Category: Note

November 1st is the birthday of economist Martin A. Armstrong. (Born, 1949.) For many years he was a prisoner of conscience, in part because he refused to turn over his proprietary trading algorithms to Federal prosecutors. After seven years in prison without a trial, the longest Federal incarceration for contempt in American history. Armstrong was finally put on trial in a proceeding that was branded as a sham. He was convicted on securities fraud charges based on some marginal testimony and given a five-year sentence. Notably, Armstrong continued to write his economics newsletter while in prison, producing most of the …

Our family does not celebrate the pagan Halloween. (We are with Drew Carey, on that one. We don’t “…party with this guy.”) October 31st is also Reformation Day, recognizing the significance of Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses, and that is what we celebrate, here at the Rawles Ranch. — On October 31, 1888, Scottish inventor and veterinarian surgeon John Boyd Dunlop patented the pneumatic bicycle tire. — 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 …

On October 30, 1938, a radio broadcast of H.G. Wells “The War of the Worlds“, narrated by Orson Welles, caused a mass panic. — October 30, 1893: US Senate approved repealing Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890. — October 30th, 1735 was the birthday of President John Adams. (Some sources cite his birthdate as October 19, 1735.) — Some sad news: Teri Garr has passed away. — 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  …

Today is the birthday of World War II cartoonist Bill Mauldin (born 1921, died January 22, 2003). — October 29th is also the birthday of fighter pilot Vermont Garrison, an American who fought in three wars– WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He was born in 1915 and died on February 14th, 1994, in Mountain Home, Idaho. — 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 October 28, 1640, English King Charles I signed a peace treaty with the Scottish Covenanters, ending the Second Bishops’ War. — October 28, 1831: Michael Faraday demonstrated his dynamo invention, an electrical generator. — The last day!  We’ve been running a 2-week-long sale at Elk Creek Company.  Until midnight PST tonight, October 28th, 2024, all of our pre-1899 shotguns have their prices deeply discounted. Most of these shotguns can fire modern 12 gauge 2-1/2″ or 2-3/4″ shotgun shells. Order soon! — Today’s feature article is a review by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson.

On October 27, 1787, the Federalist Papers started appearing in New York newspapers under the pseudonym “Publius”. They were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. — October 27, 1858 was the birthday of President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. (He died January 6, 1919.) — Just One Day Left! We are running a 2-week-long sale at Elk Creek Company.  Until October 28th, 2024, all of our pre-1899 shotguns have their prices deeply discounted. Most of these can fire modern 12 gauge 2-1/2″ or 2-3/4″ shotgun shells. No FFL paperwork is required. In most states, we can mail them right …

40 years ago today, the action thriller The Terminator was released in the United States. The movie was hugely successful. It made actor Arnold Schwarzenegger a star and established director James Cameron as a bankable filmmaker. On October 26, 1881, a feud between the Earp brothers (Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan) and an outlaw gang led by Ike Clanton escalated into a celebrated gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory. And today is the birthday of Henry Deringer (October 26, 1786 – February 28, 1868). He was an American gunsmith, best known for inventing and giving his name to …

October 25, 1415: Battle of Agincourt: Henry V‘s forces defeated the larger French army, proving that massed English longbows could defeat armored knights. This is the birthday of explorer and pilot Admiral Richard Byrd (1888–1957). His autobiography titled Alone is a must-read. On October 25, 1983, the U.S. military, under President Ronald Reagan, invaded the tiny island country of Grenada. — 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 …

October 24, 1836: The earliest American patent for a phosphorus friction match by Alonzo Dwight Phillips of Springfield, Massachusetts. Originally, these matches were made quite large — essentially a small torch. In England phosphorus matches were called “Congreves” after Sir William Congreve. But they went by the name loco foco in the United States. The Loco Focos became the name of a radical Democrat faction in the U.S. Congress. They earned that name because they brought some of the newly-invented loco foco matches with them to one of their meetings after hearing that their adversaries had plotted to disrupt the …

On October 23, 1819, the first ship sailed through the Erie Canal from Rome, New York to Utica, New York. — October 23, 1944 General Enver Hoxha became “interim” Prime Minister of Albania. He dictatorially retained leadership for 41 years, until his death in 1985. — Today, we also remember the 220 Marines, 18 U.S. Navy Sailors, and three U.S. Army Soldiers who died on this day in 1983 when terrorists attacked the Beruit Barracks. — Seed for Security, LLC has announced its Retirement Sale. Electronic orders will be accepted until November 30, 2024. Mail-in orders will accepted until November …

On October 22, 1575, the Mexican State of Aguascalientes (one of 32 Federal Entities of Mexico) was founded. The full name of the state is Estado Libre y Soberano de Aguascalientes. Literally, Aguascalientes means: “Hot waters”. JWR Adds:  My maternal grandfather Dewitt Creveling was born December 3, 1903, in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He was the son of an ex-pat American mining engineer.  He liked to say:  “I was born in hot water, and I’ve been in hot water all my life.” On October 22, 1934, infamous criminal Charles (“Pretty Boy”) Floyd was fatally shot in a field near East Liverpool, Ohio, …

October 21st, 1805: In one of the most decisive naval battles in history, a British fleet under Admiral Lord Nelson defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar, fought off the coast of Spain. At sea, Lord Nelson and the Royal Navy consistently thwarted Napoleon Bonaparte, who led France to preeminence on the European mainland. Nelson’s last and greatest victory against the French was the Battle of Trafalgar, which began after Nelson caught sight of a Franco-Spanish force of 33 ships. Preparing to engage the enemy force on October 21, Nelson divided his 27 ships into …

On October 20, 1906, Dr. Lee DeForest demonstrated his electrical vacuum tube. (Radio tube.) — October 20, 1803: U.S. Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase. — Today is the birthday of shootist Ed McGivern (born 1874, died December 12, 1957.) He was born in Nebraska, but was a long-time resident of Butte, Montana. His book Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting is fascinating reading. — October 20th is also the birthday of actor Viggo Mortensen (born 1958.) He lives somewhere in the American Redoubt. On his ranch is his horse-for-life “TJ”–one of the five paint horses used in the filming of the …

On October 19, 1926, John C. Garand patented his en bloc clip-fed semi-automatic rifle. Later, in refined form, this design was adopted as the U.S. M1 Garand rifle. — October 19th is the birthday of three notables: The late Alexander Zeisal “Zus” Bielski (born 1912), investor Jim Rogers (born 1942), and James Howard Kunstler (born 1948). Kunstler is well known to SurvivalBlog readers as the author of the novel World Made by Hand and the nonfiction book The Long Emergency. A fictionalized portrayal of Zus Bielski is seen in the movie Defiance. This movie was loosely based on the excellent …

On October 18, 1009, the 500-year-old Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, who ordered the church’s foundations to be hacked down to the bedrock. According to the InfoGalactic Wiki: “Al-Hakim’s son allowed Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos to reconstruct the church, which was completed in 1048. After it was captured by the Crusaders in 1099, it continued to undergo modifications, resulting in a significant departure from the original structure.” — October 18th, 1662 was the birthday of Matthew Henry. (He died 22 June 1714.) He was a Presbyterian minister who lived …