Author: James Wesley Rawles

On March 20, 1800, Italian chemist and physicist Alessandro Volta reported his invention of the electric battery in a letter to Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society of London. — March 20th is also the birthday of Mel Tappan. (Born 1933, died 1980.) His perennially popular survivalist books Survival Guns and Tappan on Survival have a well-deserved following. I designated March 20th National Survivalism Day, in his honor. It is also apropos that National Survivalism Day falls in March–one of the months that both Northern Europeans and Native Americans refer to as The Starving Season–when stored food runs low, …

On March 19, 1882, the first stone was laid for the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Antoni Gaudí.  A 55-foot cap piece cross was finally set in place on February, 20, 2026.  The light through the cathedral’s stained glass windows can be dramatic on sunny afternoons. — And on March 19, 1918, the US adopted the Standard Time Act of 1918, also known as the Calder Act, a federal law that implemented standard time (and daylight saving time). It defined five time zones for the United States. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for …

On March 18, 1850, Henry Wells & William Fargo formed American Express, in Buffalo, New York. — March 18, 1911: North Dakota enacted a hail insurance law. — And on March 18,1925: The Great Tri-State Tornado, a monstrous F5 (over 300 MPH) tornado roared 219 miles across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwest Indiana. It killed 695, injured over 2000, and destroyed 15,000 homes. — Today’s feature article is a timely piece from the SurvivalBlog archives. — We need of entries for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since …

On March 17, 1959, the US nuclear submarine USS Skate became the first submarine to surface at the North Pole. — After a multi-month restocking hiatus, we are again taking orders at Elk Creek Company. Here are our updated inventory counts: Pre-1899 Antique Rifles:  22 (We have deeply restocked 7×57 and 6.5×55 Mauser rifles.) Pre-1899 Antique Shotguns: 9 (Most are 12 gauge and most of them have fluid steel barrels!) Pre-1899 Antique Pistols and Revolvers: 21  (Mostly S&W top break revolvers.) Blackpowder Revolvers: 23 (Most are .44 caliber, with modern cartridge conversion cylinders available. We have deeply restocked the much-in-demand …

March 16, 1802: The first US Military Academy at West Point was established through a Congressional act. It opened July 4, 1802. — Today’s feature article is the third and last installment of a guest post by our friend Mrs. Alaska. We highly recommend her blog and books. — We need entries for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles …