Category: Note

On October 13, 1775, the Whirlpool Galaxy was discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier. — Margaret Thatcher was born on October 13, 1925. She was the UK’s first female Prime Minister. She died in 2013. — On October 13, 1972, A flight chartered by a Uruguayan rugby team crashed in the Andes Mountains of Argentina, and the wreckage was not located for more than two months; the incident garnered international attention, especially after it was revealed that the survivors had resorted to cannibalism.  

On October 12, 1823, Charles Macintosh of Scotland began selling his trademark raincoats. (Still called “Macintoshes” or “Macs”). — Today, in 1492, after sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sighted a Bahamian island, believing he had reached East Asia. His expedition went ashore the same day and claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored his attempt to find a western ocean route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The …

On October 11, 1923, the hyperinflated German Mark issued by the Weimar regime fell to 10 billion per British Pound and\ 4 billion per U.S. Dollar. — October 11, 1138: A massive earthquake in Aleppo, Syria, killed an estimated 230,000 people. — Today is the 75th birthday of novelist William R. Forstchen. He is best known for his survivalist novel One Second After. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used …

October 10, 732: The Battle of Tours. The Umayyad army led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi was defeated by the Frankish Aquitainian force led by Charles Martel. — Today is the birthday of the late singer-songwriter John Prine (1946-2020). — And this is also the birthday of composer Giuseppe Verdi. (Born 1813, died 1901.) — On October 10th, 1913, the Panama Canal officially linked the Atlantic to the Pacific. — Today’s feature article is a guest post by A.C. of the Stakeholder Prepping Podcast. Since he is a SurvivalBlog advertiser, this article is not eligible for our writing contest. — …

On October 9th, 869: Charles the Bald (a.k.a. Charles II of West Francia) was crowned king of Lotharingen. — October 9, 1000: Leif Ericson discovers “Vinland” (possibly at what was later named L’Anse aux Meadows, Canada) reputedly becoming the first European to reach North America. — And on October 9, 1999, the last flight was made with a Lockheed SR-71 “Blackbird”. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: A Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate. This can be used for any …

October 8, 1480: Great Stand on the Ugra River: A standoff between the forces of Akhmat Khan, Khan of the Great Horde, and Ivan III, Grand Prince of all Rus (pictured), ended with a Tatar-Mongol retreat, leading to the disintegration of the Horde. Ivan III, a.k.a. Ivan The Great, sometimes referred to as the “gatherer of the Russian lands”, tripled the territory of his state, ended the dominance of the Golden Horde over the Rus, renovated the Moscow Kremlin, and laid the foundations of the Russian state. — October 8th, 1947 was the birthday of economist and libertarian commentator J. …

On October 7, 1826, the Granite Railway began operations. It was the first chartered railway in the United States. It was built to carry granite from a quarry in Quincy, Massachusetts, to a dock on the Neponset River in Milton. From there, boats carried the heavy stone to Charlestown, for construction of the Bunker Hill Monument. The railway ran three miles (4.8 km) from quarries to the Neponset River. Its wagons had wheels 6 ft (1.83 m) in diameter and were pulled by horses. Pictured is the railway’s incline section, photographed in 1934. — On October 7, 1909, the British …

On October 6, 1889: The first recorded ascent of the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, by German climber Hans Meyer and Austrian Ludwig Purtscheller. — October 6, 1890: The General Conference of the Latter-day Saints belatedly outlawed polygamy. Their foot-dragging delayed Utah’s admission as a state until 1896. — Today is the birthday of science fiction author David Brin (born, 1950.) He wrote The Postman, which was very loosely the foundation of a movie of the same name by Kevin Costner. — Today’s feature is a review by Field Gear Editor Tom Christainson.  

October 5, 1968: A civil rights march in Derry was stopped by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC ) and the resulting clashes led to two days of serious rioting. This date is often considered the start of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. — October 5, 1703 was the birthday of Jonathan Edwards. He died on March 22, 1758. Edwards was a prolific Calvinist theological writer. Many of his writings were later collected in the multi-volume book The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards, edited by John Gerstner. — Today’s feature piece is a letter from JWR. — We are seeking …

On October 4, 1777: The Battle of Germantown: General George Washington‘s troops attacked but were defeated by the British troops at Germantown, Pennsylvania. — October 4, 1923 was the birthday of the late Charlton Heston, who was born John Charles Carter. He died April 5, 2008. He is often remembered for movies like Ben Hur, The Ten Commandments, Soylent Green, The Planet of the Apes, and the survivalist classic The Omega Man. — October 4th is also the anniversary of the Tongo Tongo, Niger Ambush, in 2017. American KIAs: Staff Sgt. Bryan C Black, Sgt. First Class Jeremiah W Johnson, …

On October 3, 1712, The Duke of Montrose issued a warrant for the arrest of Rob Roy MacGregor. — And on October 3, 1913, the  US Federal income tax was signed into law (at 1%) by President Woodrow Wilson. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: 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), A Peak Refuel “Wasatch Pack” variety of 60 servings of premium freeze-dried …

On October 2, 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier first visited the Iroquois settlement of Hochelaga. It was later named Montreal. — On October 2, 1835 the ‘Come & Take It’ Texas Revolution began. — On October 2, 1866, J. Osterhoudt patented a tin can with a key opener. — And on October 2, 1889, in Colorado, Nicholas Creede struck it rich in silver during the last great silver boom of the American Old West. — I just heard of the passing of Jane Goodall, at age 91. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 121 of the SurvivalBlog …

Today is the 90th birthday of singer and actress Julie Andrews. She was born on October 1st, 1935. Her name will always be remembered for The Sound of Music. — On October 1, 1942, the Bell P-59 Airacomet fighter, the first US jet, made its maiden flight. — The final day! Our big inventory reduction sale at Elk Creek Company — with nearly all of our guns, knives, bayonets, magazines, et cetera deeply discounted — ends at midnight tonight, Eastern Time. Get your order in today! — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest: Round 121 Begins Today, we present the first entry for …

On September 30, 1791, the National Constituent Assembly in Paris was dissolved. Parisians hailed Maximilien Robespierre (pictured) and Jérôme Pétion de Villeneuve as “Incorruptible patriots.” Three years later, at age 36, Robespierre was guillotined. Proscribed, pursued, and persecuted, Jérôme Pétion committed suicide that same year. — On this day in 1938, the Treaty of Munich was signed by Hitler, Mussolini, Daladier, and Chamberlain. This treaty forced Czechoslovakia to cede territory to Germany. — Some sad news: Preacher Voddie Baucham Passes Away at 56 Following ‘Emergency Medical Incident’. — Just one day left! Our big inventory reduction sale at Elk Creek …

September 29th, 1668, the English expedition to Hudson Bay led by Médard Chouart Des Groseilliers of France arrived at Nemiscau River aboard the Nonsuch. This was the genesis of the Hudson Bay Company. The company soon developed wealth and influence that rivaled nation-states. In June of 2025, (357 years later), the company declared bankruptcy.  — September 29th, 1881, was the birthday of economist Ludwig von Mises. (He died October 10, 1973.) — September 29th,1915: The first transcontinental radio telephone message is sent by the U.S. Navy radio station at Arlington, Virginia, to the naval radio station at Mare Island, San …