Category: Note

Today is the birthday of RAF and RCAF fighter ace George Frederick “Buzz” Beurling. (Pictured, at right.) He was born in Verdon, Quebec on December 6, 1921, and died in Rome, Italy, May 20, 1948. There are a few books about him and one worth mentioning is his autobiography Malta Spitfire which he wrote in 1943 during a Victory Bond tour in Canada. He left the RCAF in about April 1944 with 31 kills, most of them during the siege of Malta in the summer of 1942. — Today is also the birthday of “claymation” artist and filmmaker Nick Park …

On December 5, 1408: The Golden Horde, led by Emir Edigu, reached Moscow. — December 5th,1456: An earthquake struck Naples, killing an estimated 35,000 people. — December 5, 1766: Christie’s held their first sale in their permanent saleroom in Pall Mall, London.  The firm is now the world’s largest auction house. — On December 5th, 1964, the first Medal of Honor awarded to a serviceman for action in Vietnam was presented to Captain Roger Donlon, a Special Forces officer. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for …

On December 4, 1619, 38 colonists from Berkeley Parish, England disembarked in Virginia and gave thanks to God. Considered by many the first Thanksgiving in the Americas. — December 4th is the birthday of Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, (born 1912) an AVG “Flying Tiger” volunteer pilot for the Chinese Nationalist government, WWII Marine Corps aviator, and Medal of Honor recipient. (He died January 11, 1988.) A proto-Redoubter, Pappy Boyington was born in Couer d’Alene, Idaho and he was raised in Spokane, Washington. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …

December 3, 1736: Astronomer Anders Celsius took measurements that confirmed Isaac Newton’s theory that Earth was a slight ellipsoid, rather than the previously accepted perfect sphere. — On December 3, 1944, the Greek Civil War broke out in a newly-liberated Greece, between communists and royalists. — Today is “Giving Tuesday”.  Please consider some of the worthy charities linked at our Charity page. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present the first entry for Round 116 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 …

On December 2, 1805, Napoleon defeated the Russians and Austrians at Austerlitz.  The painting is a romanticized rendition by French artist François Gérard, circa 1810. — December 2, 1927: The first Model A Ford sold, for $385.  In paper currency, that would be the equivalent of $6,984.52 in inflated 2024 U.S. Dollars.  But in terms of U.S. gold coins that were still circulating in 1927? $385 divided by $20.67 per ounce = 18.63 ounces of gold. The 2024 value of gold of $2,640 x 18.63 = $49,183.20. — Our Big Sale Ends at Midnight! We’ve been running a Black Friday …

December 1, 1903: Release of “The Great Train Robbery” the first Western film, starring Justus D. Barnes and G. M. Anderson.   December 1, 1966: The radio time signal WWV was moved from Greenbelt, Maryland to Boulder, Colorado. — Today is also the birthday of gun designer Charles Cashman Kelsey, Jr. of DEVEL fame. He was born December 1,1935. He was murdered in Texas under mysterious circumstances in April, 2003. — This is also the birthday of novelist Rex Stout (1886–1975). Rex Stout was the brother of Ruth Stout, the gardener who wrote about no till, year-round mulching, organic gardening …

On November 30, 1902, Harvey “Kid Curry” Logan, the second-in-command of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch gang was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment with hard labor. — November 30, 1924: The first photo facsimile is transmitted across the Atlantic by radio. (London to New York City.) — Satirical novelist Jonathan Swift was born on November 30th, 1667. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 115 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 November 29, 1847, Cayuse Indians killed missionaries Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, and 12 others at Waiilatpu Mission in Oregon Country — near present-day Walla Walla, Washington. — On November 29, 1745, Bonnie Prince Charlie‘s Jacobite army moved into Manchester and occupied Carlisle. — We are running a Black Friday sale at Elk Creek Company. Until Monday, December 2nd, 2024, all of our shotguns and all of our percussion revolvers are greatly reduced. Take a look! —   SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round …

Happy Thanksgiving! Please give prayers of thanks to God for his providential blessings upon our families and our nation. — On November 28, 1895, America’s first auto race was run, organized by the Chicago Times-Herald. The course was from Chicago to Evanston and back. Six cars raced 55 miles. Frank Duryea won, averaging 7 MPH. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 115 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 …

On November 27, 1807 Portuguese Royal Family and eventually its court of nearly 15,000 people left Lisbon for their colony of Brazil to escape invading Napoleonic troops. — November 27th is the birthday of Ludwig Loewe (November 27, 1837 – September 11, 1886). He was a merchant, manufacturer, philanthropist, and a member of the German Reichstag. Loewe’s companies became involved in the production of armaments, employing famous designers and creating many notable guns. Ludwig Loewe Company of Berlin produced large numbers of Mauser bolt action rifles, most famously used in the Second Boer War. Since Loewe was Jewish, many Loewe-made …

November 26, 1778: British explorer Captain James Cook became the first European to visit Maui in the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii). — And on November 26. 1922, English archaeologist Howard Carter opened Tutankhamun’s virtually intact tomb in Egypt. — November 26th is the birthday of both gun inventor Eugene Reising (born 1884, died February 21, 1967) and the late Barton Biggs (born 1932, died July 14, 2012). Biggs was a money manager known for his pro-preparedness stance. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 115 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round …

On November 25, 1120, ‘The White Ship’ capsized near the Normandy coast while crossing the English Channel transporting many nobles, including William Adelin the grandson of William the Conqueror and heir to the English throne. About 300 others died. There was only one survivor. — We are pleased to welcome our newest advertiser: JASE Medical. They provide telemedicine and substantial supplies of prescription drugs. Their custom-packaged JASE Case prescription drug supply kit is ideal for preppers and anyone who lives or spends time in the backcountry. Just a short phone consultation is needed for them to approve your antibiotic and …

On November 24, 1642, Dutch navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman, who sailed from Batavia (Jakarta) to investigate the practicality of a sea passage eastward to Chile and to explore New Guinea, skirted the southern shores of what was later named Tasmania. And on November 24, 1871, the National Rifle Association (NRA) was incorporated in the U.S. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 115 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 …

On November 23, 1869, the ship clipper Cutty Sark was launched In Dumbarton, Scotland. It was one of the last clippers ever built and the only one still surviving. — And on November 23, 1980, a 7.2-magnitude quake struck southern Italy killing more than 3,000 people. The casualty toll was probably so high because the tremor struck during Sunday night mass, as many residents sat in churches that crumbled in the quake. The quake was centered in Eboli, south of Naples. — Today we present a guest article, from a reader. It was not intended to be part of the …

On November 22, 1898, construction began on the Simplon tunnel through the Alps, linking Italy and Switzerland; it became the world’s longest railroad tunnel. Pictured above it the tunnel’s south entrance. — Today is the birthday of Adelbert Rinaldo Buffington, a well-known designer of military gun parts and accessories. — Today is remembered as the birthday of the late Eugene M. Stoner. (Born 1922, died April 24, 1997.) He was the designer of the AR-7, AR-10, AR-15, AR-180, the Stoner 63, and several other firearms. — Today we present a guest article, from a reader. It was not intended to …