Category: Note

December 4, 1812: Peter Gaillard of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, patented a horse-drawn mower. — December 4th is the birthday of Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, (born 1912). He was an AVG “Flying Tiger” volunteer pilot for the Chinese Nationalist government, WWII Marine Corps aviator, and Medal of Honor recipient. (He died January 11, 1988.) A proto-Redoubter, Pappy Boyington was born in Couer d’Alene, Idaho and was raised in Spokane, Washington. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This …

On December 3, 1568, Sir Thomas Herriot introduced potatoes to England from Colombia. — December 3, 1944: The Greek Civil War broke out in a newly-liberated Greece, between communists and royalists. —      

On December 2, 1914, the Austro-Hungarian army occupied Belgrade, Serbia. — December 2, 1950: The “I, Robot” collection of sci-fi short stories by Isaac Asimov was published by Gnome Press. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present the first entry for Round 122 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 (a $1,095 value), A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners in individual meal pouches — …

On December 1, 1925, the Peace Treaties of Locarno were signed between Germany, France, Belgium, Great Britain, and Italy. — On December 1, 1966, the Radio time signal WWV was moved from Greenbelt, Maryland to Boulder, Colorado. — Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBog staff member Tom Christianson. — We now need entries for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $978,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and …

On November 30, 1016, King of Denmark Cnut the Great [Canute] claimed the English throne after the death of Edmund Ironside. — Satirical novelist Jonathan Swift was born on November 30th, 1667. — 1782 Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence. — Today’s feature piece is by SurvivalBlog Senior Editor James Wesley, Rawles (JWR). — We need entries for Round 122 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 122 begins soon, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word …

Following several national debt defaults (in 1557, 1575, and 1596), on November 29, 1596, King Philip II of Spain ordered the devaluation of the country’s silver coinage.  This included the famed Spanish Ocho Reales de Plata (“Pieces of Eight”) silver coin. By the 1630s, most coin mintings had 20 to 30% less silver than previously required. This debasement, combined with their sovereign debt, eventually led to the decline of the Spanish empire. — On November 29, 1890, the first US Army – US Navy football game was played, at West Point. The score: Navy 24, Army 0. — Today is …

On November 28th, 1942,  492 people died in a fire that destroyed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, Massachusetts. The fire was fueled by flammable tropical decor. This was the deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. History. On that night, the club was filled beyond capacity. The building’s capacity was supposed to be 460 people, but it is estimated that more than 1,000 people were in attendance. — On November 28th, 1520, Magellan finally reached the Pacific Ocean after navigating the dangerous straits on the southern tip of South America that now bear his name. He became the first European explorer …

Happy Thanksgiving!  From the SurvivalBlog family to yours, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Despite the crises in this world and the many mounting pressures, we give thanks to our LORD that you are still here, you are still prepping, and that He will never forsake us. Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation: “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of …

On November 26th, 1716, a tamed African lion was exhibited for the first time in the American colonies by Captain Arthur Savage at his house on Brattle Street, in Boston, Massachusetts. — November 26th is the birthday of both gun inventor Eugene Reising (born 1884, died February 21, 1967) and the late Barton Biggs (born 1932, died July 14, 2012). Biggs was a money manager known for his pro-preparedness stance. — Today’s feature article is by JWR. — We have room for just one or two entries in Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth …

On November 25, 1491, the siege of Granada began. The city was the last Moorish stronghold in Spain. — November 25th is the birthday of economist and comedian Ben Stein. He still spends part of each year at one of his three homes in Sandpoint, Idaho. (At last report, he also owns homes in Beverly Hills, Malibu, and Rancho Mirage, California.)  He has always leaned toward tangible investing. — November 25, 1834: Delmonico’s, one of New York’s finest restaurants, first provided a meal of soup, steak, coffee, and half a pie for 12 cents. — Today’s feature aricle is a …

November 24, 1434: The River Thames in London froze over. Later, “Frosts” were celebrated with drunken faires. — November 24th marks the day that John Knox died, in 1572. (He was born in 1514.) AtheistAgendaPedia says: “Born near Haddington Scotland. He was influenced by George Wishart, who was burned for heresy in 1546, and the following year Knox became the spokesman for the Reformation in Scotland. After imprisonment and exile in England and the European continent, in 1559 he returned to Scotland, where he supervised the preparation of the constitution and liturgy of the Reformed Church.” — Today’s feature piece …

On November 23rd, 1644, John Milton published his “Areopagitica” pamphlet that decryed censorship. — November 23, 1869: The Clipper Ship Cutty Sark was launched in Dumbarton, Scotland, as one of the last clippers ever built. It is the only one still surviving. — On November 23rd, 1980, a 7.2-magnitude quake struck southern Italy killing more than 3,000 people. — Today’s feature piece is by JWR. — We still need some entries for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $970,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 121 ends on November …

On November 22, 1574, the uninhabited Juan Fernández Islands off Chile were discovered by Spanish sailor Juan Fernández. Later, they were famously the home of marooned sailor Alexander Selkirk, who inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe. — On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. — Today is the birthday of Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington, a well-known designer of military gun parts and acccessories. most notably the Buffington rifle rear sight. — Today is remembered as the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He was the designer of the AR-7, …

November 21, 164 BC: During the Maccabean Revolt, Judas Maccabeus recaptured Jerusalem and rededicated the Second Temple. This victory has been commemorated ever since as the festival Hanukkah, aka The Festival of Lights. — On November 21, 1916, Britannic, the sister ship to the Titanic, sank in the Aegean Sea, killing 30 people. In the wake of the Titanic disaster, the White Star line had made significant modifications to the design of the ship, but on its way to pick up wounded soldiers near the Gulf of Athens, it was rocked by an explosion causing even more damage than that …

November 20, 1789: New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights. — National Sovereignty Day (Spanish: Día de la Soberanía Nacional) is a national public holiday in Argentina, celebrated each year on November 20th. — November 20, 1914: The U.S. State Department began requiring photographs for passports. — 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 (a $1,095 value), …