Category: Note

May 1, 1328: The Wars of Scottish Independence ended with the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton – the Kingdom of England recognized the Kingdom of Scotland as an independent state. — On May 1, 1776, Adam Weishaupt founded the secret society of the Illuminati. — May 1st was the birthday of Pastor Archie Mitchell — a man whose civilian life was torn by both World War 2 and the Vietnam War. — May 1st is the birthday of the late Joel Rosenberg, a Canadian-born novelist and gun rights advocate (born 1954, died June 2, 2011). He is not to be confused with …

On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America at Federal Hall in New York City. On April 30, 1897, English physicist J.J. Thomson announced that he had discovered the electron, which helped revolutionize the knowledge of atomic structure; he was later awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. April 30, 1777 was the birthday of Carl Friedrich Gauss, who is widely considered the world’s greatest mathematician. Camerone Day is celebrated on April 30th every year — the Foreign Legion’s most important holiday. Today is the birthday of sci-fi novelist Larry Niven …

On April 29, 1769, Scottish engineer James Watt‘s patent for a steam engine with a separate condenser was enrolled. (Patent 913.) — April 29, 1852:  The first edition of Peter Roget‘s Thesaurus was published in Great Britain. — On April 29, 1903, a limestone slide at Turtle Mountain dropped 30 million cubic metres (82 million tons) onto the town of Frank, Alberta, Canada, killing 70-90 residents. — And on April 29, 1905, two inches of rain fell in just 10 minutes in Taylor, Texas. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction …

On April 28, 1937, the first trans-Pacific flight by a commercial passenger airliner was completed when Pan American Airways’ Martin M-130, China Clipper, arrived at Hong Kong. The flight had departed San Francisco Bay, California, on the 21st of April with seven revenue passengers and then proceeded across the Pacific Ocean by way of Hawaii, Midway Island, Wake Island, Guam, Manila, Macau, and finally Hong Kong. — April 28, 1965: US Marines invaded the Dominican Republic. They stayed until October 1966. — Today’s feature is by SurvivalBlog staff writer Tom Christianson. — We need more entries for Round 118 of …

The Battle of Carbisdale was fought on April 27, 1650: The Royalist army under Marquess of Montrose invaded mainland Scotland from Orkney Island. They were defeated by a Covenanter army. — On April 27, 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act. — And on April 27, 1805, US Marines attacked the shores of Tripoli. — Today’s feature article was too short for inclusion in the judging in the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.  More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 118 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail …

On April 26, 1949, Transjordan was officially renamed the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. — On April 26, 1991, 23 people were killed in Kansas and Oklahoma by tornadoes. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 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 Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day …

“Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his …

On April 25, 1719, novelist Daniel Defoe published “Robinson Crusoe”. It is regarded as the first English novel. — Today is the birthday of physicist, inventor, and entrepreneur Guglielmo Marconi (1874–1937). He was known for his pioneering work on long-distance radio transmission as well as for the development of Marconi’s law and a radio telegraph system. He is often considered the inventor of radio. —   SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are …

On April 24, 1459, Fra Mauro completed his Map of the World in Venice for King Alfonso V of Portugal – largest known world map from Medieval Europe and the first to show Africa as a free-standing continent. According to the InfoGalactic Wiki: “[Fra Mauro’s map] is “considered the greatest memorial of medieval cartography.” It is a circular planisphere drawn on parchment and set in a wooden frame that measures over two by two meters. Including Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, Europe, and the Atlantic, it is orientated with south at the top. The map is usually on display in …

Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775 – 19 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, or by his initials J.M.W. Turner. From the Infogalactic Wiki: “He was an English Romantic painter, printmaker, and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbulent, often violent marine paintings. He left behind more than 550 oil paintings, 2,000 watercolours, and 30,000 works on paper. He was championed by the leading English art critic John Ruskin from 1840, and is today regarded as having elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting. Turner was born in Maiden …

On April 22, 1864, the US Treasury began minting a 2-cent coin. This was the first appearance of the “In God We Trust” motto. — Today is the birthday of actor Eddie Albert (born Edward Albert Heimberger April 22, 1906.) He died May 26, 2005, at age 99.) For his actions in the battle of Tarawa, he was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” device. — This is also the birthday of the late Charles Rankin Bond, Jr., who was born in Dallas on April 22, 1915. (Died, 2009.) He was one of the last of the AVG Flying Tiger …

April 21st, 1820: Danish scientist Hans Christian Ørsted was the first to identify electromagnetism, when he observed compass needle movement. — On April 21st, 1828, Noah Webster published the first American dictionary. — And April 21st is Aggie Muster, for all Texas A&M graduates. — Today’s feature piece is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

On April 20, 1918, Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron, shot down his 79th and 80th victims, marking his final victories before his death on the following day. — April 20, 1920: Tornadoes killed 219 people in Alabama and Mississippi. — And on April 20,1993, Uranus passed Neptune, as it does once every 171 years. — Today’s feature article is a guest post by fellow blogger and American Redoubt resident Brandon Smith. It is reposted with permission. — We are seeking entries for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $950,000 worth of prizes have been …

April 19th is always the most heavily laden date of the year for our Top Notes. I do not believe that this is mere happenstance. Some events appear to have been orchestrated by folks with an obsession for numerology. April 19, 1506: The Massacre of the Jews:, in Lisbon. On April 19, 1591, the French city of Chartres surrendered to King Henry IV. Today is the original Patriot Day which marks the multiple anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, known as “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”, on April 19, 1775. Note that due to corporate bureaucracy, the Patriot …

On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode from Charlestown to Lexington warning: “The regulars are coming!” — On April 18th, 1906, the San Francisco earthquake struck northern California, killing hundreds of people as it toppled numerous buildings and started fires that engulfed whole neighborhoods. The quake was so powerful that it knocked down chimneys in the Anderson Valley, 120 miles north of the city. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 118 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at …