Category: Note

On August 25, 1986 Warner Bros. Records released Paul Simon‘s seventh solo album “Graceland”, a blend of pop, African, zydeco, and rock music. It went on to win a Grammy for album of the year, 1987 and sold over 16 million copies. August 25th is also a birthday shared by humorist Bret Harte (born 1836), novelist Frederick Forsyth (born 1938), and the late American humorist Patrick F. McManus (1933-2018). Forsyth was the author of The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Fourth Protocol, The Dogs of War, The Devil’s Alternative, and many others. McManus was born and raised …

On August 24th, 1847, Charlotte Brontë finished her manuscript of “Jane Eyre”. — August 24, 1682,  Duke of York, James II awarded the “Three Lower Counties” that form modern-day Delaware to William Penn, ensuring ocean access for his colony of Pennsylvania. — And on August 24th, 410, Rome was overrun by the Visigoths under Alaric I, in an event that symbolized the fall of the Western Roman Empire. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at Quantum …

On August 23, 1305, Scottish patriot William Wallace was executed for high treason by Edward I of England at Smithfield, London. His sentence was particularly barbaric: “That you be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution where you shall be hanged by the neck and being alive cut down, your privy members shall be cut off and your bowels taken out and burned before you, your head severed from your body and your body divided into four quarters to be disposed of at the King’s pleasure.” — August 23rd is the anniversary of the declaration of the independent …

On August 22, 1770, British explorer James Cook claimed the east coast of Australia for the British crown and named it New South Wales. — Today is the anniversary of the founding of the London Armoury Company, in 1851. It was founded by Robert Adams (1810–1870). He patented the first successful double-action revolver in 1851. His revolvers were used during the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, the U.S. Civil War, and the Anglo-Zulu War. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: …

On August 21, 1968, Warsaw Pact forces completed their invasion of Czechoslovakia and arrested the Czech leader Alexander Dubček. They forced him to sign the Moscow Protocols. — August 21, 1949: Canada’s largest earthquake since 1700 struck the Queen Charlotte Fault below the Haida Gwaii. (The Haida Gwaii is a group of islands off the north coast of British Columbia.) At 8.1 magnitude it knocked cows off their hooves. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include: First Prize: The photovoltaic power specialists at …

August 20, 1908: America’s Great White Fleet arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, and was greeted with a tremendous series of welcome celebrations, lasting a week. Some romances ensued and 221 American sailors deserted to remain in Australia. — On or about August 20, 480 BC, the Battle of Thermopylae. In one of history’s most famous last stands, 7,000 warriors from an alliance of Greek states led by Leonidas I blocked the pass of Thermopylae for a week against an invading Persian army under Xerxes I that was an estimated at 120,000-300,000 strong. — August 20, 1935 was the birthday …

On August 19, 1561, Mary Queen of Scots arrived in Leith, Scotland to assume the throne after spending 13 years in France. — On August 19, 2020: Apple became the first US company to be valued at $2 trillion, just two years after it reached $1 trillion valuation. — UPDATE:  SOLD OUT — We have sold out of a batch of 10 antique Swiss Schmidt-Rubin Model 1896/11 rifles. We had them here at the ranch for just a week. An importer kindly hand-picked all antique (1898 or earlier) ones for me. There were only 10 antique ones out of about …

On August 18, 1872, Aaron Montgomery Ward issued the first “catalog” for his mail-order business, it was one sheet listing 163 available items. — August 18th is the birthday of Meriwether Lewis, an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator who was best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 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 …

On August 17, 1969, Hurricane Camille struck the US coastline and killed 259 people (mainly in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.) — On August 17, 1859, the first air mail (in a balloon) took off from Lafayette, Indiana. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 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 August 16, 1777, American militiamen led by General Stark defeated British forces at the Battle of Bennington, during the American War of Independence. The battle was fought at Walloomsac, New York, ten miles northwest of Bennington, Vermont. — On August 16th, 1841, President John Tyler vetoed a second attempt by Congress to re-establish the Bank of the United States. In response, angry supporters of the bank gathered outside the White House and burned an effigy of Tyler. — We are pleased to announce that the kind folks at MobileSecSolutions.com are donating two new prizes that will be part of …

On August 15, 1620, the Mayflower set sail from Southampton, England, with 102 Pilgrims. — On August 15, 1901, Arch Rock, a hazard to San Francisco Bay shipping, was blasted with 30 tons of dynamite. — I recently took delivery of a batch of 10 antique Swiss Schmidt-Rubin Model 1896/11 rifles. An importer kindly hand-picked all antique (1898 or earlier) ones for me. (There were just 10 antique ones out of about 200 that they had on hand.) The 1896/11 model can shoot the modern high-pressure 7.5 x 55 ammunition.  Four of these rifles sold immediately, so as of this …

On August 14, 1040 at the Battle of Bothnagowan, King Duncan I of Scotland (pictured) was killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. He was not murdered in his sleep as described in Shakespeare’s play. Macbeth did not succeed Duncan, as King. — August 14th, 1945 was Victory In Japan (“V-J”) Day. — American Gunsmithing Institute (AGI) is one of the long-time prize sponsors of our writing contest. They’ve just announced a new course on DVD (or online) that should be of great interest to SurvivalBlog readers: Survival Gunsmithing. This course has more than 10 hours of …

On August 13, 1642 Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens discovered Mars’ southern polar cap. — Today is the birthday of screenwriter, director, and producer, Alfred Hitchcock (1899–1980). His many films spanned five decades. —- Today is also the birthday of sharpshooter, entertainer, and folk heroine Annie Oakley (1860–1926.) — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 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. …

August 12, 1833, the town of Chicago is incorporated. (Population 350.) On August 12, 1867, President Andrew Johnson defied Congress, suspending Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. And, on August 12, 1908, Henry Ford’s company built the first Model T car. — We are seeking entries for Round 114 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $900,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Please refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 114 ends on September 30th, so …

The Eiger Peak in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland was first summited on August 11, 1858, by an international trio: Christian Almer and Peter Bohren of Switzerland and Charles Barrington of Ireland. — On August 11, 1857, N. H. Wolfe and Company, the oldest flour and grain company in New York City, failed. This failure shook investor confidence and began a slow selloff in the market which continued into late August. Several other failures followed, and this cascaded into what was later called the Panic of 1857. — SurvivalBlog Writing Contest Today we present another entry for Round 114 of …