Category: Note

On July 3, 1890, the Idaho Territory became the 43rd state in the Union. July 3rd is the birthday of both musician Aaron Tippin and of actor Tom Cruise.

On July 2nd, 1937 aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight at the equator.

July 1st, 1863 was the beginning of the Civil War Battle of Gettysburg. Today is also the birthday of actress Olivia DeHavilland (star of Gone With The Wind), actor Dan Aykroyd (co-star of The Blues Brothers),  and film director William Wyler (often remembered for his film Best Years of Our Lives.) o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 65 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a …

Hooray! Tomorrow (Friday, July 1st, 2016) permitless concealed carry of guns (also called “Vermont Style Carry” or “Constitutional Carry”) becomes legal throughout Idaho. (Previously, it was only legal outside of city limits.) Sadly, this new law is just for residents–not visitors.) But, as as we can plainly see, freedom is on the march!  OBTW, there will be a celebratory rally on the lawn opposite the State Capitol building on Friday at 5 p.m., organized by the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance (ISAA.) On this day in 1908, the mysterious Tunguska event occurred in a remote part of Siberia. June 30th is the …

Another day, another Islamic terror attack… This time it was the international terminal of the airport in Istanbul, Turkey. The latest report is that there are 41 dead and 239 injured. Prayers, please for the wounded and for the families of the dead. o o o Today is the birthday of historian John Toland (author of The Rising Sun.) This is also the birthday of rodeo cowboy turned actor Slim Pickens (born: Louis Burton Lindley, Jr.) — he memorably played Major Kong in Dr. Strangelove), and of actor Gary Busey. o o o A reminder: Safecastle’s Mountain House Sale with …

June 28th, 1703 was the birthday of theologian John Wesley.  Today is also the birthday of writer, director, and actor Mel Brooks, as well as that of actor John Cusack. o o o Today, we present another entry for Round 65 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The nearly $12,000 worth of prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Tactical Self-Contained 2-Series Solar Power Generator system from Always Empowered. This compact starter power system is packaged in a wheeled O.D. green EMP-shielded Pelican hard case (a $1,700 value), A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate that is good for …

June 27th is the birthday of economist Dr. Ravi Batra. (Born 1943.) This is also the birthday of movie director J.J. Abrams (of Star Trek fame.) On this day in 1957,  Hurricane Audrey made landfall, killing more than  400 people. o  o  o Safecastle’s big Mountain House long term storage foods sale ends on June 30th, so get your order in soon! o  o  o Today, we present another product review by Pat Cascio, our Senior Field Gear Editor:

June 26th is the birthday of Marine Corps Lt. General Chesty Puller (born 1898, died October 11, 1971). Perhaps America’s finest-ever maverick officer, Puller was part of what I call the Even Greater Generation. – JWR

On June 25th, 1876, Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeated the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. The Battle of Little Bighorn–also called Custer’s Last Stand–marked the most decisive Native American victory and the worst U.S. Army defeat in the long Plains Indian War. While complicated, the generally accepted reason for the battle is that the discovery of gold in South Dakota’s Black Hills in 1875 led to the U.S. government disregarding previous treaty agreements. The gruesome fate of Custer and …

On July 23, 1942, the Nazis continued their reprehensible and criminal behavior by making the first selections for the gas chamber at Auschwitz on a train of Jews from Paris. o o o Our writing contest now has over $12,000 in prizes. Today, the featured Writing Contest prize is the Three Day Course Certificate from Gunsite Academy. Gunsite was founded in 1976 by Lt. Jeff Cooper and covers 4.5 square miles with modern facilities, large classrooms and a fully stocked Pro Shop with a full-service gunsmith operation. They currently offer more than 45 different classes in Pistol, Rifle and Shotgun …

During World War II, the U.S. 10th Army overcame the last major pockets of Japanese resistance on Okinawa Island on June 22nd, 1945, ending one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. The same day, Japanese Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima, the commander of Okinawa’s defense, committed suicide with a number of Japanese officers and troops rather than surrender. o o o Don’t forget that from June 25th and 26th (beginning at 1800 UTC Saturday and running through 2059 UTC Sunday) is Ham radio FIELD DAY. Most clubs will be setting up in a local park to operate in field …

June 21st is the birthday of Rex Applegate (June 21, 1914 – July 14, 1998), author of Kill or Be Killed. He was the friend and mentor of SurvivalBlog’s Senior Field Gear Editor, Pat Cascio. o o o The recent frantic increase in gun sales in the United States is well justified. People are understandably concerned that their window of opportunity to buy battle rifles and magazines for their families may be closing–especially if Hitlery Clinton is elected. I’m presently in the process of consolidating my own collection to create better standardization. As part of that, I decided to auction …

June 20th is the birthday of Audie L. Murphy, born in 1925. (He died in a plane crash on May 28, 1971.) This is also the anniversary of the death of novelist Vince Flynn (born April 6, 1966, died June 19, 2013). His death at age 47 was a loss to the literary world. o o o Reader D.S.V. sent this: Gun Shop Sells 30,000 AR-15s in Week Following Orlando Attack. And, BTW, SurvivalBlog advertiser GunMagWarehouse.com (a much smaller company) tells us that they shipped about the same number of magazines in the same week. Be sure to stock up …

June 19, 1834 was the birthday of Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon, who died 31 January 1892. He was a British Particular Baptist preacher. o o o Don’t forget that Safecastle is still running their “Storage Now or Forage Later” sale. All Mountain House freeze-dried foods–in #10 cans and mylar pouches–are on sale at discounts of up to 46% off. They are also discounting fresh (May 2016) military surplus pasteurized whole eggs. o o o Oregon, Washington, and Idaho Patriots, First, Happy Father’s Day (if you’re a father). And even if you’re not, don’t forget to call yours. If you’re still …