe the most incredible conquest ever - one which changed the world.

Read more about Cortes.

1898 - The Spanish-American War ended.

This war was America's coming out party, and also the end of Spain's once great role on the international stage...It's ironic it is also the date which saw Spain's greatest conquest: Cortes against the Aztecs.

1961 - Berlin was divided when East Germany closed the Brandenburg Gate, sealing off the border between the city's eastern and western sectors in order to halt the flight of refugees. Two days later work began on the Berlin Wall.

The Cold War got much 'hotter' on this day...And millions of East Germans saw their slight chance at a decent life disappear.

1995 - Baseball great Mickey Mantle died of cancer.

I am too young to have seen him play, but as a child I read extensively about 'The Mick' and watched re-runs of 'Home Run Derby.'  He was my first hero...I admit to crying when I saw the news of his liver cancer, and even more on this day of his death.

Mickey was an awesome baseball player who was the strongest and the fastest, a switch-hitter, a Hall of Famer, a Triple Crown winner, a 3-time MVP, a 16-time All Star, a champion. He was almost mythological in my young mind, and the ballplayer I most often pretended to be when hitting balls against the wall or catching flies in the outfield.

"That boy hits baseballs over buildings. He runs as fast as Ty Cobb." - Casey Stengel

I'm glad I didn't know of his flaws when I was a child, and wish we could return to a better time when our heroes could be just that - HEROES!

Unfortunately, we live in a time where heroes are created then destroyed by the media, and I feel sorry for the children of our current day. There is no such thing as childhood innocence, and they are made to grow up much too fast in a world with the cruelest of realities...I admit I long for a better time, a time when a boy could be a boy.

1932 - Adolf Hitler rejected the post of Vice-Chancellor of Germany, saying he was prepared to hold out "for all or nothing."

Unfortunately the Austrian Madman soon got it 'all'...And the world got Hell.

July 17 (A Double)

1453 - The Battle of Castillon: The French routed the English, ending the Hundred Years War.

As a result of losing this war, the English lost almost every claim it had on the European continent, which it previously clung to as part of William the Conqueror's Norman holdings.

This was a major event in the history of France, because it secured it's western flank, allowing France to start expanding south and east.

It was also an important event for the English, even though it couldn't have been seen as such at the time...England became much more English and less French.  Which laid the foundation for the worldwide empire the U.K. became.

1982 - Ronald Reagan gave his 'Evil Empire' speech.

The Right Man, At the Right Place, At the Right Time!!! This is what Ronald Reagan was in the history of our great country...He was a man of conviction, and a man who said what he meant and meant what he said.

Reagan called the Soviets an 'Evil Empire,' and he meant it...He also meant to let them know their days were numbered.

Amazingly, the Liberal fools in the U.S. and Europe hated Reagan for using such a phrase...Much as they hated President George W. Bush when he spoke of an 'Axis of Evil' regarding global terrorism.

History will be just as kind to G.W. Bush as it has been to Reagan, because both were LEADERS. Not poll takers, pretenders or resigned to seeing the U.S. taken down a few pegs.

1789 - The French Third Estate declared itself a national assembly.

Most are confused by the term Third Estate, so lets go over it:

First Estate = The Clergy
Second Estate = The Nobility
Third Estate = Those not part of the First or Second

The creation of the National Assembly was a radical idea in France, where all power was previously in the hands of the Clergy and Nobility...In other words, they were trying to replicate what the Americans did.

1898 - Spain surrendered to the United States at Santiago, Cuba, ending the Spanish-American War.

This war marks the beginning of America's rise as a world power...It also marks the end of Spain pretending to be a world power.

1936 - The Spanish Civil War began when General Francisco Franco led an army revolt.

Normally a civil war in Spain would barely be news, but this event was much more than a Spanish war...The Spanish Civil War was a dress rehearsal for WWII, particularly for the Germans and Soviets.

1945 - President Harry Truman, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met at the opening of the Potsdam Conference:  WWII.

Many look at the Potsdam Conference as a giant sell-out to the Soviets, because much of Central and Eastern Europe - including most of Germany - was more or less handed over to their control.

Truman is often rebuked for being outmaneuvered by Stalin, but the truth is he had no choice...The Soviet Army controlled the areas described in the treaty, and the only way they would have been removed is if Truman was willing to send in Ike, Bradley, Patton, and the troops. Which wasn't going to happen.

