Category: Note

On March 18, 1314, Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was burned at the stake by order of King Philip IV of France. — March 18th is the birthday of novelist John Updike. (He was born in 1932 and died in 2009.) — It is also the birthday of Luc Besson, director and producer of films such as Nikita and The Fifth Element. He was born in 1959. — I’ve just made one minor change to our writing contest rules. Here is the revised portion, with the added text highlighted in red: Plagiarism …

John Pettie (17 March 1839 – 21 February 1893) was a painter from Edinburgh, Scotland. His painting Vigil (above) was completed circa 1884. According to the InfoGalactic Wiki, Pettie:  “…spent most of his career in London. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1866 and a full academician in 1874. As an enthusiastic amateur musician, he helped the career of the young composer Hamish MacCunn by organising concerts for him in his own studio. MacCunn, who would marry Pettie’s daughter Alison in 1889, also served as a model for many of his paintings and sketches in various distinctive …

On March 16, 1792, King Gustav III of Sweden was shot by Count Jacob Johan Anckarström at a masked ball at the Opera; he died on March 29th. Pictured is the masquerade costume worn by Gustav III when he was shot in the back. — March 16, 1769: Louis-Antoine de Bougainville’s expedition of two ships completed the first French circumnavigation of the world when they arrived in Saint-Malo, France. — Today is the anniversary of the Battle at Pound Gap Kentucky, in 1862. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing …

On March 15, 1916, General Pershing and 15,000 troops of the “Punitive Expedition, US Army” began chasing Pancho Villa into Mexico. — Today is also the birthday of General and President Andrew Jackson, in 1767. He was the seventh President of the United States (1829-1837.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 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 …

Paul Émile Vernon was born on 14 March 1872 in Blois, France and died in the same town on 31 January 1920. Emile Vernon studied painting at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Tours and received the first drawing prize in 1888. He then studied William Bouguereau and Auguste Truphème at the School of the Fine Arts of Paris. In 1898, he participated in the exhibition of fine arts and decorative arts of Tours and began at the Salon des Artistes Français. He exhibited there regularly until 1913, presenting in particular portraits, landscapes and floral painting — On March 14, 1900, …

On March 13, 1881, Tsar Alexander II of Russia was assassinated by members of the revolutionary socialist terror group Narodnaya Volya (Наро́дная во́ля, literally ‘People’s Will’) who threw a bomb at him in the city of St. Petersburg. — Today is the birthday of Johan Joseph Zoffany (born Johannes Josephus Zaufallij; 13 March 1733 – 11 November 1810.) He was a German neoclassical painter who was active mainly in England, Italy, and India. His works appear in many prominent British collections, including the National Gallery, the Tate Gallery and the Royal Collection, as well as institutions in continental Europe, India, …

On March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam in San Francisquito Canyon in northern Los Angeles County, California failed. The resulting flood killed more than 600 people. — Today is the birthday of science fiction author Harry Harrison, who is best known for his Deathworld trilogy. (He was born in 1920 and died in 2012.) — On March 12, 1850 the first US $20 gold piece was issued. — We are pleased to welcome our latest affiliate advertiser: Scheels, an outdoors outfitter online store that is headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota.  For a limited time, you can get free shipping …

On March 11, 1963, US Defense Secretary Robert MacNamara ordered the adoption of the M16 rifle by the US military. It was designed by Eugene Stoner. It was a scaled-down and improved version of Stoner’s AR-10 (pictured, in prototype form) that was already in service in Portugal and Sudan. — Also on this day, the Great Blizzard of ’88 struck the northeastern United States (1888). — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 117 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest LLC  are …

Today is the birthday of the artist Willem Roelofs (10 March 1822 – 12 May 1897.)  According to the Infogalactidc Wiki: He was a “…Dutch painter, water-colorist, etcher, lithographer, and draftsman. Roelofs was one of the forerunners of the Dutch Revival art, after the Romantic Classicism of the beginning of the 19th century, which led to the formation of The Hague school. His landscapes, especially the early ones with their dominating cloudy skies, demure bodies of water, and populated with cattle, are typical for the School of Barbizon. He unmistakably provided the spiritual impulse for the painters of nature that …

On March 9, 141 BC, Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumed the throne of the Han Dynasty in China and ruled for 54 years. March 9, 1776: Adam Smith published the influential economics book “The Wealth of Nations”. March 9th was the birthday of Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin – the first man to ever travel in space. He was born in 1934 and died in the crash of a MiG-15-UTI fighter on March 27, 1968. — Today we present the last installment of a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader that is not part of the writing …

Today is the birthday of Colin Campbell Cooper, Jr. (March 8, 1856 – November 6, 1937). He was an American impressionist painter of architectural paintings, especially of skyscrapers in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago. An avid traveler, he was also known for his paintings of European and Asian landmarks, as well as natural landscapes, portraits, florals, and interiors. In addition to being a painter, he was also a teacher and a writer. His painting “Grand Central” (above) was dated 1909. It was auctioned by the Christies auction house for $85,000, in 2015. — Today we present a guest article …

On March 7, 1530 English King Henry VIII‘s divorce request was denied by Pope Clement VII.   March 7, 1644: Massachusetts established the first two-chamber legislature in the colonies. — March 7, 1707 was the birthday of Stephen Hopkins, (Governor of Rhode Island) one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. — March 7, 1944 was the birthday of Townes Van Zandt, a gifted Texan singer/songwriter. (He died in 1997.) — Today we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader that is not part of the writing contest judging. — We are seeking entries for Round 117 of …

The Dutch painter Paulus Moreelse passed away on March 6, 1638. According to the Infogalactic Wiki: “He was a Dutch painter, mainly of portraits. Moreelse was born in 1571. He lived most of his life in Utrecht. “He was a pupil of the Delft portrait painter Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt, who had himself been a pupil of Anthonie van Blocklandt. He took a study-trip to Italy, where he received many portrait commissions. Back in Utrecht, in 1596 he became a member of the zadelaarsgilde (Saddler’s guild), which then embraced the painters as well. In 1611, along with Abraham Bloemaert, he …

Today is the birthday of Jan van der Heyden. (5 March 1637, Gorinchem – 28 March 1712, Amsterdam). He was a Dutch Baroque-era painter, glass painter, draftsman, and printmaker. Van der Heyden was one of the first Dutch painters to specialize in townscapes and became one of the leading architectural painters of the Dutch Golden Age. He painted a number of still lifes at the beginning and at the end of his career. He was also an engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the firefighting technology of his day. Together with his brother Nicolaes, who was a hydraulic …

On March 4, 1756, the Scottish portrait painter Henry Raeburn was born in Edinburgh. He died in 1823. The image above is his portrait painting of Colonel Alasdair McDonnell of Glengarry, circa 1812. — On March 4, 1782, Johann Rudolf Wyss, Swiss folklorist and writer (of Swiss Family Robinson fame), was born in Bern. (He died in 1830) — On March 4, 1955, the first radio facsimile, or fax transmission, was sent across the continent. — Today we present a guest article from a SurvivalBlog reader that is not part of the writing contest judging. — We are seeking entries …