Category: Note

On May 16, 1920, French heroine Joan of Arc was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XV. — On May 16, 1997, Zaire’s president, Mobutu Sese Seko, ended 32 years of dictatorial rule, giving control of the country to rebel forces. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 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 $2,000. A Gunsite Academy Three Day …

On May 15, 1889, the Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in Paris opened with the recently completed Eiffel Tower serving as the entrance arch. The elevators in the tower were not yet ready, so intrepid visitors needed to climb 1,710 stairs to get to the top. — On May 15, 1672, the first copyright law was enacted by Massachusetts. — I have all of my knife and bayonet inventory on sale, at Elk Creek Company. This sale ends on Friday,  May 17th, so order soon. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction …

On May 14, 1853, Gail Borden, a land surveyor, newspaper publisher, and inventor, patented his process for condensed milk. May 14th, 1686 was the birthday of Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, who invented the thermometer. On May 14th, 1948, in Tel Aviv, Jewish Agency Chairman David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel, reestablishing the Jewish state after 2000 years. — I noticed that my daughter-in-law’s Pilgrim & Patriot line of T-shirts has been expanded. Take a look at her clever designs. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for …

On May 13, 1787, the First Fleet headed by Arthur Phillip set sail with 11 ships of convicts for Botany Bay, Australia. — A recent Jonathan Rawles interview with NC Scout has been released. They discussed relocation, real estate prices and affordability, how internal migration is driving a cultural change in rural areas, and how to get established and connected, post-relocation. — An Update: The fundraising drive for the Baan SuFan orphanage and school in northern Thailand is now almost 50% complete. Thanks to everyone who has donated! The remainder is $2,900 — to fill their current renovation and expansion …

On May 12, 1789, William Wilberforce made his first major speech on abolition in the UK House of Commons, reasoning the slave trade morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice. Following a conversion experience and becoming an evangelical Christian Wilberforce became one of the leading English abolitionists. Wilberforce headed the parliamentary campaign against the British slave trade for 26 years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. — On May 12, 1921 a solar storm began, dubbed The Great Geomagnetic Storm of May 1921. These were some of the headlines: “Telegraph Service Prostrated, Comet Not to …

On May 11, 1910, Montana’s Glacier National Park was established. On May 11, 1068, Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, was crowned Queen of England in Westminster Abbey, London. And on May 11, 1949, Israel was admitted into the United Nations. — I just put all of my knife and bayonet inventory on sale, at Elk Creek Company. This sale ends on Friday,  May 17th, so order soon! — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 112 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists …

On May 19, 1960, the US atomic submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586) completed the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe, code-named Operation Sandblast, following the same track as the first circumnavigation led by Ferdinand Magellan. Triton was then under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach. On May 10, 1972, Top Gun Graduate Randall “Duke” Cunningham and his backseater Wally “Irish” Driscoll shot down three MiGs in a dogfight and became the first Ace of the Vietnam War. He later commanded the Top Gun school when they came to make the first movie. His Vice Commander was John McCain. May 10th …

On May 9, 1754, the first cartoon was published in America depicting a divided snake with the motto: “Join or Die”. It was published by Benjamin Franklin, the publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette. — On May 9th, 1945, Herman Goering– commander in chief of the Luftwaffe, president of the Reichstag, head of the Gestapo, prime minister of Prussia, and Hitler’s designated successor– was taken prisoner by the U.S. Seventh Army in Bavaria. Goering, who was addicted to painkillers due to a wound, was instrumental in creating concentration camps for political enemies. It was Goering who ordered the purging of German …

On May 8, 1792, Congress passed the second portion of the Militia Act, requiring that every free able-bodied white male citizen of the respective States, resident therein, who is or shall be of age eighteen years, and under the age of forty-five years be enrolled in the militia. Six days before, Congress had established the president’s right to call out the militia. The outbreak of Shay’s Rebellion (pictured above) — a protest against taxation and debt prosecution in western Massachusetts in 1786-87, had first convinced many Americans that the federal government should be given the power to put down rebellions …

On May 7th, 1997 1997 the science fiction film “The Fifth Element” written and directed by Luc Besson, starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich was released. At that time it was the most expensive European film ever made. On May 7, 2020, during the COVID pandemic, US unemployment claims hit 33.3 million or 20% of the workforce, versus 3.5% unemployment two months earlier, which had been a 50-year low. On May 7, 1915, RMS Lusitania was sunk by German submarine off the southern coast of Ireland; 1,198 lives lost. On May 7, 1792 Captain Robert Gray was the first European …

This is the birthday of Maximilien Robespierre, born May 6, 1758. After rising to prominence in the radical Jacobin Club, he dominated the French Republic during the Reign of Terror, overseeing the executions of counter-revolutionary suspects. He was overthrown and executed on July 28, 1794. — On May 6, 1954, English athlete Roger Bannister became the first man to run a sub-4 minute mile, recording 3:59:4 at Iffley Road Track, Oxford. — Today’s feature article is a review written by  SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson. — I had been holding a reserve of 15 of the waterproof 2005-2023 SurvivalBlog …

On May 5, 1893, The Panic of 1893 caused a large crash on the New York Stock Exchange. May 5th is the birthday of Adrian Carton de Wiart, known as Britain’s “Unstoppable Soldier.” This eccentric Belgian-born soldier served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War; was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; survived two plane crashes; tunneled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and bit off his own fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. This is also the birthday of Pat Frank (1908-1964). This was the pen name of newspaper …

May 4th is now informally known as “Star Wars Day”, because of a silly play on words: “May The Fourth Be With You.” May 4th 1943 – A patent for helicopter controls was obtained by Igor Sikorsky. Sikorsky invented fixed-winged and multi-engined aircraft, transoceanic flying boats, and most famously, helicopters. On May 4, 1415, Christian reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus were condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance. The death of Hus inspired the later Hussite revolution in Bohemia. — Today we present a guest article on the silver markets by Hubert Moolman, selected by JWR. — We …

On May 3, 2016, a wildfire forced the evacuation of Fort McMurray, Alberta—the capital of Canada’s tar sand industry—and the surrounding area; ultimately, more than 80,000 people fled the blaze, which caused billions of dollars in losses. — May 3rd, 1952 was the birthday of Pastor Chuck Baldwin. He has done yeoman service in promoting the American Redoubt movement. — With gardening and home canning season approaching, I’d like to remind readers about Harvest Guard. They make reusable regular and wide-mouth canning lids. Every serious preparedness-minded family that does home canning should buy several sets of their lids! Take note …

On May 2, 1780, William Herschel discovered the first binary star, Xi Ursae Majoris. — On May 2nd, 1803, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from France at a cost of four cents per acre for 828,000 square miles (2,144,520 square km), which soon proved to be a tremendous bargain. — On May 2, 1945, the Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin and the Allies announced the surrender of Nazi troops in Italy and parts of Austria. — On May 2nd, 2000, U.S. President Bill Clinton announced that high-accuarcy GPS would be made available to the public; the …