Category: Note

On November 7, 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge connecting the Olympic Peninsula with Tacoma, Washington, broke up in a wind of about 42 miles (67 km) per hour.  The footage of the collapse became iconic. — November 7th is the anniversary of the death of actor Steve McQueen (born March 24, 1930, died November 7, 1980) — Mark Dice’s new nonfiction book The War on Conservatives was released today. Look for it at your favorite online bookseller. (Note: Given the leftist politics and the cutthroat business practices of Amazon.com, I prefer shopping through Books-A-Million.) — We are seeking entries for …

On Novermber 6, 1888, Benjamin Harrison of the Republican Party was elected U.S. president by an electoral majority despite losing the popular vote by more than 90,000 to his Democratic opponent, Grover Cleveland. — Today in 1977, the Toccoa Falls Dam in Georgia gave way and 39 people died in the resulting flood. The dam was an earthen dam constructed across a canyon in 1887 and had a 55-acre lake that was 180 feet deep. The dam had recently been inspected and approved, but in the early morning hours, it gave way. Water flooded down the canyon at speeds approaching …

On this day, King James learned about the Gunpowder Plot. Hence we have Guy Fawkes Day, celebrated with fireworks. Remember, remember the Fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.” — Also on this day, 300 Santee Sioux were sentenced to hang. — On November 5th, 2009 Army Major Nidal Hassan killed 13 people at Fort Hood. He shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he opened fire. But predictably, the mainstream media cited “no known motive” for the terror attack. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 109 …

On November 4, 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen. — On November 4, 1924, American politician Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state (Wyoming). — November 4th is the birthday of Medal of Honor recipient John Basilone. He was born in 1916 in Buffalo, New York. — On this day in 1979, student followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini sent shock waves across America when they stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran. The radical Islamic fundamentalists took 90 hostages. The students were enraged that the deposed …

Stephen F. Austin was born on November 3rd, 1793. He was the founder of the principal settlements of English-speaking people in Texas in the 1820s, when it was still part of Mexico. On November 3rd, 1978, Dominica achieved full independence, with Patrick Roland John as its first prime minister. On November 3, 1903, Walker Evans, the American photographer best known for his portrayal of America during the Great Depression, was born. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 109 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power …

November 2, 1947:  American aviator and filmmaker Howard Hughes piloted the Spruce Goose, an eight-engine wooden flying boat intended to carry 750 passengers, on its only flight—one mile. — On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a declaration of intent to establish a Jewish homeland known as the Balfour Declaration. While Arab hostilities and the outbreak of World War II delayed the desired outcome, the Nation of Israel was eventually re-established in 1948. — Today’s feature article is a guest piece by a SurvivalBlog reader. It is too short to be considered an entry for the …

100 years ago today, November 1st, 1923, was the birthday of science fiction writer Gordon R. Dickson (born 1923, died January 31, 2001). Many of his novels and short stories, such as Wolf and Iron have survivalist themes. The photo above was taken at a science fiction convention by John A. Johnson. — Today is birthday of Canadian test pilot Russell Bannock. He died in January, 2020, at age 100. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 109 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists …

On October 31, 1941, after nearly 15 years of work, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota was completed; the colossal sculpture features the heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. (Photo above, by Dean Franklin.) — As Christians, our family does not celebrate the pagan Halloween. Since October 31st is also Reformation Day, that is what we celebrate, here at the Rawles Ranch. — I just heard that Siege Belts has created a new coupon code: “SBLOG” for Survivalblog readers to get $20 off the price of any regularly …

Henry Tudor, who was crowned King Henry VII on this day in 1485, founded the Tudor dynasty, ended the Wars of the Roses, used his children’s marriages to build alliances, and signed treaties that increased England‘s power. The Soviets detonated Tsar Bomba over Novaya Zemlya island in the Arctic Ocean; the largest nuclear weapon ever set off, it produced the most powerful human-made explosion ever recorded. Orson Welles‘s radio dramatization of H.G. Wells‘s War of the Worlds was broadcast, causing great alarm—though reports of a nationwide panic were unfounded—as some listeners feared a genuine invasion from Mars. October 30th, 1735 …

On October 29, 1618, British adventurer and writer Sir Walter Raleigh was executed for treason. — 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 109 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 …

On October 28, 1726, Anglo-Irish author Jonathan Swift anonymously published Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World (later called Gulliver’s Travels), a keystone of English literature that helped give birth to the novel form. Today is also concidentally the birthday of several gun designers: Wilhelm Bubits (born October 28, 1954) in Lutzmannsburg, is an Austrian handgun designer and creator of the Caracal Pistol and Steyr Mannlicher M and S model pistols. As a hobby shooter and former police officer, Wilhelm Bubits used his experience and ideas about handguns to advance modern pistol design. Bubits worked for the Glock firearms …

On October 27, 1979, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, an island country lying within the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea, achieved its independence. — October 27th, 1858 was the birthday of President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. (He died January 6, 1919.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 109 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 Academy Three Day …

The sci-fi movie The Terminator was released in the United States on October 26, 1984. It was hugely successful. It made actor Arnold Schwarzenegger a star and established director James Cameron as a bankable filmmaker. This is the birthday of Henry Deringer (October 26, 1786 – February 28, 1868) was an American gunsmith. He is best known for inventing and giving his name to the very compact Deringer pistol. Edward Wilson Very (born October 26, 1847, died March 1, 1910) was an American naval officer who adopted and popularized a single-shot breech-loading flare pistol that fired flares that bears his …

40 years ago today, the U.S. military, under President Ronald Reagan, invaded the tiny island country of Grenada. — On this day in 1415, the English army, led by Henry V, scored a decisive victory over the French at the Battle of Agincourt during the Hundred Years’ War, paving the way for further English conquests and successes. — This is the birthday of explorer and pilot Admiral Richard Byrd (1888–1957). His autobiography titled Alone is a must-read. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 109 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round …

On October 24, 1648, the Peace of Westphalia ended the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the Dutch and the German phase of the Thirty Years’ War. On October 24, 1861, the first transcontinental telegram was sent via the telegraph in the United States, effectively bringing to an end the Pony Express. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 109 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 …