Category: Note

  On March 28th, 1942, the British army and navy raided St. Nazaire, in Operation Chariot. An obsolete British destroyer HMS Campbeltown, rigged with explosives and flying German flags, rammed the gates of German-occupied St. Nazaire port in France, and was time-fuse detonated. This killed 360 Germans and disabled the dry dock for the duration of the war. — On March 28th, 845, a 5,000-man-strong fleet of Danish Vikings invaded Frankish lands. They only retreated after besieging Paris and securing a ransom from the Frankish King Charles the Bald. This was part of a series of devastating raids begun by …

On Good Friday, March 27th, 1964, south-central Alaska was struck by a 9.2-magnitude earthquake that was the strongest quake ever registered in the United States. — Today’s feature article was too short for consideration in the judging in Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. — More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. …

On March 26th, 1913, Dayton, Ohio was almost destroyed when the Scioto, Miami, and Muskingum Rivers reached flood stage simultaneously. On March 26th, 1812, an earthquake now estimated at 7.7 on the Richter scale destroyed 90% of Caracas, Venezuela and killed an estimated 15,000–20,000 people. And, on March 26th, 1995: The Schengen Treaty went into effect. — There are several interesting new listings at SurvivalRealty.com.  They include: 10 Acre Homestead – North Dakota. Cumberland Mountain Getaway With Acreage. Southern Oregon Creekfront Mini-Farm and Home. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction …

On March 25, 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned Scottish king at Scone. He freed Scotland from English rule, winning the decisive Battle of Bannockburn (1314) and confirming Scottish independence in the Treaty of Northampton (1328). — 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 films Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago. — National Medal of Honor Day is officially observed on March 25th of each year. — GunMag Warehouse (one of our original …

March 24th is the birthday of Dr. Art Robinson, who was born in 1942. Robinson was recently made ineligible for re-election to the Oregon legislature by the Oregon courts, as punishment for his principled stand in denying the state assembly a quorum. Now that those who denied a quorum have been drummed out, the democrat supermajority in Oregon’s senate, assembly, and governor’s mansion can run roughshod over the electorate.  This is just one more reason why Oregon’s central, eastern, and southwestern counties should either seek separate statehood or shift their state lines, to become part of Idaho. — On this …

In a nationwide television address on March 23, 1983, U.S. President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative, a proposed strategic defensive system against potential nuclear attacks. — Today is the 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. (2025 will be the 250th anniversary of the speech.) — This is also the birthday of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He directed 30 films. His samurai films (many starring Toshiro Mifune) such as Yojimbo, Sanjuro, The Hidden …

On March 22, 1820, U.S. Navy Commissioner Stephen Decatur was killed in a duel. — Today is the birthday of Benjamin Tyler Henry. (March 22, 1821–December 29, 1898) 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 army use until mid-1862. — This is also the birthday of Louis L’Amour. (Born 1908, died 1988.) Some of his novels have survival themes. One of particular interest to survivalists is Last of the Breed. — The sale ends tonight.  In honor of …

On March 21, 1685, German composer Johann Sebastian Bach, who is generally considered the greatest composer of all time, was born. — March 21st, 1778: Just three days after Hessian mercenary forces assaulted the local New Jersey militia at Quinton’s Bridge, the same contingent surprised the colonial militia at Hancock’s Bridge five miles from Salem. In what became known as the Massacre at Hancock’s Bridge, at least 20 members of the militia lost their live — some after attempting to surrender. The Loyalists reputedly exclaimed “Spare no one! Give no quarter!” as they stormed the occupied house. Judge Hancock and …

March 20th is the birthday of writer 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. Don’t let your family starve. I’m sure that Mel Tappan would approve. — On March 20, 1854, a meeting of Whigs, anti-Nebraska …

Wyatt Earp was born March 19, 1848, in Monmouth, Illinois. We was a central figure in the legendary shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone. Prior to his time in Tombstone, Wyatt had moved around the western boom towns, often getting into trouble, though he served as an assistant city marshal in Dodge City, Kansas. In 1881 Earp, along with his brothers Morgan and Virgil Earp and together with Doc Holliday faced off against cowboys the Clanton gang. Three of the Clanton gang were killed and Morgan, Virgil and Doc Holliday were injured. The gunfight only reached public attention in …

On March 18, 1766, The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act of 1765 after violent protests from American colonists, including a group known as the Sons of Liberty. — March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.) — We are now down to less than 160 of the waterproof SurvivalBlog 2005-2023 Archive USB sticks on hand.  These will likely sell out in the next few days. This always happens when folks see that the supply is dwindling.  There will not be another batch produced this year, so get your order …

On March 17, 1891, the British Steamer Utopia sank off Gibraltar, killing 574 passengers and crew. The ship primarily carried Italian immigrants, in cramped “steerage” bunks. Here is a description of the disaster at The Dawlish Chronicles: “On the afternoon of March 17th 1891 the SS Utopia reached Gibraltar. Captain John McKeague was familiar with this anchorage and he headed his ship towards her usual mooring in the inner harbour. Light was failing and only too late did McKeague realise that two Royal Navy Battleships, HMS Anson and HMS Rodney were already there. At this time these two ships of …

On March 16, 2014, in a popular referendum, Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation; despite opposition from numerous countries, Russia later annexed the region. On March 14, 1926, American inventor Robert H. Goddard launched the first successful liquid-propellant rocket. Today is the anniversary of the Battle at Pound Gap Kentucky. (1862) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 111 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 …

On March 15, 1917, during the first phase of the Russian Revolution, Tsar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate, thus ending the rule of the Romanov dynasty. In 44 BC Roman dictator Julius Caesar was launching a series of political and social reforms when he was assassinated March 15th, the Ides of March, by a group of nobles, among whom were Cassius and Brutus. This is the birthday of General and President Andrew Jackson, in 1767. He was the 7th President of the United States (1829-1837.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 111 of the …

60 years ago today, on March 14, 1964, in the first courtroom verdict to be televised in the United States, Jack Ruby (Jacob Rubenstein) was found guilty of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. — Today is the birthday of fighter ace Major Raoul Lufbery (born 1885). He was shot down and killed in 1918. — This is also the birthday of Marlin Perkins. He was well-known as the television host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. He was born in 1905 in Carthage. Missouri. We died in June, 1986. — …