Category: Note

On June 11, 1742, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria (pictured) decided to make peace with Prussian King Frederick II, ceding almost all of Silesia to him in the Treaty of Breslau, which marked the end of the First Silesian War. — John Wayne, the iconic American film actor, died on June 11th, 1979. While John Wayne is probably best known for his westerns like True Grit, The Shootist, and Fort Apache, we remember him best for his roles in The Alamo and The Green Berets, both of which reflected his patriotic, conservative leanings. — Today’s feature article is a guest …

On June 10, 1940, Italy, under the rule of Benito Mussolini, declared war against France and Great Britain, entering World War II. The Munich Pact had been signed just two years before, in September 1938. — On June 10, 1967, the Six-Day War ended as Israel and Syria agreed to observe a United Nations-mediated cease-fire. —  

Today is the birthday of Jean Alexandre Francois LeMat (1824–1883), is best known for the percussion cap revolver that bears his name. This clever design has a percussion cylinder that rotates around a central 20-gauge shotgun barrel. On June 9, 1940 Norway surrendered to the invading German army, during World War II. The citizenry was then quickly disarmed by the Nazis, so resistance was limited. (The invaders had access to the Norwegian police gun registration lists.) To limit reprisals by the Germans, King Hakkon the 7th also ordered that only Norwegian troops operating from offshore should overtly resist the Nazis. …

On June 8th, 1955, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, who was generally credited as the inventor of the World Wide Web, was born. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 107 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 …

On June 7th, 1576, English navigator Martin Frobisher, seeking a Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean, departed England, and weeks later he reached Labrador and Baffin Island and discovered the bay that now bears his name. On June 7th, 1776, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence. — I heard from my #1 Son that they’ve just added a number of new listings across the central US at SurvivalRealty.  A couple of new listings of note: Missouri: Multi-family rural getaway. Texas: Versatile Off-Grid Homestead in San Marcos — SurvivalBlog …

The 6th of June is remembered for both D-Day and for the birth of Dieudonné Joseph Saive (born 1899.) He was the designer of many well-known firearms including the Browning Hi-Power, the FN49 and co-designer (along with Ernest Vervier) of the very popular FN-FAL, which was issued to the militaries of more than 90 countries. Also on this day in 1949, George Orwell’s novel of a dystopian future, Nineteen Eighty-Four was published. The novel’s all-seeing leader, known as “Big Brother,” became a universal symbol for intrusive government, an oppressive bureaucracy, and a surveillance state. And today is the birthday of …

On June 5, 1851, Harriet Beecher Stowe published the first installment of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in The National Era. She was the sister of firebrand abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher. — Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

June 4, 2004, is the anniversary of the Granby, Colorado armored bulldozer incident, where Marvin Heemeyer knocked down several buildings in town. The 2020 documentary titled Tread details what happened that day, and the events leading to the rampage. Though often called the “Killdozer” incident, the only one who died that day was Marvin Heemeyer, from a self-inflicted gunshot. And speaking of treads, today is also the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, in 1989. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First …

On this day in 1864, the second Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia resulted in the loss of about 7,000 Union Army soldiers under General Ulysses S. Grant, began. It was considered one of the worst Northern defeats of the American Civil War. On June 3rd, 1539, Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto claimed Florida for Spain. June 3rd can also be considered the “birthday” of the U.S. Army. (It was established by Congress on June 3rd, 1784.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 107 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: …

John Randolph was born June 2, 1773, in Prince George County, Virginia. He died May 24, 1833. Randolph was an important proponent of the doctrine of states’ rights in opposition to a strong centralized government. According to Britannica.com: “A descendant of notable colonial families of Virginia as well as of the Indian princess Pocahontas, Randolph distinguished himself from a distant relative by assuming the title John Randolph of Roanoke, where he established his home in 1810. In 1799 Randolph was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and he served in that legislative body almost continuously until 1829. His political …

On June 1st, 1907, English aviation engineer and pilot Frank Whittle was born.  He was the inventor of the turbojet engine. — Ready Made Resources is running a special on Elbit PVS-14 Gen 3 autogated white phosphor night vision monocular/weapon sights. They are giving a free upgrade from 1,900 Figure of Merit (FOM) to a hand-selected 2,200 FOM. (That is a $250 value.)  This special offer ends next Monday (June 5th, 2023.)  Please mention SurvivalBlog when you order, to get the 2,200 FOM upgrade. I should mention that Ready Made Resources has been a loyal SurvivalBlg advertiser since the early …

Actor/director/producer Clint Eastwood was born May 31, 1930. — On May 31, 1921, the Tulsa Race Riot destroyed a 35-square block section of the city nicknamed “Black Wall Street.” At least 75 people were killed — mostly black. Some were shot and some died in structure fires. The initial shootout took the lives of 10 whites and two blacks. The riots that followed were more lopsided in the other direction. There were even firebombings and shootings from the cockpits of private planes. The incident left a stain on the history of Tulsa, largely because some Tulsa police officers were complicit …

On May 30, 1911, the first Indianapolis 500 automobile race was run in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was won by Ray Harroun in about 6 hours 42 minutes. — Today’s feature article is by SurvivalBlog’s founder and Senior Editor, James Wesley, Rawles (JWR). But first, a job announcement.

Today, Memorial Day, is a day of solemn remembrance in the U.S. of the many who have given their all for our freedoms. We always thank those who are serving in our military and their families who have also made sacrifices, but today most of all we want to honor those who gave their lives. — Today’s feature article is a review authored by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Thomas Christianson.

On May 28, 1804 Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed the establishment of the French Empire. — Today is the birthday of the late Major General Victor Joseph Hugo, Jr. (28 May 1931 – 11 May 2020.) — Our feature article for today was selected by JWR. It was written by our friend Hubert Moolman, of South Africa.