Category: Note

On April 3, 1910, the highest mountain in North America, Alaska’s Mount McKinley (aka Denali) was claimed to have been first climbed by four local men.  They climbed McKinley’s North Peak, not knowing that the South Peak is actually 850 feet higher. — This is the birthday of Washington Irving, an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for short stories like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but he also wrote several biographies and served as the US Ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846. — A …

On April 2, 1792 The Coinage Act passed, establishing the United States Mint and authorizing the $10 Eagle, $5 Half-Eagle, $2.50 Quarter-Eagle gold coins, as well as the silver dollar, half dollar, quarter, dime, and half-dime. Although gold was removed from circulation by President Franklin Roosevelt, our silver coinage remained undebased until 1964. — April 2, 1968, Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey had its world premiere in Washington, D.C.; it became a classic, setting the benchmark for modern sci-fi films. The film also gave one of the first cinematic warnings about artificial intelligence. — The staff of SurvivalBlog wish …

On April 1, 1515, the Portuguese fleet under Afonso de Albuquerque recaptured the Persian fortress of Hormuz and renamed it the Fort of Our Lady of the Conception. — April 1, 1863: US Congress passed the first wartime conscription law, calling for the registration of all 20 to 45-year-old males. — And on April 1, 1873, the British White Star steamship SS Atlantic sank off Nova Scotia, Canada, killing at least 535 people.  The same shipping company later owned the ill-fated RMS Titanic and RMS Britannic. — Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog Editor “Avalanche Lily”, the wife of JWR. …

On March 31, 1917, the Danish West Indies were officially ceded to the US for $25 million and renamed the Virgin Islands. Pictured is St. Thomas Island. — March 31 is the birthday of the late economist Dr. Walter E. Williams, PhD., who was born in 1936. He passed away in 2020. His book American Contempt for Liberty is highly recommended. — Today we present an article that was too short to qualify as an entry for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends …

On March 30, 240 BC, Halley’s Comet made its first recorded perihelion passage. (Photo courtesy of NASA, from the 1987 comet passage, photographed from Easter Island.) — March 30, 1856: The Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, Great Britain, France, and the Kingdom of Sardinia signed the Treaty of Paris. This ended the Crimean War. — Today’s feature article is by our Field Gear Editor, Tom Christianson.

On March 29, 845, a 5,000-strong army of Danish Vikings invaded Frankish lands and only retreated after besieging Paris and securing a ransom from the Frankish King Charles the Bald. This was part of a series of devastating raids begun by the Vikings that began in the 790s. The Vikings were led by a man named “Reginherus” or Ragnar, sometimes linked to the legendary saga figure Ragnar Lodbrok. The Vikings easily overcame defences set in place by Charlemagne and are known to have attacked the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés just outside the city. The Vikings returned home with a ransom of …

On March 28, 1535, the Cistercian Bloemkamp Abbey (Oldeklooster) in Friesland was attacked and destroyed by a group of millenarian revolutionary Anabaptists. — March 28, 1774: Britain passed the Coercive Act against Massachusetts. — Today’s feature article is a guest piece written by our friend and fellow blogger, Patrice Lewis, the Editrix of the highly-recommended Rural Revolution blog. — We are now seeking entries for Round 124 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest.  More than $981,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest.  Round 123 ends on March 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us …

On March 27, 196 BC, the Rosetta Stone and others like it were ordered to be inscribed with the Decree of Memphis proclaiming the rule of the King of Ptolemaic Egypt, Ptolemy V. — March 27, 1513: Spaniard Juan Ponce de León and his expedition first sighted the coast of Florida. — And on March 27, 1855 Canadian geologist Abraham Gesner patented kerosene. — Today’s feature post is a re-post from the SurvivalBlog archives. — Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest ends in just a few days. Get your entries in soon! More than $981,000 worth of prizes …

On March 26, 1636, the University of Utrecht had its opening ceremony. Pictured is the university’s Academiegebouw Rectory. — March 26, 1790: The US Congress passed the Naturalization Act, requiring two-year residency. — March 26th, 1812: An earthquake now estimated at 7.7 on the Richter scale destroyed 90% of Caracas, Venezuela, and killed an estimated 15,000–20,000 people. — Today’s feature article is an essay by SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, James Wesley, Rawles (JWR). — There are just a few days left to get your Writing Contest article in for the current round of judging.  

On March 25, 1306, Robert the Bruce was crowned Robert I, King of Scots, soon after he had killed his rival John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch. — March 25, 1863: The first US Army Medals of Honor were awarded to six Union Army soldiers by US Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in Washington. National Medal of Honor Day is now officially observed on March 25th of each year. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. …

March 24th is the birthday of Dr. Art Robinson, who was born in 1942. He has done yeoman service to both the preparedness and the homeschooling communities.  He was the creator of the very inexpensive Robinson Self-Teaching Curriculum. — On March 24, 1964 the Kennedy half-dollar was first issued. Aside for a few that were specially made for Proof Sets it was only the 1964-dated Kennedy halves that were 90% silver. Starting in 1965, the composition of circulating Kennedy halves was reduced to 40% silver. And in 1970, they were fully debased to mere clad copper tokens. — Today’s feature …

On March 23, 1856, 18-year-old English chemist William Perkin accidentally produced the first synthetic aniline dye ‘mauveine’ (aka Perkin’s mauve and Aniline purple) during his Easter holiday. — March 23, 1903: The Wright brothers first filed a patent for a flying machine, which was granted three years later. — March 23rd is also the birthday of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. He directed 30 films. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three-Day Course Certificate. This can be used …

  On March 22, 1941 the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington went into operation. — Benjamin Tyler Henry (March 22, 1821–December 29, 1898) was an American gunsmith and manufacturer. On October 16, 1860, he received a patent on the Henry .44 caliber repeating rifle. The first rimfire Henry rifles were not produced for Union Army use until mid-1862. — This is the birthday of Louis L’Amour. (Born 1908, died 1988.) Some of his novels have survival themes. One of particular interest to survivalists is Last of the Breed. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 123 …

March 21, 717: The Battle of Vincy. This was a pivotal engagement in the Frankish civil wars of 715–718. The battle was fought near Cambrai (modern Les Rues-des-Vignes) between Austrasian forces led by Charles Martel, mayor of the palace, and the Neustrian army under King Chilperic II and Mayor Ragenfrid. Martel’s forces routed the Neustrians, pursuing the defeated king and his ally to Paris, which crippled Neustrian opposition and enabled Austrasia to reassert dominance over the divided Frankish realms. This victory underscored the declining authority of Merovingian kings amid rising mayoral power, paving the way for Martel’s consolidation of northern Francia …

On March 20, 1800, Italian chemist and physicist Alessandro Volta reported his invention of the electric battery in a letter to Joseph Banks, president of the Royal Society of London. — March 20th is also the birthday of Mel Tappan. (Born 1933, died 1980.) His perennially popular survivalist books Survival Guns and Tappan on Survival have a well-deserved following. I designated March 20th National Survivalism Day, in his honor. It is also apropos that National Survivalism Day falls in March–one of the months that both Northern Europeans and Native Americans refer to as The Starving Season–when stored food runs low, …