The Soviets did as much, if not more, of the fighting in the European Theatre of the war - as well as much more of the dying - and had a legitimate claim to what they'd consolidated...Reality isn't always pretty, but it is what it is.

1993 - U.N. forces in Somalia searched in vain for warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.

Bill Clinton sent our troops into Somalia to take out a two-bit warlord...And did nothing but embarrass our troops and get them killed.

Bush sent our troops to one of the world's flash points (Iraq), and succeeded in capturing Saddam and his boys. Why is it the media and Liberals justify Clinton and Obama's wars, but not Bush's?

Bombs with (D) = Good, Bombs with (R) = Bad?

1994 - After leading police on a slow-speed chase on Southern California freeways, O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with murder in the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ronald Goldman.

This is still the most pathetic night of TV watching in my life - which says a lot....Why the helicopters didn't shoot his ass off the freeway I'll never know.

July 3 (A Big Day, A Great Day for Pero)

THIS DAY HAS FEW EVENTS OF NOTE, BUT THOSE WHICH DID OCCUR WERE HUGE...So, they will all be highlighted in blue.
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1775 - General George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts:  American Revolutionary War.

The 'Irreplaceable Man' took control of the rag-tag Colonial force, which should have never been successful against the greatest military force in the world at the time - the Brits.

Washington was the perfect choice...Likely the only choice who could have succeeded in the impossible task of getting the Colonials to fight together for the common cause of independence.

1863 - The Battle of Gettysburg ended in a major victory for the North:  U.S. Civil War.

Gettysburg is the main turning point of the Civil War in the eastern theatre.

There were over 50,000 Union and Confederate casualties in the battle, with an approximately equal amount of casualties for each side...The South couldn't afford losses on this scale, and although their losses were substantial the North could more easily replace its troops and materiel.

Gettysburg was General Lee's last great chance to end the war, and from this point he saw his army dwindle to a point of uselessness. As such, after this battle the South won many battles, but its eventual defeat was no longer in doubt.

1898 - The Battle of Santiago de Cuba:  Spanish-American War.

A Spanish squadron was destroyed by the American fleet during this naval battle, which ended Spanish naval influence in the New World...The battle foretold Spain's end as a colonial power as well.

1972 – MY SISTER WAS BORN!

For 46-years I have had one constant, loyal friend.  For 46-years I have had one amazing sister...I couldn’t ask for a better sister or friend, and I can't thank her enough for everything she means to me.

Happy birthday!  I love you Krissi.

1989 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled states have the right to restrict abortions.

1990 = 1,608,600 abortions in the U.S.
1991 = 1,556,500
1992 = 1,528,900
1993 = 1,500,000
1994 = 1,431,000
1995 = 1,363,700
1996 = 1,365,700
1997-2005 Estimates = Over 1,325,000/year
2006-Today = About 1,000,000/year

I'm not an anti-abortion absolutist, but millions of dead American babies per year is a horrible statistic...Abortion has definitely become "safe" and "legal" - which is a good thing in my opinion.  Sadly, there is a third part which hasn't come to fruition:  "RARE."

July 1

1863 - The Battle of Gettysburg began (ended July 3):  U.S. Civil War.

General Lee won Day 1, but the battle got away from him in the next few...Gettysburg should be noted as one of the turning-points of the war - along with Vicksburg and New Orleans.

69 - Vespasian was proclaimed Roman Emperor.

Titus Flavius Vespasianus was the victor after a civil war, and reestablished peace in the Empire...He also founded the Flavian Line of Emperors.

1569 - The Union of Lublin: United Poland and Lithuania.

Unfortunately for both, the Russians, Prussians and Austrians weren’t much for respecting other nation’s sovereignty, and swallowed both up in due time.

1595 - An English fleet sacked Cadiz, Spain.

During this time the English made many raids on the Spanish fleet, and Cadiz was one of their favorite locations...There were many others, including the various Spanish ports in the New World.

It's important to understand, these 'naval' attacks were really nothing more than seafaring brigands, acting more like pirates than 'sailors.'

1898 - Theodore Roosevelt and his 'Rough Riders' waged a victorious assault on San Juan Hill in Cuba:  Spanish-American War.

