Author: James Wesley Rawles

November 1st, 996: The first noted use of the modern name for Austria, in the “Ostarrîchi Document”. — November 1, 1911: The first aerial bomb is dropped by an Italian pilot on Turkish troops in Libya during the Italo-Turkish War. This was the first recorded operational aerial bombardment. — November 1st is also the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American …

Today, while most of America celebrates the pagan Halloween, our family celebrates Reformation Day. — On this day in 1517, Martin Luther sent his Ninety-five Theses to Albert of Brandenburg, Archbishop of Mainz, precipitating the Protestant Reformation. — And on October 31, 1952: The first thermonuclear (fusion) bomb was aboveground test-detonated at the Marshall Islands. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course …

On October 30, 1864, in the midst of both a mining boom and the Civil War, Helena, Montana was founded. — On this day in 1938: A nationwide panic over the War of the Worlds broadcast. — October 30th, 1735 was the birthday of President John Adams. (Some sources cite his birthdate as October 19, 1735.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or …

October 29, 1929: Stocks crashed on Wall Street. This became known as “Black Tuesday”. This event triggered the Great Depression. — October 29, 1940: Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson drew the first number – #158 – in the first peacetime military draft in US history. — October 29th is the birthday of fighter pilot Vermont Garrison, an American who fought in three wars – WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was born in 1915 and died on February 14th, 1994, in Mountain Home, Idaho. — Please pray for the residents of Jamaica and Bermuda enduring Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. — …

On October 28, 1628, after a long siege, the Huguenot bulwark at La Rochelle surrendered to Catholic prelate Cardinal Richelieu. A large diaspora of Huguenots (French Calvinist Reformed Protestants) began soon after. They became known as Europe’s first refugees. Facing severe persecution in France and Wallonia, Huguenots arrived in South Africa as early as 1671. By 1692, more than 200 French Huguenots had settled at the Cape of Good Hope. More than 700 Huguenot refugees arrived in Virginia in 1690s. With their wide diaspora, Huguenot surnames are now fairly common in England, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe, the United States, and …

On October 27, 1553, Condemned as a heretic, Spanish-born physician and Christian church reformer Michael Servetus was burned at the stake, just outside Geneva. — October 27, 1702: British troops plundered St Augustine, Florida. — October 27th 1858: The birthday of President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. He died January 6, 1919. — Some great news! There are new owners of the famed Harvest Guard company — makers of reusable canning lids. The company is now owned by the same folks who own and operate USA Berkey Filters.  They are generously providing a new prize that was just added to the First …