Category: Note

On January 21, 1525, the Swiss Anabaptist Movement began when Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, George Blaurock, and a dozen others baptize each other in the home of Manz’s mother in Zürich, breaking a thousand-year tradition of church-state union.  This movement led to great consternation in the Catholic church, persecution, and the eventual dislocation of many Anabaptist dissidents, including the followers of Jakob Ammann  — the “Amish.” — Also on this day in 1968, the siege of Khe Sanh began, as NVA regulars surrounded the USMC hilltop airfield near the Laotian border. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry …

Thirty years ago today, January 20th, 1993, was the day that I resigned my commission as a U.S. Army Reserve Captain. Not coincidentally, that was also the day that Bill Clinton was first sworn in as President. I resigned because I detested the idea of having Clinton as my Commander in Chief. With ten years in service, my contractual obligation had expired. And, because I was living in a remote area in north-central Idaho, I was no longer drilling with a USAR troop program unit. The nearest Intelligence Corps Army Reserve or National Guard units were 360 miles away, near …

Today is the birthday of the late Carla Emery (born 1939, died October 11, 2005). She is well known in self-sufficiency circles as the author of The Encyclopedia of Country Living. This book was re-released in a 40th Anniversary edition.  JWR considers it a “must” for the bookshelf of every well-prepared family. — Some great news!  The new 2005-2022 SurvivalBlog Archive sticks are now available for pre-ordering.  This year there were so many bonus books that the contents simply couldn’t fit on a 16-gigabyte stick.  So this year it is on a 32 GB stick, which also allows plenty of …

On January 18, 1788, the first English settlers arrived in Australia’s Botany Bay to establish a penal colony. The group moved north eight days later and settled at Port Jackson. January 18, 1813 was the birthday of Joseph Glidden, who invented barbed wire. Actor Kevin Costner was born on this day in 1955. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 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 …

Acting for Hawaiian sugar interests and their American allies, a committee led by Sanford Ballard Dole deposed Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani on January 17, 1893 and installed a provisional government with Dole as president. — This is the anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens in 1781. This small battle was the turning point of the American Revolution in the South. In it, the best battlefield tactician America produced, the backwoodsman Daniel Morgan, decisively and utterly defeated the most arrogant, bloody and successful field grade officer in the British Army, Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton. The battle set in motion the chain of …

On January 16, 1991, the Persian Gulf War, triggered by Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait in August 1990, began with a U.S.-led air offensive against Iraq that continued until a cease-fire was declared on February 28th. The Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16th, 2003. STS-107 would explode on re-entry 15 days later, killing all seven of the crew members on board. SurvivalBlog salutes all seven crewmembers: Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Mission Specialist David Brown, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon. — Today’s …

Today is the anniversary of the 2009 “Miracle On The Hudson” engines-out emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549.  That pilot was cool, calm, and collected, under pressure.  God Bless You, Sully, wherever you are. — Today is also the birthday of Dr. Edward Teller, who worked on the Manhattan Project, and later co-invented the hydrogen bomb — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 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 January 14th, 1526, the Treaty of Madrid was signed by the Habsburg emperor Charles V (Charles I of Spain — pictured, in a portrait painted by Titian) and his prisoner Francis I, king of France, who had been captured during the Battle of Pavia in February 1525.  King Francis was held prisoner until the conclusion of the treaty, when he was allowed to return to France. This treaty came from what some might describe as “an advantageous negotiating position.” — They of course waited until Friday the 13th — just before a three-day holiday weekend and the annual SHOT …

On January 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia, a cruise ship carrying some 4,200 people, ran aground and capsized off Giglio Island, Italy; 32 passengers were killed. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 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 …

On January 12, 1528 – Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family was crowned king of Sweden (Gustav I.) On January 12, 1737,  John Hancock was born. He was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. January 12, 1879: The British-Zulu War begins. British troops, under Lieutenant General Frederic Augustus, invade Zululand from the southern African Republic of Natal. January 12,1908: A wireless message is sent long-distance for the first time from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this …

Today is the birthday of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne. (11 January 1915 – 14 December 1955.) He was a British Army officer from Newtownards, lawyer, amateur boxer, and a founding member of the Special Air Service (SAS). He was awarded the DSO and Three Bars. Many of his contemporaries and historians believe that he should have been awarded the Victoria Cross. This is the birthday of big game hunter and writer Peter Hathaway Capstick. January 11th is also the birthday of Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804.) And today is the natal day of the late Gunnar Fridtjof Thurmann Sønsteby, who …

On January 10th, 1929, the first Adventures of Tintin comic book was published. Hergé’s books became hugely popular in Europe and around the world. — January 10th, 1776 is the day that North Carolina Governor Josiah Martin issued a proclamation calling on the king’s loyal subjects to raise an armed force to combat the “rebels”. This ultimately led to Colonel Donald McLeod leading the men on an assault on the Patriots that ended with fifty of his men dead and 880 captured. The Patriots lost only two of their number. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for …

January 9, 1943 was the birthday of gunsmith Paris Theodore, developer of the ASP modifications to the S&W M39 pistol. January 9, 1890 was the birthday of Karel Capek, a Czech writer who wrote the science fiction play R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti, or in English: Rossum’s Universal Robots). He coined the word “robot”. On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. — I just heard that SurvivalRealty.com has a new property listing in Costa Rica. I see that it has some very interesting features and substantial …

January 8th, 1931 was the birthday of the late Algis Budrys (he died on June 9th, 2008). He was the Lithuanian-American science fiction author who wrote the classic survivalist novel Some Will Not Die. — Today’s feature article is a guest post by a Rawles family member. — We are still seeking entries for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $775,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. Round 104 ends on January 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and …

On January 7, 1785 a manned balloon crossed the English Channel for the first time. French inventor Jean-Pierre Blanchard took about 2.5 hours to fly from Dover to Guînes, France. Blanchard was a pioneer in hydrogen balloon design. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 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 …