I love Teddy Roosevelt, and he was a great man long before San Juan Hill, but it was this battle and his 'heroics' which gave him the final accomplishment he needed to be chosen as President McKinley's vice president...Funny thing is much of his legend in this battle is just that, and by modern standards he hardly warranted a Medal of Honor.

Thankfully, Teddy was every bit as good a president as his 'legend' as a soldier.

1991 - President GHW Bush nominated federal appeals court judge Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, beginning a confirmation process marked by allegations of sexual harassment.

Nice excuse for the Democrats to begin a full-scale attack on an honorable black man...Can you imagine if the Republicans ever did this to a Democrat nominee?

May 1 (A Quadruple of Sports Events)

1951 - Mickey Mantle hit his first Major League home run.
 
'The Mick' was the greatest of the many 'mythological' athletes of my childhood...It's too bad his knees failed him - and he failed himself as an alcoholic - because it's almost impossible to imagine how good he could have been.

1983 - Nolan Ryan became the all time strike out king with his 3,508th strike out.
 
'The Ryan Express' was a legend in his own right, but part of what makes this record so special is he took it from 'The Big Train':  Walter Johnson.
 
Ryan went on to crush the record, with 5,714 career strikeouts.  To put this number in perspective, only three other pitchers have ever had 4,000 strikeouts - and none have over 5,000.

1991 - Ricky Henderson broke the Major League record for stolen bases with his 939th steal.
 
Another great baseball event!  To put Henderson's stolen base record into perspective, no other player has even 1,000 stolen bases...Rick 'The Quick' had over 1,400.
 
Ricky Henderson was one of the truly great players in history, even though he is often overlooked:  The all time leader in unintentional-walks, stolen bases and runs scored - records Ty Cobb held when he retired...In other words he was the perfect lead-off hitter.  If he wanted to he probably could have been a perfect hitter in any part of the lineup.

A truly amazing athlete.  With his speed, power and instincts, I bet he would have been a devastating running back in the NFL.
 
1991 - Nolan Ryan threw his seventh no hitter.
 
Sandy Koufax is the only other pitcher with four, and only three others have even three no-hitters...Oh by the way, Ryan threw this seventh no-hitter at the age of 44.  WOW!

1045 - Pope Benedict IX sold the papacy to John Gratianus - Gregory VI.

This was an extremely ugly event in the History of the Papacy, but not unlike many others during the Dark/Middle Ages.

1328 - The Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton:  Ended the Scottish wars of independence.

The Scots put up a mighty fight against the English, and with this treaty they were recognized as an independent state.

1654 - "Under penalty of death, no Irish man, woman, or child, was to let himself, herself, itself be found east of the River Shannon."...An Order from the English Parliament.

The Irish were generally treated like crap by the English, and given little respect as a people.

"The Irish were often referred to as 'Negroes turned inside out and Negroes as smoked Irish.'" - Art McDonald

1707 – The Act of Union: Scotland and England were joined together under the name of Great Britain.

After a thousand years of battle, the final unification was rather peacefully accomplished.

The two nations had been ruled by the same king for over a hundred years, but maintained separate Parliaments, and a semblance of independence from one another...This act ended the two parliaments, creating one for the entire country, and firmly established the permanency of the united rule of the two lands.

Maybe permanent isn't the best word to use.

1898 - Commodore George Dewey gave the command, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley," as an American naval force destroyed a Spanish fleet in Manila Bay:  Spanish-American War.

This battle marks the birth of the modern American Navy...It also marks a final humiliation for the once proud Spanish Navy.

Amazingly, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt sent Dewey to the East with this very intention long before the Spanish-American War began...Many have called him a war monger, but 'prophet of America's overseas manifest destiny' would be more appropriate.

1945 - Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels committed suicide in his Berlin bunker:  WWII.

I wonder if Dan Rather and his 'Old Media' buddies cry on this day?...Oh well. Good riddance to dead propagandameisters.

1948 - North Korea proclaimed itself the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

It's almost humorous when commie countries put either of the words 'Democratic' or 'People's' in their names...The Koreans had the gall to put both.

1960 - The Soviet Union shot down an American U2 spy plane flown by Francis Gary Powers, who was captured.

The Soviet’s had been complaining about U.S. spying for years. With this event they had proof…Plus they showed the ability to shoot down one of our most advanced, high-flying planes.

