Category: Note

On December 28, 1537 French king Francis I issued a decree to booksellers and printers requiring them to deposit a copy of each of their works in the King’s Library. This was the world’s first legal depository requirement. — December 28,1944: Dutch Resistance fighter Corrie ten Boom was accidentally released from the Ravensbrück concentration camp. She lived on another 39 years to speak and write of her experiences in The Hiding Place.  She died in 1983 at age 91, in Placentia, California. — Today we present a short guest article.  It is not part of the judging for Round 116 …

December 27, 1943: Following a naval gun battle with British ships, the German battleship Scharnhorst sank. It was sunk by the Royal Navy’s battleship HMS Duke of York with support of cruisers and destroyers, including an onslaught from the destroyer HNoMS Stord of the exiled Royal Norwegian Navy, off the North Cape, Norway. — On this day in 1949, four years after nationalist revolutionary leader Sukarno had declared Indonesia’s independence, formal sovereignty over the country was transferred from the Dutch to the United States of Indonesia. — And on December 27, 1978 Spain became a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship …

December 26, 1776: During the American War of Independence, after crossing the Delaware River, George Washington led US troops to defeat the Hessian mercenaries in the Battle of Trenton, New Jersey. — Twenty years ago today, on December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean region Tsunami took more than 250,000 lives. — December 26, 1947: Heavy snow blanketed the Northeast, burying New York City under 25.8″ of snow in 16 hours. That same day, Los Angeles set a record high of 84°F. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …

We send our best wishes to both our readers who celebrate Christmas and to those who celebrate Hanukkah and the Biblical feasts.  May God grant his blessings on our nation in the new year! — On December 25, 1066, William the Conqueror was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey, completing the Norman conquest of England. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 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 …

On December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, ending the War of 1812 between the United States, the United Kingdom, and their allies. — December 24, 1818: The Christmas carol Stille Nacht (“Silent Night”) composed by Franz Xaver Gruber was first sung at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria. — And on December 24, 1889, Daniel Stover & William Hance patented a bicycle with a back-pedal brake. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists …

December 23, 1788: Maryland voted to cede a 10 square mile area for the District of Columbia. — December 23, 1907: The first all-steel passenger railroad coach was completed by the Pullman Company, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. — Today’s featured article was written by SurvivalBlog staffer Tom Christianson. — We are seeking entries for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $935,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. …

December 22, 1790: The supposedly impenetrable Turkish fortress of Izmail was stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies during the Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792). — The December 22, 1989 Cold Wave: Recorded temperatures included: -6°F in Tulsa, Oklahoma; -12°F in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; -18°F in Denver, Colorado; -23°F in Kansas City, Missouri; -42°F in Scottsbluff, Nebraska; -47°F in Hardin, Montana; and -60°F in Black Hills, South Dakota. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest …

The Winter Solstice has finally arrived. Those of us who are gardeners can now look forward to longer days and a Spring planting date.  Patience, folks! — On December 21, 1784, John Jay became acting US Secretary of State. He served in that office from 1789 to 1790. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 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 …

December 20, 1192: On his way home from the Third Crusade, English King Richard the Lionheart (Richard Cœur de Lion) was captured near Vienna by troops of Leopold of Austria. He was released 1194. — On December 20th, 1606, the Virginia Company loaded three ships with settlers and set sail to establish Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 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 …

On December 19, 1732, Benjamin Franklin, under the pseudonym Richard Saunders, began publication of “Poor Richard’s Almanack”. He produced an annual issue for the next 25 years. — December 19, 1972: Apollo 17 — the last of Apollo manned Moon landing series — returned to Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, southeast of Samoa. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 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 …

On December 18, 216 BC, in the Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia. Hannibal’s Carthaginian army defeated Roman forces on Roman soil. — December 18, 1777: The first national Thanksgiving Day, commemorating British General Burgoyne’s surrender. — December 18th is the birthday of Charles Wesley (18 December 1707 – 29 March 1788). He wrote more than 1,700 hymns. — Today is also the birthday of Jørgen Haagen Schmith (born December 18, 1910, died October 15, 1944). He was better known under the codename “Citron” and was a famous Danish resistance fighter in occupied Denmark. His biographical sketch at Wikipedia …

On December 17th, 1718, France, Britain and Austria declared war on Spain. (War of the Quadruple Alliance 1718–1720.) — December 17th, 1905, was the birthday of Simo Häyhä, who was the world’s most successful sniper. Using an iron-sighted Mosin–Nagant in Finland’s Winter War, he had an astounding 505 confirmed sniper kills. He died April 1, 2002. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 116 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 …

On December 16, 1497, Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama became the first European to sail along Africa’s East Coast. He named it Natal. — The Romanian Revolution began on December 16th, 1989. No less than 1,066 civilians died in the successful attempt to overthrow the dictatorial President Nicolae Ceaușescu. — December 16th, 1928, was the birthday of Philip K. Dick, who died March 2, 1982. He penned a remarkable number of sci-fi novels and novellas that have been adapted into movies, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Screamers, Impostor, Minority Report, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Next, and The Adjustment Bureau. Though …

December 15, 1929: Swiss pilot and photographer Walter Mittelholzer was the first man to fly over Mount Kilimanjaro. — December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. The Bill of Rights became law on this day in 1791, following ratification by the state of Virginia. We encourage our American readers to gather publicly and read the Bill of Rights aloud. — December 15, 1923, was the birthday of Uziel “Uzi” Gal (born Gotthard Glas). According to Wikipedia, he was “…born in Weimar, Germany. When the Nazis came to power in 1933 he moved first to England and later, in 1936, to …

On December 14, 1542, Princess Mary Stuart succeeded her father James V to become Queen Mary I of Scotland, at just six days old. — December 14, 1702:  The famed forty-seven Ronin (leaderless samurai), under the command of Ōishi Kuranosuke, avenge the death of their master in Japan. — December 14th is the birthday of the late John Warren Wadleigh (born 1927, died September 24, 2013). Wadleigh was better known to many SurvivalBlog readers by his pen name– Oliver Lange. He was the author of the best-selling resistance warfare novel Vandenberg. — This is also the birthday of Air Force …