Category: Note

On August 23rd, 1305, in London, William Wallace (pictured) was executed for treason, condemned for leading Scottish resistance forces during the first years of the long and ultimately successful struggle to free Scotland from English rule. — August 23rd is the anniversary of the declaration of the independent state of “Franklin” in Eastern Tennessee by the settlers there in 1784. Unfortunately, the Continental Congress rejected it, so the state of Franklin never became a reality. — On this day in 1833, Britain abolished slavery in its colonies and 700,000 slaves were freed.    

Today is the anniversary of the founding of the London Armoury Company, in 1851. It was founded by Robert Adams (1810–1870). He patented the first successful double-action revolver in 1851. His revolvers were used during the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, the U.S. Civil War, and the Anglo-Zulu War. — August 22nd, 1992 was the second day of the Incident at Ruby Ridge. FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi wounded Randy Weaver and Kevin Harris, and murdered Weaver’s wife, Vicki. It should be noted that in 1994, after being acquitted by a federal court, Weaver filed a federal civil rights case against …

In 1986, Lake Nyos in Cameroon erupted with an estimated billion cubic yards of carbon dioxide gas. The gas had apparently been accumulating in the crater lake, held down by the weight of the water. When it finally erupted, the gas cloud smothered and killed every living animal, including insects, in its path until it dissipated. Outsiders learned of the disaster when they approached the villages and found animal and human bodies on the ground. The best estimate is that 1,700 people and thousands of cattle died. — Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — …

August 20, 1935 was the birthday of former Congressman Ron Paul. He retired from the House in 2013. Dr. Paul is to be commended for fighting the good fight for many years. — August 20th, 1866 is the day that president Andrew Johnson formally declared the Civil War over. — Today’s feature article is a review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — We are seeking 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 …

On August 19, 1960, American pilot Francis Gary Powers was sentenced to 10 years’ confinement by the Soviet Union for espionage following the U-2 Affair, but in 1962 he was later released in exchange for the Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. — August 19th is also the birthday of Philo Taylor Farnsworth (1906-1971). Farnsworth was an American inventor who is best known for his image pickup device that formed the basis for the fully functional and complete all-electronic television system. Among his many other inventions was the Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor, a small nuclear fusion device that remains a viable source of neutrons. …

On August 18, 1896, at least according to lore, more than 200 outlaws from regional gangs gathered at Brown’s Hole (near the intersection of the borders of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah), where Butch Cassidy (aka Robert Leroy Parker, pictured) proposed to organize a Train Robbers’ Syndicate, which became familiarly known as the Wild Bunch. August 18th is also the birthday of Meriwether Lewis, an American explorer, soldier, politician and public administrator that is best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 108 of …

On August 17th, 1999, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck near İzmit, Turkey, killing more than 17,000 people and leaving some 500,000 homeless. — 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. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or three-day course (a $1,095 value), Two cases of …

August 16, 1888 was the birthday of British archaeological scholar and military strategist T.E. Lawrence—who was best known for his legendary activities in the Middle East during World War I, which earned him the nickname “Lawrence of Arabia”. — On August 16th, 1841, President John Tyler vetoed a second attempt by Congress to re-establish the Bank of the United States. In response, angry supporters of the bank gathered outside the White House and burned an effigy of Tyler. — Ready Made Resources — one of our original advertisers and the first writing contest prize donor — has added an interesting …

On August 15, 1935, American entertainer Will Rogers and aviation pioneer Wiley Post were killed in a plane crash near Point Barrow, Alaska. On August 15, 1057, Macbeth, king of Scots, was killed in battle by Malcolm, eldest son of Duncan I. — For 2023 the Paratus holiday for preparedness-minded folks will fall on September 15th. — Today’s guest feature article was selected by JWR. It first appeared in the Advancing Time blog.  It is reposted with permission. — We are in need of entries for Round 108 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $840,000 worth of prizes …

On August 14, 1457, the first book printed in Europe with a colophon bearing the name of the printer was completed in Mainz, Germany. These eventually developed into what is now commonly called a copyright page. Today is also the birthday of British folk-rock singer Maddy Prior.  (She was born August 14th, 1947.) — Our feature article today was written by a SurvivalBlog staff member, Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

Today is the birthday of screenwriter, director, and producer, Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980.) His many films spanned five decades. This is also the birthday of sharpshooter, entertainer, and folk heroine Annie Oakley (1860–1926.) — Today’s feature article is a guest piece by Brandon Smith, the editor of Alt-Market.us. It is reposted with permission. JWR highly recommends Brandon Smith’s writings. — We are in 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 …

On August 12, 1908, Henry Ford’s company built the first Model T car. On August 12, 1867, US President Andrew Johnson defies Congress suspending Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. — 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. Depending on the model chosen, this could be worth more than $2000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any of their one, two, or …

On August 11, 1857, N. H. Wolfe and Company, the oldest flour and grain company in New York City, failed. This failure shook investor confidence and began a slow selloff in the market which continued into late August. Several other failures followed, and this cascaded into what was later called the Panic of 1857. — 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. Depending on the model chosen, …

On August 10th, 1984, Red Dawn, the first PG-13 rated movie, starring Patrick Swayze was released. The movie (the 1984 original film, not the 2012 remake) is a favorite of both JWR and HJL. The movie embodies the independent, indomitable spirit that created this country. — A few new listings of interest, over at my #1 Son’s SurvivalRealty site: Remote airpark home near the Boise River, outside Mountain Home, Idaho. Log cabin on 19 acres near Heron, MT. Pond and private end of the road location. Two homes on 20 acres in northwest South Carolina. SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we …

August 9th, 1831 was the birthday of James Paris Lee (August 9, 1831 – February 24, 1904). He was a Scottish-Canadian and later American inventor and arms designer, best known for inventing the bolt action that led to the Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield series of rifles. — Federal Premium (one of our affiliate advertisers), is running some great discounts on their ammunition — rifle, pistol, and shotgun. Federal offers free shipping on orders over $149.  These specials are running just for the month of August, so order soon! Also, note that Federal Premium has made available a free Ballistic app. With …