Category: Note

On July 20, 1793, Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie completed the first European east-to-west crossing of America north of Mexico. Here is a quote from his biography: “Emigrating at a young age from his native Scotland, Mackenzie began working for a trading company aligned with the North West Company, the big rival to the Hudson Bay Company. In 1788 Mackenzie travelled to and later took charge of a trading port at Lake Athabasca (in modern Alberta). Tasked with discovering a river route to the Pacific Ocean, Mackenzie set out in 1789 and became the first to traverse what is now called …

On July 19, 1881, Lakota Sloux Indian Chief Sitting Bull surrendered to US federal troops at Fort Buford in the Montana Territory. — July 19th is coincidentally the birthday of handgun designers Samuel Colt (born 1814) and Gaston Glock. (Glock was born in 1929 and passed away in December, 2023.) In honor of the birthday week of Samuel Colt, we just started a one-week sale at Elk Creek Company. Many antique and percussion replica gun prices have been reduced — including all of our Colts — and I’ll include the bonus of an autographed hardback copy of my novel Expatriates …

On July 18th, 1914 the US Army Air Service was established, as part of the Signal Corps. Pictured are four U.S. Army Vought VE-7 test planes undergoing NACA tests, in 1921. — July 18th, 1954 was the birthdate of Ricky Skaggs, an American country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, mandocaster, and banjo. — Today, we present a guest piece by our friend Patrice Lewis. It first appeared in her excellent Rural Revolution blog. Patrice is also the author of The Simplicity Primer. — We are in need of …

On July 17, 1930, construction began on the Empire State Building. It was the world’s first skyscraper of 100+ stories. It was built on 5th Avenue in New York City. — July 17, 1938: The Italian Air Force, in support of Francisco Franco, bombed Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. — Today’s feature article is a guest piece that was written by Mrs. Alaska.  Because it will eventually be re-posted in her blog, it is not part of the writing contest judging. — We are seeking entries for Round 119 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $960,000 worth …

On July 16, 1936, the first automatic parking meter in the United States was installed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. o  o  o July 16th is the anniversary of the first successful atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1945. o o o And July 16th is the anniversary of the death of Hugh John McCall, in Rhodesia, in 1979. — 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: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of …

July 15, 1410: The Battle of Grunwald (a.k.a. First Battle of Tannenburg and Battle of Žalgiris) was fought. It was one of Medieval Europe’s largest battles during Poland-Lithuanian Teutonic War. Polish King Władysław Jagiełło and Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas defeated Teutonic Ulrich von Junginge. — On July 15th, 1888, the Bandai Volcano erupted on the Japanese island of Honshu killing hundreds and burying many nearby villages in ash. — 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: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course …

July 14 1962:  The borehole for the 7.2-mile long Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy was finished.  The tunnel was opened to traffic in July, 1965. Pictured is the French side of the tunnel. — July 14, 1850: The first public demonstration of ice made via refrigeration was made by Florida physician John Gorrie. — July 14, 1864: Gold was discovered in Helena, Montana. — A silver bull breakout! Spot silver jumped 3.67% in one day, to close at $38.67 per Troy ounce on Friday. (July 11, 2025.) It was up again this morning (after Asian trading) to $38.90 …

On July  13, 1832, the source of Mississippi River was discovered by American geographer Henry Schoolcraft. — On July 13th, 1772 Captain James Cook began his second voyage to the South Seas aboard HMS Resolution to search for Terra Australis (a Southern continent). — And on this day in 1787, Congress enacted the Northwest Ordinance structuring settlement of the Northwest Territory and creating a policy for the addition of new states to the nation. The Northwest Ordinance established the first organized US territory, set requirements for statehood – guaranteeing equal status with the original 13 states, outlawed slavery in the …

On July 12, 1679, Britain’s King Charles II ratified the Habeas Corpus Act, allowing prisoners’ right to a court review of the justification for their imprisonment. — July 12, 1865: George Washington Carver, the African-American scientist whose numerous discoveries helped to improve agriculture in the South, was born. He died on Jan. 5, 1943. — And on July 12, 1948, the first jets flew across the Atlantic. This was a flight of six RAF de Havilland Vampires. — Today’s short but important guest article was written by our friend Hubert Moolman, of South Africa. — We still need entries for …

On July 11, 1863, US military held its first draft lottery in New York City. Exemptions were offered at a cost of $300. This was a fee that only the wealthy could afford. ($300 in 1863 Dollars is worth $7,654 today.) Draft riots soon followed. — July 11th was the birthday of John Quincy Adams. He was born in 1767 and died in 1848. Not to be confused with his father (John Adams) the younger Adams also served as a diplomat, congressman, and as president. — On July 11, 1897, Salomon August Andrée and crew left Spitsbergen in northern Norway by …

101 years ago, today: On July 10, 1924, Denmark took sovereignty control of Greenland as Norway ended its claim. (Public domain photo by Markus Trienke.) JWR’s Comment:  I wonder which nation will control Greenland in 2034, and in 2124… — July 10th is also the birthday of British novelist John Wyndham. He was born in 1903 and died March 11, 1969. Harris was a good friend of fellow novelist Samuel Youd (1922-2012), who wrote under several pen names, including John Christopher. Both men were famous for writing what are often called “cozy catastrophies”. Several of Wyndham’s novels and short stories …

July 8, 1386: Battle at Sempach: Swiss militia pikemen defeated the troops of Duke Leopold III of Austria. — On July 9th, 1755: The Battle of the Wilderness (also known as the Battle of The Monongahela) was fought. — On July 9, 1776, the US Declaration of Independence was read to George Washington’s assembled troops in New York. — 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: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, …

On July 8, 1741, Theologian Jonathan Edwards preached perhaps the most famous of all American sermons, titled: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. It was preached at Enfield, Connecticut, during The Great Awakening — July 8, 1816: Frost reported in Waltham, Massachusetts during a “year without a summer”. This was attributed to a massive volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in the previous year. Something similar had happened in 1709, with even longer-lasting economic effects. But the cause of the Great Frost of 1709 has not yet been firmly established. — Today marks the birth of actor Kevin Bacon …

On July 7, 1908, the U.S Navy’s Great White Fleet departed San Francisco Bay.  The U.S. Atlantic Fleet then visited Honolulu, Hawaii; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney, Melbourne, and Albany, Australia; Manila, Philippine Islands; Yokohama, Japan; Colombo, Ceylon. The ships arrived at Suez, Egypt, on January 3, 1909. — July 7, 1905: A high temperature of 127°F (53°C) was recorded in Parker, Arizona. This was a state record that held until 1994. — July 7th, 1907 was the birthday of science fiction novelist Robert A. Heinlein. He passed away on May 8, 1988, at age 80. — Please keep praying for …

On July 6, 1415, following his trial (pictured), Bohemian proto-reformer Jan Hus was burned at the stake in Constance, Germany.  The later Hussite revolution, led by Jan Ziska, used Hus’s name as a rallying cry. — On July 6, 1699, pirate Captain William Kidd was captured in Boston. — On July 6, 1917, Arab forces led T. E. Lawrence captured the port of Aqaba from the Turks. This was later dramatized in the movie Lawrence of Arabia. — And July 6th is also the anniversary of the 1994 Storm King Mountain wildfire that took the lives of 14 firefighters. — …