Category: Note

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 …

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. — …