Category: Note

On March 26, 1790, the US Congress passed the first Naturalization Act, requiring a two-year residency for arriving immigrant “free white persons” before granting them citizenship. The residency requirement was raised to five years in 1795, and 14 years in 1798. This first Nationality Act produced the new legal category of “aliens ineligible for citizenship.”  The 1913 painting above, “Wall Street, 1790” was by Jennie Augusta Brownscombe (1850-1936.) — On March 26th, 1812 an earthquake now estimated at 7.7 on the Richter scale destroyed 90% of Caracas, Venezuela. It killed an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people. — We are continuing …

On March 25, 1199, King Richard I (the “Lion Heart”) of England, was wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France. This led to his death on April 6th of the same year. — March 25, 1305:  Robert the Bruce was crowned Robert I, King of Scots, after killing his rival John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch. — This is the birthday of English film director David Lean. He was born in Croydon, England in 1908. He died in 1991. He is best known for his award-winning films Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago. — …

Today, March 24th, is the anniversary of Operation Varsity in 1945, the largest single-day airborne operation, at a single location. More than 16,000 paratroopers of the American 17th Airborne Division and British 6th Airborne Division participated. In total, over 1,700 planes (C-47, C-46, and C-54) and more than 1,300 gliders (Waco CG-4, Horsa and Hamilcar) were used. The “sky-train”, as it was called, stretched more than 200 miles (322 km) in the sky and took 2 hours and 37 minutes to pass any given point. While considered successful, and meeting all mission objectives, the Rhine crossing resulted in more than …

Today is the 250th anniversary of Patrick Henry’s famous “Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death” speech. It was delivered to the Second Virginia Revolutionary Convention meeting at St. John’s Church, Richmond, on March 23, 1775. — March 23, 1839: The first recorded use of “OK” [for an editor’s “oll korrect” notation] at the Boston’s Morning Post. — Today is the birthday of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He directed 30 films. His samurai films (many starring Toshiro Mifune) such as Yojimbo, Sanjuro, The Hidden Fortress, Rashomon, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, and Ran are considered legendary in the cinema world. — …

On March 22, 1765, the Stamp Act passed. This imposed the first direct British tax on American colonists. It was organized by Prime Minister George Grenville. — March 22nd is the birthday of Benjamin Tyler Henry (March 22, 1821–December 29, 1898). He was an American gunsmith and manufacturer. On October 16, 1860, he received a patent on the Henry .44 caliber repeating rifle. The first Henry rifles were not produced for Union Army use until mid-1862. — This is also the birthday of novelist Louis L’Amour. (Born 1908, died 1988.) Some of his novels have survival themes. One of particular …

Alfonso “Al” Williamson (March 21, 1931– June 12, 2010) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western, science fiction and fantasy. Born in New York City, he spent much of his early childhood in Bogotá, Colombia before moving back to the United States at the age of 12. In his youth, Williamson developed an interest in comic strips, particularly Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon. He took art classes at Burne Hogarth’s Cartoonists and Illustrators School, there befriending future cartoonists Wally Wood and Roy Krenkel, who introduced him to the work of illustrators who had influenced adventure …

Have a great National Survivalism Day!  This is a day that is appropriate for giving prepping reference books and preparedness tools/supplies, as gifts. March 20th is the birthday of Mel Tappan. (Born 1933, died 1980.) His perennially popular survivalist books Survival Guns and Tappan on Survival have a well-deserved following. I designated March 20th National Survivalism Day, in his honor. It is also apropos that National Survivalism Day falls in March–one of the months that both Northern Europeans and Native Americans refer to as The Starving Season–when stored food runs low, but before spring bounty appears. Plan ahead. Stock up. …

March 19, 1882:  The first stone was laid for the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí. — On March 19, 1982, 50 Argentines landed on South Georgia in the Falkland Islands to plant the Argentine flag. They renamed the islands The Malvinas. This precipitated the Argentine army invasion on April 2nd. Despite some significant naval losses and dreadful weather, British Marines re-took the island on April 25th in a well-coordinated ground campaign. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First …

On March 18, 1314, Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burned at the stake by order of King Philip IV of France. — March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.) — It is also the birthday of Luc Besson, director and producer of films such as Nikita and The Fifth Element. He was born in 1959. — I’ve just made one minor change to our writing contest rules. Here is the revised portion, with the added text highlighted in red: Plagiarism …

John Pettie (17 March 1839 – 21 February 1893) was a painter from Edinburgh, Scotland. His painting Vigil (above) was completed circa 1884. According to the InfoGalactic Wiki, Pettie:  “…spent most of his career in London. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1866 and a full academician in 1874. As an enthusiastic amateur musician, he helped the career of the young composer Hamish MacCunn by organising concerts for him in his own studio. MacCunn, who would marry Pettie’s daughter Alison in 1889, also served as a model for many of his paintings and sketches in various distinctive …

On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III of Sweden was shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the Opera; he died on March 29th. Pictured is the masquerade costume worn by Gustav III when he was shot in the back. — March 16, 1769: Louis-Antoine de Bougainville’s expedition of two ships completed the first French circumnavigation of the world when they arrived in Saint-Malo, France. — Today is the anniversary of the Battle at Pound Gap Kentucky, in 1862. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing …

On March 15, 1916, General Pershing and 15,000 troops of the “Punitive Expedition, US Army” began chasing Pancho Villa into Mexico. — Today is also the birthday of General and President Andrew Jackson, in 1767. He was the seventh President of the United States (1829-1837.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 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 $2000. A Gunsite …

Paul Émile Vernon was born on 14 March 1872 in Blois, France and died in the same town on 31 January 1920. Emile Vernon studied painting at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Tours and received the first drawing prize in 1888. He then studied William Bouguereau and Auguste Truphème at the School of the Fine Arts of Paris. In 1898, he participated in the exhibition of fine arts and decorative arts of Tours and began at the Salon des Artistes Français. He exhibited there regularly until 1913, presenting in particular portraits, landscapes and floral painting — On March 14, 1900, …

On March 13, 1881, Tsar Alexander II of Russia was assassinated by members of the revolutionary socialist terror group Narodnaya Volya (Наро́дная во́ля, literally ‘People’s Will’) who threw a bomb at him in the city of St. Petersburg. — Today is the birthday of Johan Joseph Zoffany (born Johannes Josephus Zaufallij; 13 March 1733 – 11 November 1810.) He was a German neoclassical painter who was active mainly in England, Italy, and India. His works appear in many prominent British collections, including the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery and the Royal Collection, as well as institutions in continental Europe, India, …

On March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam in San Francisquito Canyon in northern Los Angeles County, California failed. The resulting flood killed more than 600 people. — Today is the birthday of science fiction author Harry Harrison, who is best known for his Deathworld trilogy. (He was born in 1920 and died in 2012.) — On March 12, 1850 the first US $20 gold piece was issued. — We are pleased to welcome our latest affiliate advertiser: Scheels, an outdoors outfitter online store that is headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota.  For a limited time, you can get free shipping …