Category: Note

August 29, 708: Copper coins were minted in Japan for the first time. (By the traditional Japanese calendar: August 10, 708.) Pictured are some later Edo Period Japanese copper coins. — August 29, 1708: A raid in Haverhill, Massachusetts by French, Algonquin, and Abenaki forces killed or captured 40 residents. — August 29, 1831: Michael Faraday demonstrated the first electric transformer. — August 29, 1862, the Second Battle of Bull Run in Virginia began. The same day marked the founding of the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 120 of …

On August 28, 476, Orestes, father of Emperor Romulus Augustulus was captured and executed by Odoacer and his followers. Odoacer (coin pictured) led the revolt of Herulian, Rugian, and Scirian soldiers. This marked the end of the Western Roman Empire. Italy had its first Barbarian king. — August 28, 1833 is the anniversary of the abolishment of slavery throughout the British Empire. — On August 28, 1971, the US dollar was allowed to float against the Japanese Yen for the first time. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. …

On August 27, 1859, the first successful oil well was drilled near Titusville, Pennsylvania, by Edwin Drake. — The birthday of Emory Upton (August 27, 1839 – March 15, 1881). He was a United States Army General and military strategist, prominent for his role in leading infantry to successfully attack entrenched positions at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House during the American Civil War, but he also excelled at artillery and cavalry assignments. His work, The Military Policy of the United States, which analyzed American military policies and practices and presented the first systematic examination of the nation’s military history, …

On August 26, 1346: The Battle of Crécy. Edward III‘s English longbows defeated Philip VI’s army south of Calais in northern France. At Crecy, cannons were used for the first time in battle. — August 26, 1946 was the official release date of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” — Today’s feature piece was too short to qualify as an entry for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running the contest.  Round 120 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a …

On August 25th, 1609, astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei demonstrated his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers, including the Doge of Venice, Leonardo Donato. — August 25th,1898: 700 Greeks and 15 Englishmen were slaughtered by the Turks in Heraklion, Greece. — On August 25th, 2010: Panic caused by an escaped crocodile being smuggled aboard a domestic Filair flight led to the crash of a Czech Let L-410 Turbolet passenger aircraft near Bandundu Airport, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing all but one of the 21 passengers and crew. — Monday Morning Monsoon Update: Map shows flash flooding warning issued for eight …

On August 24, 1847, Charlotte Brontë sent the manuscript of her novel “Jane Eyre” to the publisher Smith, Elder & Company in London under her pen name “Currer Bell” — August 24, 410: Rome was overrun by the Visigoths in an event that symbolized the fall of the Western Roman Empire. This is a moment in history that we would do well to remember. An empire that ruled the known world was corrupted from the inside to the point that they could not defend themselves from a much weaker enemy. This could conceivably be the beginning of the dark Middle Ages. …

On August 23, 79, Mount Vesuvius began stirring on the feast day of Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, and went on to destroy Pompeii. (Note:  Some recent evidence suggests that the main eruption actually occurred after October 17, 79.) Above: Destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum (c. 1821) by John Martin. — August 23rd is the anniversary of the declaration of the independent state of “Franklin” in Eastern Tennessee by the settlers there in 1784. Unfortunately, the Continental Congress rejected it, so the state of Franklin never became a reality. — In 1833, Britain abolished slavery in the colonies and …

On August 22, 1639, Madras (now Chennai), India, was founded by the British East India Company on a sliver of land bought from local Nayak rulers. — August 22, 1775: King of Great Britain and Ireland, George III, proclaimed the American colonies to be in open rebellion and ordered his officials to suppress it. — On this day in 1812, Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt was the first European to rediscover the Nabataean city of Petra in modern-day Jordan. — Today is also the anniversary of the founding of the London Armoury Company, in 1851. It was founded by Robert …

On August 21, 1689, during the Jacobite Uprising, the Battle of Dunkeld was fought in Scotland between supporters of King James VII of Scotland and troops of William of Orange. The illustration above was by Richard Simkin (1840-1926). It is titled: The Earl of Angus’ Regiment (The Cameronians) at the Defence of Dunkeld, 1689.  Simkin was an artist best known as an illustrator for the Army and Navy Gazette and the Boy’s Own Magazine.  He also produced some artwork for recruiting posters, under contract from the War Office. His heyday was from 1890 to 1905. Take note that if his …

On or about August 20, 480 BC: The Battle of Thermopylae.  In one of history’s most famous “last stands”, 7,000 warriors from an alliance of Greek states led by Leonidas I blocked the pass of Thermopylae for a week against an invading Persian army estimated at 120,000-300,000 strong, led by Xerxes I. — August 20, 1935 was the birthday of former Congressman Ron Paul. Dr. Paul is to be commended for fighting the good fight for many years. Happy 90th Birthday! — August 20th, 1866 was the day that President Andrew Johnson formally declared the end of the Civil War. …

On August 19, 1561, Mary Queen of Scots arrived in Leith, Scotland to assume the throne after spending 13 years in France. — August 19th is the birthday of Philo Taylor Farnsworth (1906-1971). Farnsworth was an American inventor who is best known for his image pickup device that formed the basis for the fully functional and complete all-electronic television system. Among his many other inventions was the Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor, a small nuclear fusion device that remains a viable source of neutrons. At his death, he held over 300 patents, mostly in radio and television. — Today’s feature article is by …

On August 18, 1564, Spanish King Philip II joined the Council of Trent. — August 18, 1769: A lightning strike on the Bastion of San Nazaro in Brescia, Italy, ignited 90 tons of gunpowder. The resulting explosion killed 3,000 people. — August 18th is also the birthday of Meriwether Lewis, an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator who is best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. — Today’s feature piece was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — We are seeking entries for Round 120 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. …

On this day in 1870, Hazard Stevens and P. B. Van Trump made the first ascent of Mount Rainier, Washington. — August 14, 1952: The word “fallout,” referring to radioactive particles carried into the atmosphere after a nuclear explosion, was first used in The New York Times. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 120 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 …

On August 16, 1777, militiamen of Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys, the New Hampshire Militia, and volunteers from Massachusetts defeated British forces at the Battle of Bennington, during the American Revolutionary War.  From the InfoGalactic Wiki: “The Bennington flag is a version of the U.S. flag associated with the American Revolution Battle of Bennington, from which it derives its name. Its distinguishing feature is the inclusion of a large ’76’ in the canton, a reference to the year 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed.” — On August 16th, 1841, President John Tyler vetoed a second attempt by Congress to …

80 years ago today, August 15th, 1945 was Victory In Japan (“V-J”) Day. — On August 15, 1620 the Mayflower set sail from Southampton, England, with 102 Pilgrims aboard. — August 15, 1914:  The Panama Canal opened to traffic with the SS Ancon making the first official steamship passage through the canal.  The canal was completed under budget, and ahead of schedule. The canal was extended in 1916. — Today is the birthday of British folk-rock singer Maddy Prior, the lead singer of Steeleye Span. She was born August 14th, 1947. — The last day to order! As part of …