Category: Note

On September 7, 1876, the Younger Brothers, a group of American outlaws who were often allied with Jesse James, were captured following an unsuccessful bank robbery. Today is the birthday of novelist Taylor Caldwell (born 1900 – August 30, 1985). Today is the birthday of Dr. Ludwig Vorgrimler (born 1912 in Freiburg, Germany; died 1983). Vorgrimler was the designer of the Spanish CETME rifle, from which sprang a plethora of roller-lock descendants from HK, including the G3, HK21, and MP5. His bolt design was also copied by the Swiss for their excellent PE57 and SIG 510 rifles. (Although the Swiss …

On September 6th 1901,  Republican William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States (1897–1901), was shot by Leon Czolgosz, an anarchist, at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, and died eight days later. — September 6th, 1757 is the birthday of Marquis de Lafayette (often known simply as Lafayette), a French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. (Sept. 6, 1757 – May 20, 1834) came to America at age 19 and served meritoriously in the American Revolution at his own expense. He was also instrumental in convincing the French king and his ministers …

On September 5th, 1836, Sam Houston was elected president of the Republic of Texas. — Ready Made Resources is running a Labor Day Sale on a L3 Commercial Grade with PVS-14 Night Vision Monocular/Weapon sight package with a 10-Year Warranty for $4,299.  In this package, you will get: One L3 Unfilmed White Phosphor Commercial Grade (Unit and Spec Sheet Only), One Wilcox G24 Lite with Dovetail J-Arm, One Bump Helmet, and On Pelican case. You’ll save $310 by buying this package.  Take note that USSOCOM and JSOC have chosen white phosphor tubes as their new standard and are now taking …

On September 4th, 2006 Australian wildlife conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin, who achieved worldwide fame as the exuberant and risk-taking host of The Crocodile Hunter (1992–2006) television series and related documentaries, was killed by a venomous bull stingray. — I noticed several new listings of interest, over at SurvivalRealty.com.  For example: Epic Remote Off-grid Mountain Property — $185,000, Seligman, Arizona 73 Acre Off-Grid Homestead In Santa, Idaho — $1,777,000 — Santa, Idaho Fully off-grid! Easy access! Perfect for self-sufficiency! — $395,000 — Concho, Arizona 30 Acres of Serene Farm and Wooded Hunting Land — $149,999 — Brazil, Indiana Creekside …

On September 3rd, 1609, English navigator Henry Hudson, in a quest for a passage to India on behalf of the Dutch East India Company, sailed into the harbor of present-day New York City and up the river that now bears his name. — I just heard that singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffet passed away, at age 76. He was a great musician and a true American “Character”, in the good sense of the word. Our condolences to his family. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round …

On September 2nd, 1666, the Great Fire of London began accidentally in the house of the king’s baker; it burned for four days and destroyed a large part of the city, including Old St. Paul’s Cathedral and about 13,000 houses. — On September 2nd, 1945, World War II came to an end as Japanese Foreign Minister Shigemitsu Mamoru and General Umezu Yoshijiro signed Japan’s formal surrender aboard the USS Missouri. — Today’s feature article was too short to qualify as an entry for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $840,000 worth of prizes have been awarded …

Well, here it is folks: Yesterday (August 31, 2023), the Biden Regime announced that it is attempting to redefine “engaged in the business” of selling firearms, radically amplifying and expanding the wording of the Gun Control Act of 1968.  This proposed rulemaking is a clear violation of the Second Amendment, the 4th Amendment, the 10th Amendment, the Interstate Commerce Clause, the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision, and the Separation of Powers clauses (Article I.S1.3.1) of the Constitution. (Only Congress can create new laws.) The 90-day comment period is now open. Because the Bidenistas are likely to ignore the public’s objections …

An earthquake near Charleston, South Carolina, on August 31, 1886 left more than 100 people dead and hundreds of buildings destroyed. This was the largest recorded earthquake in the history of the southeastern United States. — On August 31, 1980, representatives of the communist government of Poland agreed to the demands of striking shipyard workers in the city of Gdansk. Former electrician Lech Walesa led the striking workers, who went on to form Solidarity, the first independent labor union to develop in a Soviet bloc nation. — On August 31, 1994, Russian troops left Estonia, three years after Estonia declared …

Novelist Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born August 30, 1797. She was best known as the author of  Frankenstein. Here is the opening of Britannica’s biographical  note: “The only daughter of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, she met the young poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1812 and eloped with him to France in July 1814. The couple were married in 1816, after Shelley’s first wife had committed suicide. After her husband’s death in 1822, she returned to England and devoted herself to publicizing Shelley’s writings and to educating their only surviving child, Percy Florence Shelley.” August 30th is also the birthday …

On August 29, 2005. Hurricane Katrina made its 2nd and 3rd landfall as a category 3 hurricane, devastating much of the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida Panhandle. The storm killed more than 1,836 people and caused over $115 billion in damage. — On August 29, 1949, the USSR performed its first nuclear test at Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 108 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. …

On August 28, 1793, the Siege of Toulon in the French Revolutionary wars began. — A reminder: Jonathan Rawles, who operates SurvivalRealty.com, has produced a free mini e-book intended for people contemplating a move to a rural area. This short e-book is available as a free PDF download.  Take note that SurvivalRealty is just an advertising site, not an agency or brokerage.  There are no commissions charged on the completion of property sales. — Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.    

On August 27, 2011, after causing extensive damage to various Caribbean islands, Hurricane Irene made landfall in the United States, striking North Carolina’s Outer Banks before moving along the Eastern Seaboard; property damage in the United States exceeded $7 billion, making Irene one of the most expensive Atlantic hurricanes in the country’s history. August 27th was the birthday of Emory Upton (August 27, 1839 – March 15, 1881). He was a United States Army General and military strategist, prominent for his role in leading infantry to attack entrenched positions successfully at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House during the American …

August 26, 1946 was the official release date of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.” — Today we present the fifth and last installment of SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Emeritus Pat Cascio’s autobiography. — We are in great need of entries for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $840,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. We recently polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 108 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. …

August 25th is a birthday shared by novelist Frederick Forsyth (born 1938 – pictured), humorist Bret Harte (born 1836), and the late American humorist Patrick F. McManus (born 1933). Forsyth was the author of The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, and many others. Pat McManus was born and raised in Sandpoint, Idaho, so his books could be classified as American Redoubt humor. — I just heard that Ready Made Resources is running a sale on U.S.-made Photonis Echo AN/PVS-14 monoculars (Normally $3,350) for $2,999 each.  These are the …

On August 24, 79, Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupted, destroying the ancient cities of Pompeii (pictured) and Herculaneum. The excavations of these sites in the mid-18th century precipitated the modern science of archaeology. — On August 24th, 410, Rome was overrun by the Visigoths in an event that symbolized the fall of the Western Roman Empire. This is a moment in history that we would do well to remember. An empire that ruled the known world was corrupted from the inside to the point that they could not defend themselves from a much weaker enemy. — My #1 Son, Jonathan …