Preparedness Notes for Thursday — May 21, 2026
On May 21, 1840 Captain William Hobson proclaimed British sovereignty over New Zealand; the North Island by treaty and the South Island by discovery. Pictured above are the Humboldt Mountains of South Island. — May 21st is the birthday of weapons designer John Douglas Pedersen. (Born 1881, died 1951.) His name is almost synonymous with the short-lived Pedersen Device — a conversion kit that turned a Model 1903 Springfield bolt action rifle into a semi-automatic “trench broom.” — Take Note: Our editorial calendar is now filled for May. Any articles received will be considered guest articles and not eligible as …