Category: Note

In 1492, Columbus set sail with 17 ships on his 2nd voyage to the Americas. Also on this date in 1775, Ethan Allen was captured by the British.

September 23, 1800 is the birthday of William McGuffey, a college president who is best known for writing the McGuffey Readers, the first widely used series of textbooks. It is estimated that at least 122 million copies of McGuffey Readers were sold between 1836 and 1960, placing its sales in a category with the Bible and Webster’s Dictionary.

September 22nd in the 70th birthday of survivalist writer Joel Skousen. (Born, 1946.) Skousen authored the excellent books Strategic Relocation and The High Security Shelter – How to Implement a Multi-Purpose Safe Room in the Home September 22nd in the birthday of the late Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Reid-Daly, who founded and commanded the Rhodesian Selous Scouts. He was born 1928, and he died August 9, 2010. His history of the Selous Scouts, titled Pamwe Chete, is fascinating to read, but it is a very hard-to-find book. I should also mention that September 22nd, 1290 is the birthday of one of …

On this day in 1780, during the American Revolution, American General Benedict Arnold met with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West Point to the British in return for the promise of a large sum of money and a high position in the British army. The plot was foiled and Arnold, a former American hero, became synonymous with the word “traitor”. It’s too bad the current crop of politicians are not held accountable for their treasonous acts.

On September 20th, 1519, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain in an effort to find a western sear route to the rich Spice Islands of Indonesia. He initially spent time searching the South American coast for a strait, but was unable to find one. He crushed a mutiny executing one of his captains and leaving another ashore. Eventually, over a year after he set sail, he discovered what he had been seeking. The Strait of Magellan, as it became known, is located at the southern tip of South America.

On September 19th, 1778, the Continental Congress passed the first budget of the United States. While the budget may have passed, the states responded poorly to the call for taxes to fund the government, and the government resorted to printing paper money to cover debts. In effect, the first budget was a failure, due in large part to the states not responding to the demands of Congress and the depreciation of fiat paper money. Are we talking about 1778 or 2017 here? Also on this date in 1796, George Washington addressed the nation in his farewell address as president. On …

The 18th of September is Chilean Independence Day. On this day, in 1810, Chile declared independence from Spain.

Today, September 17th, we celebrate Constitution Day in these United States.

September 16th is the birthday of “Mad Jack” Churchill (1906-1996), who was a true eccentric. He went to war in WWII armed with a broadsword and a longbow. (The latter was successfully used to dispatch several German soldiers.) He later became a devoted surfer. What a guy.

Happy Paratus Day! o o o On this day in 1944, the U.S. 1st Marine Division lands on the island of Peleliu, one of the Palau Islands in the Pacific, as part of a larger operation to provide support for Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who was preparing to invade the Philippines. Within one week of the invasion, the Marines lost 4,000 men. By the time it was all over, that number would surpass 9,000. The Japanese lost more than 13,000 men. Flamethrowers and bombs finally subdued the island for the Americans, but it all proved pointless. MacArthur invaded the Philippines without …

Today is the birthday of actor Clayton Moore (1914–1999). His name is almost synonymous with Lone Ranger. It is also the birthday of James Wilson, a lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1742 – 1798). o o o If you are looking for an off-grid home that is ready to go, Survival Realty has a new listing in Washington that borders state land. It is on 40 acres and is capable of being self-sufficient. It was constructed with ICFs and has a 6,000 watt PV power system.

September 13th, 1951 was the birthday of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan.

After nearly 40 years of riding across millions of American TV and movie screens, the cowboy actor William Boyd, best known for his role as Hopalong Cassidy, died on this day in 1972 at the age of 77.

September 11th is of course the anniversary of the 2001 Al Qaeda attacks on the U.S. , but it is also the anniversary of the Benghazi Embassy attacks, in 2012. (Those events were recounted in the recent Hollywood film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.) Please remember the sacrifice of J. Christopher Stevenson, Sean Smith, and CIA (former Navy SEAL) agents Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Between them, Woods and Dohery reportedly dropped at least 60 of the attackers. Please also remember the spineless worms in Washington, D.C. who decided to not back up the embassy staff when they …

Please pray for everyone in the path of Hurricane Irma, and continue to pray for those already devastated by Hurricane Harvey. On September 10, 1776, George Washington asked for a spy volunteer. Nathan Hale stepped up to the challenge of an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City. Unfortunately, the British captured and executed him. He is probably best known for his last words before being hanged: “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” He has long been considered an American hero, and in 1985, was officially designated the state hero of Connecticut. It …