Author: James Wesley Rawles

The 6th of June is remembered for both D-Day and for the birth of Dieudonné Joseph Saive (born 1899.) He was the designer of many well-known firearms including the Browning Hi-Power, the FN49 and co-designer (along with Ernest Vervier) of the very popular FN-FAL, which was issued to the militaries of more than 90 countries. Also on this day in 1949, George Orwell’s novel of a dystopian future, Nineteen Eighty-Four was published. The novel’s all-seeing leader, known as “Big Brother,” became a universal symbol for intrusive government, an oppressive bureaucracy, and a surveillance state. And today is the birthday of …

On June 5, 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the first installment of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in The National Era. She was the sister of firebrand abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher. — Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

June 4, 2004, is the anniversary of the Granby, Colorado armored bulldozer incident, where Marvin Heemeyer knocked down several buildings in town. The 2020 documentary titled Tread details what happened that day, and the events leading to the rampage. Though often called the “Killdozer” incident, the only one who died that day was Marvin Heemeyer, from a self-inflicted gunshot. And speaking of treads, today is also the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in 1989. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First …

On this day in 1864, the second Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia resulted in the loss of about 7,000 Union Army soldiers under General Ulysses S. Grant, began. It was considered one of the worst Northern defeats of the American Civil War. On June 3rd, 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto claimed Florida for Spain. June 3rd can also be considered the “birthday” of the U.S. Army. (It was established by Congress on June 3rd, 1784.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: …

John Randolph was born June 2, 1773, in Prince George County, Virginia. He died May 24, 1833. Randolph was an important proponent of the doctrine of states’ rights in opposition to a strong centralized government. According to Britannica.com: “A descendant of notable colonial families of Virginia as well as of the Indian princess Pocahontas, Randolph distinguished himself from a distant relative by assuming the title John Randolph of Roanoke, where he established his home in 1810. In 1799 Randolph was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and he served in that legislative body almost continuously until 1829. His political …