Author: James Wesley Rawles

On May 13, 1787, the First Fleet headed by Arthur Phillip set sail with 11 ships of convicts for Botany Bay, Australia. — A recent Jonathan Rawles interview with NC Scout has been released. They discussed relocation, real estate prices and affordability, how internal migration is driving a cultural change in rural areas, and how to get established and connected, post-relocation. — An Update: The fundraising drive for the Baan SuFan orphanage and school in northern Thailand is now almost 50% complete. Thanks to everyone who has donated! The remainder is $2,900 — to fill their current renovation and expansion …

On May 12, 1789, William Wilberforce made his first major speech on abolition in the UK House of Commons, reasoning the slave trade morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice. Following a conversion experience and becoming an evangelical Christian Wilberforce became one of the leading English abolitionists. Wilberforce headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for 26 years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. — On May 12, 1921 a solar storm began, dubbed The Great Geomagnetic Storm of May 1921. These were some of the headlines: “Telegraph Service Prostrated, Comet Not to …

On May 11, 1910, Montana’s Glacier National Park was established. On May 11, 1068, Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London. And on May 11, 1949, Israel was admitted into the United Nations. — I just put all of my knife and bayonet inventory on sale, at Elk Creek Company. This sale ends on Friday,  May 17th, so order soon! — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists …

On May 19, 1960, the US atomic submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586) completed the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe, code-named Operation Sandblast, following the same track as the first circumnavigation led by Ferdinand Magellan. Triton was then under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach. On May 10, 1972, Top Gun Graduate Randall “Duke” Cunningham and his backseater Wally “Irish” Driscoll shot down three MiGs in a dogfight and became the first Ace of the Vietnam War. He later commanded the Top Gun school when they came to make the first movie. His Vice Commander was John McCain. May 10th …

On May 9, 1754, the first cartoon was published in America depicting a divided snake with the motto: “Join or Die”. It was published by Benjamin Franklin, the publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette. — On May 9th, 1945, Herman Goering– commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, president of the Reichstag, head of the Gestapo, prime minister of Prussia, and Hitler’s designated successor– was taken prisoner by the U.S. Seventh Army in Bavaria. Goering, who was addicted to painkillers due to a wound, was instrumental in creating concentration camps for political enemies. It was Goering who ordered the purging of German …