Category: Note

On June 12, 1987, during a visit to the divided German city of Berlin, President Ronald Reagan publicly challenged Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.” — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 89 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A gift certificate from Quantum Harvest LLC (up to a $2,200 value) good for 12% off the purchase of any of their sun-tracking models, and 10% off the purchase price of any of their other models. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used …

John Wayne, the iconic American film actor, died on June 11th, 1979. While John Wayne is probably best known for his westerns like True Grit, The Shootist, and Fort Apache, we remember him most for his roles in The Alamo and The Green Berets, both of which reflected his patriotic, conservative leanings. — The Theater of the Absurd in Seattle, Washington is morphing, daily.  The latest news is that a 7-block district has been declared the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ). The Seattle Police Department meekly and obligingly evacuated and abandoned a precinct police station, leaving these communist hooligans to …

Some Observations on Recent Events: This whole kneeling thing (most recently in the Capitol rotunda) is getting over-played. In my estimation kneeling positions are apropos only for praying, proposing marriage, or for shooting. I am happy to extend a hand of friendship anyone of any skin tone, or any religion, if they show mutual respect for law and reason. And I would give my life, fighting for the rights of others to assemble publicly, to speak out, and to seek redress for grievances. That is where I draw the line: Protesting?: Yes. Looting?: No. I submit only to Lord Jesus …

On June 9, 1940 Norway surrendered to the invading German army, during World War II. The citizenry was then quickly disarmed by the Nazis, so resistance was limited. (The invaders had access to the Norwegian police gun registration lists.) To limit reprisals by the Germans, King Hakkon the 7th ordered that only  Norwegian troops operating from offshore should overtly resist the Nazis.  The “H7” logo became the ubiquitous symbol of resistance in occupied Norway. — We’re Back Online!  SurvivalBlog was unavailable for several hours yesterday afternoon and evening (June  8, 2020) due to a server migration—from one server rack to …

On June 8th, 1776, Canadian Governor Sir Guy Carleton defeated American Patriot forces under John Sullivan. After taking heavy losses and the loss of General Richard Montgomery at Quebec, the Patriots were pursued by Governor Carleton. Halfway between Quebec and Montreal, at the Trois-Rivieres, the Patriots turned to fight. The Redcoats and German mercenaries killed 25, wounded 140, and captured 236, but Carleton allowed the rest of the 2,500-man force to complete their retreat. This battle changed the priorities of the Patriots, and Colonel Benedict Arnold wrote, “Let us quit and secure our own country before it is too late.” …

Important Note: SurvivalBlog’s host site will be physically moving to a new server in the next day or so. During the move, we will be assigned a different IP address. You do not need to change anything in your browser, but the site will be down while the move is in progress. We will endeavor to keep the downtime as short as possible. – HJL — June 7th, 1967 was the day of Jerusalem’s redemption from foreign governments in the Six Day War, placing it back under Israeli sovereign control after having been occupied for over 2,500 years. This was …

The 6th of June is remembered for both D-Day and for the birth of Dieudonné Joseph Saive (born 1899.) He was the designer of many well-known firearms including the Browning Hi-Power, the FN49 and co-designer (along with Ernest Vervier) of the very popular FN-FAL, which was issued to the militaries of more than 90 countries. Also on this day in 1949, George Orwell’s novel of a dystopian future, Nineteen Eighty-Four was published. The novel’s all-seeing leader, known as “Big Brother,” became a universal symbol for intrusive government and oppressive bureaucracy. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for …

On June 5, 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the first installment of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in The National Era. She was the sister of firebrand abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher. — A reminder:  The SurvivalRealty Berkey Water Filter Giveaway will end with a drawing on Sunday, June 7th. So get your entries in, soon.  Note that there are ways to qualify for multiple chances to win this great stainless steel water filter. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 89 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A gift certificate …

This is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in 1989. Also on this day, June 4th, in 1944 United States Navy Task Group 22.3 captured U-505, a German submarine and with it an intact Enigma cypher machine. This was the first time since the USS Peacock seized HMS Nautilus in 1815 that the USN had captured an enemy vessel at sea. The sub, reunited with its periscope a decade ago, is displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 89 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. …

On June 3rd, 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto claimed Florida for Spain. June 3rd can also be considered the “birthday” of the U.S. Army. (It was established by Congress on June 3rd, 1784.) Also on this day, in 1911, actress Ellen Corby was born. She is often remembered for her role as Grandma Walton, in the television series The Waltons. — On Tuesday afternoon, I heard from a couple of readers that the Western Rifle Shooters Association (WRSA) web site had been shut down by WordPress — ostensibly for “content violations”. The WRSA site has always been outspokenly pro-2A. I …

On June 2, 1774, Parliament renewed the Quartering Act, allowing British military to stay in private homes if necessary, completing the Coercive Acts. The Quartering Act, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Boston Port Act, were known as the Coercive Acts. These Acts were Parliament’s way of asserting their control over the colonists after the Boston Tea Party and were one of the main motivations for the 3rd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 89 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …

On June 1st, 1942, seven months after the extermination of prisoners began, the Warsaw underground newspaper, the Liberty Brigade, made the public announcement of the gassing of tens of thousands of Jews at Chelmno, a Nazi-operated death camp in Poland. The story came from a young man, Emanuel Ringelblum, who had escaped the Chelmno death camp after being forced to bury bodies as they were thrown out of the gas vans. The West then knew the horrific truth about the slaughter of Jews. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present the first entry for Round 89 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction …

Happy 90th birthday, Clint!  May 31, 1930 was the birthday of actor/director/producer Clint Eastwood. — On 31 May 1970, an earthquake off the coast of Peru caused a substantial section of the north slope of Mt. Huascaran to collapse. The avalanche moved downhill at a speed estimated at 100 MPH. with a mass of roughly 80 million cubic feet of ice, mud, and rock. The avalanche traveled nearly 11 miles, burying the towns of Yungay and Ranrahirca in up to 300 feet of rock and debris. It is estimated that this earthquake and avalanche killed more than 20,000 Peruvians. It is the …

On May 30, 1626, an explosion at the Wanggongchang Gunpowder Factory in Beijing, China destroyed part of the city and killed an estimated 20,000 Beijing residents. — I’m back on the road and gathering merchandise, so I have temporarily shut down ordering at the Elk Creek Company store page. We will resume taking orders after I return from my travel. Ordering will be reactivated on or before July 2nd. In the interim, you can still assemble your Wish List. Please note that I have not been able to keep up with the demand for pre-1899 cartridge guns. In February, I …

On this day in 1780, the treatment of Patriot prisoners by British Colonel Banastre Tarleton and his Loyalist troops led to the coining of a phrase that defined British brutality for the rest of the War for Independence: “Tarleton’s Quarter.” Tarleton and his Torries proceeded to shoot any an all Patriots that had surrendered after the fall of Charleston. The Patriots lost 113 men. The slaughter of the surrendered troops became a propaganda victory for the Continentals and Carolina civilians who had been terrified of Tarleton and their loyalist neighbors now rallied to the Patriot cause. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest …