Category: Note

March 7, 1707 was the birthday of Stephen Hopkins, former Governor of Rhode Island and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. March 7, 1925 was the birthday of Rene Gagnon, a U.S. Marine who was seen in the famous photographs of the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. (He died in 1979.) And March 7, 1944 was the birthday of Townes Van Zandt, a gifted Texan singer/songwriter. (He died in 1997.) o o o SurvivalBlog Archive Update We have another order of 2005-2017 SurvivalBlog Waterproof USB Archives that will be here soon, so keep watching the archive …

March 6th was the birthday of Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper Jr., born in 1927 in Shawnee, Oklahoma. This U.S. Air Force pilot and astronaut was aboard Mercury 9 and Gemini 5. Cooper had his exploits well documented in Tom Wolfe’s book The Right Stuff, and in the well-done film of the same name. Cooper died at age 77 from heart failure at his home in Ventura, California, on October 4, 2004. Coincidentally, this is also the birthday of Valentina Tereshkova (born 1937), a Soviet cosmonaut and the first woman in space (aboard Vostok 6). She was born in Maslennikovo, USSR. …

Today is the birthday of Momofuku Ando (born 1910), the Taiwanese-Japanese inventor of instant noodles and Cup-O-Noodles, born in Wu Baifu, Taiwan. (He died in 2007.) His inventions have saved counted thousands of American college students from starvation. This is also the birthday of Howard Pyle (1853-1911) an influential American book illustrator, painter, and author. He was the mentor of many great American artists including Thornton Oakley, Frank E. Schoonover, Allen Tupper True, and of course N.C. Wyeth.

Today is the birthday of James Ellroy (born in 1948), an American noir novelist. He authored L.A. Confidential, which later became a popular film. o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course …

Today is remembered by trekkers as the birthday of James Doohan, born in 1920. He passed away in 2005. He played Montgomery (“Beam Me Up, Scotty”) Scott in the Star Trek television series and films. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. This is also the birthday of bluegrass musician Doc Watson. (He was born in 1923 and passed away in 2012.) His guitar work was phenomenal.   o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A …

On March 2nd, 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Today is coincidentally also the birthday of Sam Houston. Today is also the birthday of Moe Berg, American baseball player and clandestine agent. (He died in 1972.) His biography The Catcher Was a Spy is fascinating reading. And this is the birthday of libertarian economist Murray Rothbard (born 1926, died 1995) His book For a New Liberty: The Libertarian Manifesto is highly recommended. o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this …

Today is the birthday of the late singer, songwriter, and cowboy poet Allen Wayne Damron. Damron was quite the Texan, through and through. (Born 1939, died August 13, 2005, in Terlingua, Texas.)   o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be …

February 28th is the birthday of famed Swiss investor and economic pundit Marc Faber (born 1946). o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or three day course (a $1,095 value), A course certificate from onPoint …

On February 27th, 1897, an agreement between Great Britain and the United States allowed the U.S. to arbitrate a border dispute between Venezuela and British Guiana, defusing a dangerous U.S.-British diplomatic crisis and formally recognizing the U.S. authority of the Western Hemisphere per President Grover Cleveland’s interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine. In the end, the border was decided in 1899, largely upholding Britain’s claims. o o o Ready Made Resources is giving away a Multicam PT bump Helmet with any night vision purchase right now. The Helmet is valued at $150. If you are training and don’t want to wear …

This day, February 26, is the birthday of Major-General Orde Charles Wingate (born, 1903, died 24 March 1944), an eccentric British Army officer who organized special military units in Palestine in the 1930s, and in Abyssinia, Sudan, and Burma during World War II. He is most famous for his creation of the Chindits, airborne deep-penetration troops trained to work behind enemy lines in the Far East campaigns against the Japanese during World War II.

February 25th is the birthday of bluegrass music legend Ralph Stanley (1927 – 2016). His harmonizing and high tenor solos had an almost haunting sound to them. o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. The only EMP Hardened Solar Generator System available to the public. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any one, two, or …

On February 24, 1840, former President John Quincy Adams began to argue the Amistad case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. A practicing lawyer, member of the House of Representatives, and son of America’s second president who was an avowed abolitionist. Though John Quincy Adams downplayed his abolitionist stance, he also viewed the practice as contrary to the nation’s core principles of freedom and equality. In the arguments, Adams attacked Van Buren’s abuse of executive power. In a dramatic moment, Adams faced the judges, pointed to a copy of the Declaration of Independence hanging on the courtroom wall, and …

February 23rd is the birthday of Captain Isaac Davis (February 23, 1745 – April 19, 1775), a militia officer and gunsmith who commanded a Minute Company in Acton, Massachusetts during the Battle of Concord. Today is also the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836). o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $11,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A $3000 gift certificate towards a Sol-Ark Solar Generator from Veteran owned Portable Solar LLC. …

On this day in 1732, George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the second son from the second marriage of a colonial plantation owner. An initially loyal British subject, Washington eventually led the Continental Army in the American Revolution and became known as the father of the United States. o o o It is with a sad heart that we learned of the passing of Evangelist Billy Graham yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Graham family today. o o o SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today features another entry for Round 75 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …

February 21st is also the birthday of Group Captain Douglas Bader (born 1910, died 5 September 1982). He was a Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter ace during the Second World War. He lost his legs in a pre-war flying accident, but that didn’t stop him from re-entering the RAF when war broke out. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable, and 11 enemy aircraft damaged. Bader was eventually shot down and became a POW in Germany. Since the Luftwaffe ran its own POW camps, he became a celebrity with his captors. The …