Author: James Wesley Rawles

On April 13, 1520 Raphael‘s final influential masterpiece “The Transfiguration” was put on display just a week after the artist’s death. — April 13, 1743 was the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. (He died on July 4, 1826 just a few hours before the death of John Adams.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. …

April 12, 1893:  “Massacre of Hoornkrans”: Curt von François (pictured), colonial Governor of German South West Africa (now Nambia), led an attack by 225 Schutztruppe soldiers on Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi’s headquarters at Hoornkrans. The shelling of the village caused tremendous civilian casualties. Witbooi escaped and waged several months of guerrilla warfare against the German forces. — April 12th is the birthday of the late novelist Tom Clancy. (Born 1947, died October 1, 2013). It was Clancy who almost single-handedly created the modern techno-thriller genre, with his first novel, The Hunt For Red October. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we …

On April 11, 1900, the first modern submarine designed and built by John Philip Holland, USS Holland was acquired by the U.S. Navy. — Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC (11 April 1832 – 8 May 1907) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He was also a designer and inventor of firearms including the Webley-Fosbery revolver and the Paradox Gun. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog …

On April 10, 1841, the New York Tribune began publishing under editor Horace Greeley. — April 10, 1827 was the birthday of General Lew Wallace. He wrote books (author of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ), sculpted, practiced law, painted, played the violin and made them as well. In the “Battle of Monocacy” he fought alongside 8,000 Union troops against 15,000 Confederates. He was second in command of the Lincoln conspiracy trial as well as principal in the trial of the Commander of Andersonville prison where prisoners had been starved to death. He was U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. And he …

On April 9, 1768, John Hancock refused to allow two British customs agents to go below the deck of his ship. This was considered the first act of physical resistance to British authority in the colonies. — April 9, 1869: The Hudson Bay Company ceded its territory to the Commonwealth of Canada. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are providing a store-wide 10% off coupon. Depending on the model chosen, this could …

April 8, 217: Roman Emperor Caracalla was assassinated by (and succeeded by) his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus. — On April 8, 1913, the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified by Congress, providing for the election of senators by popular vote. — April 8th was the birthday of the late Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia. (Born, 1919, died November 20, 2007.) — April 8th is also the anniversary of the death of English experimental gunsmith and author Phillip Luty, in 2011. He was hounded by British authorities for many years. He died of cancer before …