Category: Note

April 8th is the birthday of the late Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia. (Born, 1919, died November 20, 2007.) April 8th is also the anniversary of the death of English experimental gunsmith and author Phillip Luty, in 2011. He was hounded by British authorities for many years. He died of cancer before a scheduled criminal trial. — We are running low on articles for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. If you have a partially written article, please finish it and e-mail it to us, for posting.  It will be judged on its merits, and may earn …

April 7th is the birthday of Colonel Bob Denard (born 1929, died October 13, 2007). He had an amazing life as a mercenary, including four attempted coups in the Comoros. — I noticed that there have been just a handful of reviews of my book The Ultimate Prepper’s Survival Guide posted at the Barnes & Noble website.  If you’ve read that book, then I would greatly appreciate it if you’d post a brief review there.  Many Thanks!  – JWR — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for …

This is the birthday of famous American newsreel and radio journalist/narrator Lowell Thomas. — Gardening season is here!  One of our most loyal advertisers, Seed for Security, LLC is having an exceptional sale. Theirr Colossal Security Pack is now 15% off. This Pack is a total of 4 pounds 11 ounces of vegetable, herb, and grain seeds. All are open-pollinated and non GMO. Included are their three most popular collections: The Super Survival Pack, The 4 Grain Collection, and The Heirloom Herb Collection. Each Colossal Pack comes with a 4-page Seed Saving Guide. This offer is for a limited time. …

Today is the birthday of Baron Arisaka Nariakira (有坂 成章, April 5, 1852 – January 12, 1915. )  He was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army. The inventor of the Arisaka Rifle, he is regarded as one of the leading arms designers in Japanese history, alongside Kijiro Nambu. — Orders have been brisk at Elk Creek Company.  This is your chance to add a few pre-1899 guns or replica percussion revolvers to your collection before the Senate votes on the “Universal Background Checks” bill. That draft law would criminalize transferring a modern (post-1898) gun to your neighbor, friend, …

On April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., 39, was shot to death in Memphis, Tennessee. — For those of you who celebrate Easter, we wish you a joyful Sunday, in sober consideration of Christ’s death and resurrection. He is risen indeed! — Today’s feature article was too short for judging in Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. Round 94 ends on May 31st, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how-to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

This is the birthday of Washington Irving, an American author, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for short stories like Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but he also wrote several biographies and served as the US Ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846. — Congratulations to our readers in Iowa!  As a result of your grassroots lobbying efforts, Iowa just became the 19th State to re-assert Constitutional Carry. (Permitless concealed carry.)  That law will take effect on July 1st, 2021. SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry …

Today is the birthday of Sergei Ivanovich Mosin (Apr 2, 1849 – February 8, 1902) was a Russian military officer, engineer, and a designer of the Mosin–Nagant rifle. This is the birthday of Émile François Zola, a novelist and essayist. He is most often remembered as the author of “J’accuse” (I Accuse!), his lengthy open letter to president Félix Faure, which accused the French government of anti-semitism. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 94 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum Harvest …

I was saddened to hear of the death of G. Gordon Liddy. (Pictured, circa 1964 sans his trademark moustache, of his later years.) He passed away on March 30th, at age 90.  When he interviewed me on his radio show, it was obvious that he’d read my novel Patriots. He had a sharp mind and a keen wit. He will be missed. Yesterday, I happened to catch a National Pravda Radio (NPR) news item about his death. It was written in a critical and trivializing tone.  For example, the commentator mentioned Liddy’s syndicated radio show (but not its tremendous popularity), …

March 31 is the birthday of the late economist Dr. Walter E. Williams, PhD., who was born in 1936. His book American Contempt for Liberty is highly recommended. — Just as I expected, orders have been brisk since I reactivated our “shopping cart” yesterday. at Elk Creek Company.  We received eight orders for a total of 12 guns by 3 PM on March 30th. This is your chance to add a few pre-1899 guns or replica percussion revolvers to your collection before the Senate votes on the “Universal Background Checks” bill. That draft law would criminalize transferring a modern (post-1898) …

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously injured outside a Washington, D.C. hotel by John W. Hinckley Jr..  Also wounded were White House news secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent, and District of Columbia police officer Thomas K. Delahanty. Known for his quips and unaware of the injury to others at the scene, President Reagan walked into the hospital, despite his wound, and was heard telling his wife, “Honey, I forgot to duck.” — I’m in transit back to the Rawles Ranch today, so I’ve reactivated the Elk Creek Company shopping cart. The hiatus is …

Today is the 102nd birthday of William “Bill” Summers Anderson. At last report, he was still living. The following is from his biography at the Infogalactic wiki: “He was born March 29, 1919, in Hankow, China. On December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong was also attacked by the Japanese. As a member of the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps (HKVDC), Anderson fought the Japanese but after 17 days of heavy fighting, Hong Kong surrendered. On Christmas Day 1941, exactly four years after he had escaped from the Japanese in China, he became a …

On this day in 845, a 5,000-man strong fleet of Danish Vikings invaded Frankish lands. They only retreated after besieging Paris and securing a ransom from the Frankish King Charles the Bald. This was part of a series of devastating raids begun by the Vikings in the 790s. The Vikings were led by a man named “Reginherus” or Ragnar, sometimes linked to the legendary saga figure Ragnar Lodbrok. The Vikings easily overcame defenses set in place by Charlemagne and are known to have attacked the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés just outside the city. Although struck by an outbreak of plague, the …

Today is the anniversary of the tragic Tennirife airliner collision disaster, March 27, 1977. — March 27th is also the birthday of the late Robert W. Ford (born 1923, died 20 September 2013). He was an amazing man who had a remarkable life. His book, Wind Between The Worlds (an account of experiences in Tibet, captivity by the communist Chinese, and his fight against brainwashing), is highly recommended. It is available for free download. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 93 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: …

The Battle of Glorieta Pass began on March 26, 1862.  This outcome of this battle ensured that the west stayed with the Union, and denied the Confederacy the gold and silver from the western states. The Confederates were stopped by a very mis-nicknamed unit ( “The Pet Lambs”) – the 1st Colorado Volunteers (official 1st Colorado Infantry) made up of hard rock miners (predominantly Cornish or Welsh), Irish track layers, mountain men, and some mountain cowboys. — I just heard about a very remote retreat property for sale, over at SurvivalRealty.com: It is 140 miles up the Stikine River from Wrangell, Alaska, …

National Medal of Honor day is officially observed on March 25th of each year. This is the birthday of English film director David Lean. He was born in Croydon, England in 1908. He died in 1991. He is best known for his films Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai and Doctor Zhivago. On March 25, 1944 RAF Flight Sergeant Nicholas Alkemade survived a jump from a burning Lancaster bomber from 18,000 feet over Germany without a parachute. His fall was broken by pine trees and soft snow, and he suffered only a sprained leg. He died on …