Category: Note

On December 11, 1994, Russian troops invaded Chechnya to suppress a rebel Chechen government led by Dzhokhar Dudayev. — SurvivalRealty.com is running a special promotion: The book Survival Retreats & Relocation (co-authored by Jonathan Rawles and James Wesley, Rawles is on sale for $29, with free shipping! (It is normally priced at $34.) Get your guide to establishing a secure and sustainable home in time for Christmas. — Today’s feature article was written by SurvivalBlog Field Gear Editor Tom Christianson.

On December 10th, 1768, the first part of the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, the oldest continuously published and revised work in the English language, was published and advertised for sale in Edinburgh. — On this day in history, December 10, 1869, Wyoming was the first territory to grant women the right to vote — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 110 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 …

On December 9, 1793, Noah Webster established New York’s first daily newspaper, the “American Minerva“. — On December 9, 1315, the Swiss Woudsteden renewed the Eternal Covenant. (The Oath Society) — On December 9, 1688 King James II‘s wife and son fled England for France, to help preserve the Stuart family. — December 9th, 1914 was the birthday of Maximo Guillermo “Max” Manus. He was one of the few Norwegians who had the testicular fortitude to put his life on the line, fighting the Nazi occupiers. (There surely would have been more active resistance fighters, but fearing widespread reprisal executions …

On December 8, 2010, the American aerospace venture SpaceX became the first commercial company to release a spacecraft—the Dragon capsule—into orbit and successfully return it to Earth. — On December 8, 1542, Mary, Queen of Scots was born, and six days later she became queen of Scotland. — We are now in need of entries for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $850,000 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 …

On December 7, 1972, American astronaut Eugene Andrew Cernan commanded the last crewed flight to the Moon, effectively ending the Apollo program. — On this day in 1941, Japanese bombers launched a surprise aerial attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, precipitating the entry of the United States into World War II. — On the very same day, Adolf Hitler issued his Night and Fog Decree, a secret order for the arrest and execution of “persons endangering German security.” — An important Reminder:  TODAY, December 7th, 2023 is the deadline for comments …

Today is the birthday of pilot Dominic Salvatore “Don” Gentile.  (December 6, 1920 – January 28, 1951).  He was a World War II RAF and USAAF pilot who achieved fame as he came close to surpassing Eddie Rickenbacker‘s World War I record of 26 downed aircraft. He later served in the post-war U.S. Air Force. His birthday was coincidentally on the same day as fellow fighter pilot George Frederick Beurling, who was born one year earlier: December 6, 1920. — Sad news!  By way of Steve Quayle’s site, I just heard of the passing of my dear friend, Bob Griswold.  …

December 5, 1890, Director Fritz Lang—whose films, dealing with fate and man’s inevitable working out of his destiny, are considered masterpieces of visual composition—was born in Vienna. He is best known for the 1927 film Metropolis. — On December 5, 1952, a lethal smog began blanketing London, causing thousands of deaths; the incident prompted passage of the Clean Air Act. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 110 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 …

On December 4, 1679, English philosopher and political theorist Thomas Hobbes, who was perhaps best known for his political philosophy, died at age 91. — December 4th is the birthday of Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, (born 1912) an AVG “Flying Tiger” volunteer pilot for the Chinese Nationalist government, WWII Marine Corps aviator, and Medal of Honor recipient. (He died January 11, 1988.) A proto-Redoubter, Pappy Boyington was born in Couer d’Alene, Idaho and was raised in Spokane, Washington. — A Reminder: Jonathan Rawles — my #1 Son who operates SurvivalRealty.com — has mentioned that they have recently revamped their Agent Directory, …

December 2, 1857 English writer Joseph Conrad, whose notable works included the novel Lord Jim (1900) and the novella Heart of Darkness (1902), was born. On December 3,1775, the first official US flag (the Grand Union Flag) was raised aboard naval vessel USS Alfred. On December 3, 1944, the Greek Civil War broke out in a newly-liberated Greece, between communists and royalists. On December 3,1967, Christiaan Barnard of South Africa performed the first human heart transplant, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. Today is also the birthday of actor Brendan Fraser (born, 1968.) He often plays “fish out of …

On December 2, 2001, following revelations of massive accounting fraud, Enron filed for bankruptcy protection; the energy-trading company was once the seventh largest corporation in the United States. — On December 2nd, 1823, what became known as the Monroe Doctrine was declared by President James Monroe to Congress outlining a foreign policy initiative that forbade European interference in the American hemisphere but also asserted U.S. neutrality in regard to future European conflicts. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic …

On December 1st, 1913, the world’s first moving assembly line debuted, used in manufacturing Model Ts at a Ford factory in Highland Park, Michigan; the innovation was the idea of owner Henry Ford, and it revolutionized the auto industry. — Today is the birthday of gun designer Charles Cashman Kelsey, Jr., of DEVEL firearms fame. He was born December 1,1935.  He was murdered in Texas under mysterious circumstances in April, 2003. — This is also the birthday of novelist Rex Stout (1886–1975). Rex Stout was the brother of Ruth Stout, the gardener who wrote about no-till, year-round mulching, organic gardening …

On November 30th, 1996, a block of gray sandstone known as the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland, 700 years after it had been taken to England as war booty by King Edward I. — Satirical novelist Jonathan Swift was born on November 30th, 1667. — And on November 30, 1782, Britain and the United States signed the preliminary articles of the Treaty of Paris as part of the Peace of Paris, a collection of treaties concluding the American Revolution. — A very practical new property listing over at SurvivalRealty: Off Grid, 20 Acres, Two Homes, Year Around Access, …

Today is the birthday of writer Clive Staples (“C.S.”) Lewis, who was born in 1898 and died 22 November 1963.  The news of his passing was surely overshadowed by the media attention to JFK’s death, the same day. — We are now seeking entries for Round 110 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $850,000 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 110 ends on January 31st, 2024, so get busy …

On November 28, 1757, English engraver, artist, poet, and visionary William Blake, whose notable works included the poetry collections Songs of Innocence (1789) and Songs of Experience (1794), was born. And on November 28th, 1520, Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after navigating the dangerous straits on the southern tip of South America that now bear his name. He became the first European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic. — Jonathan Rawles — my #1 Son who operates SurvivalRealty.com — mentioned that they have recently revamped their Agent Directory, making it easier to find a local survival property specialist …

Through the will drawn up by Alfred Bernhard Nobel—the Swedish chemist, engineer, and industrialist who invented dynamite and other, more powerful explosives—the Nobel Prizes were established on this day in 1895. — On November 27, 1942, the French navy scuttled 73 ships at Toulon in order to avoid German seizure during World War II. — A piece of property at SurvivalRealty.com (that is pictured above) in Manitoba, Canada caught my eye: Riverfront Off-Grid Timber Frame Home on 95 Acres in Canada.  Click on the map and zoom out a bit.  From a retreat security standpoint, there are very few places …