Category: Note

On June 16, 1487: Battle of Stoke Field, Nottinghamshire. English Tudor King Henry VII defeated the remaining Yorkists led by John de la Pole and Lord Lovell in the last battle of the Wars of the Roses. (Pictured is a print titled: “The Last Stand of Schwarz and His Germans, Stoke Field.”) — Today is the birthday of pioneering economist Adam Smith, in 1723. He was born in Kirkaldy, County Fife, Scotland. He died July 17, 1790. — The big Mauser sale ends tonight! We have been running a two-week-long sale on all of the pre-1899 Mauser rifles in our …

June 15, 1219: According to legend, Dannebrog, the flag of Denmark (and the oldest national flag in the world) fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse (now Tallinn) in Estonia and turned the Danes’ luck. — On June 15, 1762, Austria used the first paper currency.  The world has seen currency inflation, ever since. — Following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, or “Great Charter” on June 15, 1215. This document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would …

June 14, 1645: The Battle of Naseby, Leicestershire: Parliament’s New Model Army under Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax defeated the Royalist forces of English King Charles I. — During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopted a resolution on June 14th, 1777, stating that “the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white” and that “the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.” The national flag, which became known as the “Stars and Stripes,” was based on the “Grand Union” flag– a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 …

On June 13, 1665: The Battle of Lowestoft was fought off the coast of Suffolk, England. The English fleet defeated the Dutch fleet. — June 13, 1777, Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette landed in the fledgling United States. — June 13, 1889: Two feet of snow accumulated in Rawlins, Wyoming. — Just a few days left! We are running a two-week-long sale on all of the pre-1899 Mauser rifles in our inventory at Elk Creek Company.  There is no paperwork required to order these, in most States.  They are mailed right to your door or your P.O. Box address. The …

I just heard the news: Brian Wilson, Beach Boys Co-Founder, Dies at 82. His musical genius was obvious to anyone who has heard even just one of his compositions or complex arrangements. Here is just one example. Although I must say that some of the song lyrics that Wilson wrote were not edifying and sometimes promoted loose morals (for example: “I Get Around”), his musicianship was spectacular. Goodbye, Brian. Or should I say: Hushabye. – JWR — June 12, 1792: British explorer Captain George Vancouver landed on the site of what is now Vancouver, British Columbia. — On June 12, …

June 11, 1797: Spanish Mission San José was founded by Franciscan Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen at the Ohlone Village of Oroysom in Alta California  (now Fremont, California) — And on June 11, 1947, WW II sugar rationing finally ended in the US. (It began May 28, 1942.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 119 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 …

On June 10, 1190, during the Third Crusade, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drowned while crossing the Saleph River (modern Turkey), while leading an army to Jerusalem. — On June 10, 1967, the Six-Day War ended as Israel and Syria agreed to observe a United Nations-mediated cease-fire. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 119 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 …

On June 9, 1732, a royal charter for Georgia was granted to British military officer and philanthropist James Oglethorpe. — Today is the birthday of Jean Alexandre Francois LeMat (1824–1883). He is best known for the percussion cap revolver that bears his name. This clever revolver design has a cylinder that rotates around a 20-gauge shotgun barrel. — 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 …

On June 8th, 1779, Admiral Horatio Nelson and Captain Thomas Hardy onboard  HMS Foudroyant set sail against the Spanish fleet. — 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 …

June 7th, 1099: The First Crusaders arrived in Jerusalem. — On June 7th, 1663: In the Hudson Valley, the Munsee and Esopus bands of the Delaware Indian tribe made a surprise attack on the Dutch settlement of Wiltwijck (later re-named Kingston, New York). They killed 25 settlers and took 45 more, as hostages. — June 7th, 1776: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence. — 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 …

D-Day was 81 years ago, today. I was born in 1960, just 16 years after D-Day.  I grew up living near a lot of World War 2 veterans. I hunted with some of them up until the 1990s.  It causes some cognitive dissonance to consider that today, the youngest veterans of that invasion, assuming that they were then 19 years old, would now be 100 years old! – JWR — Today is the birthday of American gun designer Hugo Borchardt. (June 6, 1844 – May 8, 1924). He was born in Germany. He is best known as the designer of …

On June 5, 1284, Charles of Salerno was captured by Roger of Lauria during a naval battle in the Gulf of Naples. This was part of the Sicilian Vespers uprising, a.k.a. the War of the Vespers. (The outbreak of that war is depicted above.) — June 5, 1827: Turks captured the Acropolis and took Athens during the Greek War of Independence. — 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. — I noticed a couple of interesting Idaho listings now …

Today is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in 1989. — Today is the anniversary of the June 4, 2004, Granby, Colorado armored bulldozer incident, where Marvin Heemeyer knocked down several buildings in the town. A documentary titled Tread details what happened that day, and the events leading to the rampage. Though often called the “Killdozer” incident, the only one who died that day was Marvin Heemeyer, from a self-inflicted gunshot. — A Reminder: We are running a two-week-long sale on all of the pre-1899 Mauser rifles in our inventory at Elk Creek Company.  There is no paperwork required …

On June 3, 1781, Jack Jouett (pictured, in a later imagining) rode to warn Thomas Jefferson of an impending British attack. — June 3rd can also be considered the “birthday” of the U.S. Army. (It was established by Congress on June 3rd, 1784.) — A fan of SurvivalBlog is one of the organizers of a real estate raffle for a 32-acre parcel of waterfront land in northwest Montana that looks quite retreat-worthy.  I generally shy away from raffles and any sort of games of chance.  But because this raffle will benefit a good cause (an animal shelter in that part …

Please keep the pressure on your state’s two U.S. Senators, starting today (the Senate recess just ended) with at least two phone calls and an e-mail each week, insisting that they vote in favor of both the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) and the SHORT Act, as part of the Continuing Resolution budget bill.  Please phone the Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121. Also, remind both your Senator and Elizabeth MacDonough (the unelected Senate Parliamentarian) that The Byrd Rule (limiting Continuing Resolution amendments to only budget-related and tax-related bills) DOES NOT apply. This is because the previously expected $1.7 Billion in suppressor registrations …