A great day for the Ruskies; definitely not for the U.S.

1961 - Cuban leader Fidel Castro declared the country a socialist nation and abolished elections.

Sounds like a 'People’s Democratic' Republic to me.

1990 - Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and other Kremlin leaders were jeered by thousands of people during the annual May Day parade in Red Square.

The end of the Hell-State was coming sooner than anyone could imagine.

1995 - President Bill Clinton defended his choice for Surgeon General, Henry Foster, as a "pro-life, pro-choice doctor."

I don’t know how Bubba did it, but no one should ever get away with the amount of BS-speak he did.

2003 - President G.W. Bush made a speech aboard an aircraft carrier proclaiming “major combat operations in Iraq have ended.”

As it turns out, Bush would have been better off skipping this stunt and his statement.

April 21

735 B.C. - According to Roman historian Varro, Romulus founded the city of Rome.

Of course this date is mythology, but who cares...The story is great, and the Republic/Empire centered on this city was the greatest in the history of the Western world.

The U.S. has done more good than any nation (by a large margin), and is a very close second to Rome in Western history, but must exist and be great for a few more hundred years before it can jump ahead of Rome in overall greatness and importance...This is hard to admit, but is true.

43 B.C. - The Battle of Mutina:  Mark Antony was defeated by Octavian's Republican forces.

From a tactical perspective, Antony didn't lose the battle because he was able to escape encirclement and fight another day...From a strategic perspective, Octavian won the battle because from this point forward he was the acknowledged leader of the Republic - even though the civil war was nowhere near over.

1526 - The Battle of Panipat.

Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur crushed the Lodi Empire, in North India, which established the beginning of the Mughal Empire...Also of note in this battle, it was one of the first on record which involved gunpowder firearms and field artillery.

I am embarrassed to admit my knowledge of the Mughals isn't nearly what it should be, but I do know enough to know they were from Central Asia, descending from Genghis Khan, were superior warriors and engineers, and took India to heights never seen before or after.

1649 - The Maryland Assembly passed the Maryland Toleration Act, guaranteeing freedom of worship for all Christians.

This was the first law of its kind (not just in America, but the entire world)...It wasn’t perfect, and didn’t guarantee absolute freedom of worship, but is important because it was the basis of the 1st Amendment to the Constitution - as it was intended, that is.  Not as it has been interpreted by modern Liberals.

Read the text: Maryland Toleration Act.

1836 - An army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring the independence of Texas. 900 Texans caught 1,200 Mexicans taking a siesta, and the entire confrontation took only 18-minutes.

There would be no more Alamo’s and the Republic of Texas was soon to be a reality…I hope you knew Texas had a period of independence prior to joining the U.S.

1898 - The U.S. declared war on Spain.

"The war of the United States with Spain was very brief. Its results were many, startling, and of world-wide meaning." - Henry Cabot Lodge

It is incredible how Undersecretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt played this event - setting the stage for the future American Empire...And yes, I know most Americans don't understand it is an empire.  Trust me the rest of the world knows it is.

1918 - Baron Manfred von Richthofen, German ace known as the 'Red Baron,' was killed in action during World War I. He is credited with shooting down 80 Allied planes.

Richthofen was an awesome pilot, who was considered the 'Ace of Aces' in WWI. A few interesting tid-bits:

1. When the Red Baron was shot down, his dead body was recovered by the Brits...They had such high respect for him they buried him with full military honors.

2. Richthofen’s wing man was Herman Goering, who eventually succeeded him as commander of the famous Jagdgeschwader 1 (Fighter Wing 1)...He later became the 'Fat Field Marshal,' as Reichsmarshal of the Third Reich.

1956 - Elvis Presley's first hit record 'Heartbreak Hotel' became #1 on the music charts.

Elvis was truly a meteoric figure in American pop-culture - as is proven by his continuing popularity over 60 years after his first hit...There have been few bigger icons, and in the music business only the Beatles and Michael Jackson have been even close to Elvis Presley in popularity.

1998 - Astronomers announced in Washington they discovered possible signs of a new family of planets orbiting a star 220 light-years away, the clearest evidence yet of worlds forming beyond our solar system.

We are not alone...And I have no problem fitting this finding into the 'Evolution from Creation' theory.