Category: Note

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 …

On January 6th 2021, protesting supporters of then-President Donald Trump entered the United States Capitol in Washington, DC. They were protesting the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election. At last report, several of the protestors were still being held without bail in the D.C. jail, two years after the event. This is an apparent violation of the U.S. Constitution’s “speedy trial” provision. — To celebrate 15 years in business, Seed for Security is running an exceptional sale. They are offering their Colossal Security Pack, at 25% off. This combination pack is a total of over 5 pounds …

On January 5th, 2005 The solar system’s largest known dwarf planet was discovered. The discovery of Eris ultimately led to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgrading Pluto, which has roughly the same size, to a dwarf planet. — 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 …

On January 4th, 1896 Utah became the 45th state of the Union. One condition for statehood was that a ban on polygamy had to be written into the state constitution. — 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, …

On January 3, 1924 the Pharaoh Tutankhamun mummy was located near Luxor, Egypt, where King Tut’s tomb was discovered two years prior. This stone sarcophagus, which inside contained a mummy of Pharaoh Tutankhamun of Egypt. — For those who have asked about ordering the 2005-2022 edition of the SurvivalBlog Archives USB stick: The new edition is being “built” now, and should be orderable by January 22nd, 2023. Please mark your calendar to look for the Archive USB stick ad that week. Shipments will begin in February. SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog …

On January 2, 1999, major snowstorm struck the Midwestern U.S., leaving 14 inches of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and 19 inches in Chicago, Illinois, where temperatures plunged to -13 °F (-25 °C); 68 deaths were reported. On this day in 1936, the first night vision electron tube was revealed in St. Louis, Missouri. And January 2nd, 1776 is also the anniversary of the first revolutionary flag to be displayed in the American English colonies. — Today’s feature article is a product review written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Thomas Christianson.

This is the birthday of Jacob Snider (January 1, 1811 – August 18, 1866.) He was an American mechanical engineer and inventor. He invented and patented a method of converting existing muzzle-loading rifles into breech-loading rifles, notably the Snider-Enfield. This is also the birthday of John Cantius Garand (January 1, 1888 – February 16, 1974.) He was born in St. Rémi, Quebec. John Garand designed one of America’s best-known battle rifles, the M1 Garand. — Today’s feature article was written by JWR.

On December 31, 1991, the Soviet Union legally ceased to exist. Russia and the other former USSR nations had declared themselves independent and founded the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on December 21, 1991. — December 31st is the birthday of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. — December 31st, 1851 was also the birthday of Frederick Selous. He died on January 4th, 1917. — 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 …

December 30, 1865 was the birthday of Rudyard Kipling. He lived part of his later life in Vermont. — 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 $1,095 value), Two cases of Mountain House freeze-dried …

Today is the birthday of actor Jude Law, born in 1972. Many moviegoers remember him from Enemy at The Gates and Sky Captain. — This is also the birthday of inventor Charles Goodyear (1800–1860.) — 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 …

December 28, 1793 is the day that Thomas Paine was arrested for treason in France. The charges against him were never fully detailed, but he was tried in absentia on December 26 and convicted. Best known as the author of Common Sense, he moved to Paris to be part of the French revolution. Initially welcomed, the tide soon turned against him, because he was opposed to the death penalty and the French revolutionaries were sending hundreds to the guillotine. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 104 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for …

On this day in 1979, the Soviet Union sent 75,000 troops to Afghanistan to enforce the installation of Babrak Karmal as the new leader of the nation. The new government and the imposing Soviet presence, however, had little success in putting down anti-government rebels. Thus began nearly 10 years of an agonizing, destructive, and ultimately fruitless Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan. Death by a thousand cuts. — 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  …

On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean region Tsunami took more than 250,000 lives. On December 26th, 1776, after crossing the Delaware River, Washington led his men against Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans, significantly boosting their flagging morale. — Today’s feature article is a review written by Field Gear Editor Thomas Christianson. — 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 …

To those who are celebrating the Advent of our Lord and Savior, the team at SurvivalBlog wishes you a peaceful and meaningful Christmas. And for those who choose to celebrate our Lord through the biblical feasts, stay safe out there. Our prayer is that each and every one of you enjoys the family gathering time and that you stay safe on the roads. — Today’s guest article is too short to be included in the judging for the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. We are still seeking entries for Round 104. If you have some spare time between Christmas and the …

December 24 is the anniversary of when John Joe Gray’s legal troubles began, in 2000. He and his family had been self-sufficiently holed up in their Texas ranch for nearly 15 years, in defiance of a warrant for his arrest, before the district attorney dropped the charges. This was the longest standoff in American history, in which he faced the administrations of four different county sheriffs. On December 24, 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke was flying over the Peruvian rainforest with her mother when her plane was hit by lightning. She miraculously survived a two-mile fall, still strapped in her seat. …