February 8th, 1950, the Stasi, East Germany’s notorious secret police, was established. The Staatssicherheit, (“Stasi” for short) was considered one of the most repressive intelligence agencies in the world. It was not fully dissolved until 1990. In the investigations that followed the ministry’s dissolution, the German public learned that a huge number of East Germans willingly cooperated with the Stasi and other agencies, informing on their neighbors.
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February 8th, 1828 was the birthday of Jules Verne, the French writer who authored “From the Earth to the Moon“. He is considered the father of science fiction.
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On February 8th, 1963 the Kennedy administration issued an order prohibiting travel to Cuba and banned financial transactions and commerce with Cuba, by U.S. citizens.
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My son Jonathan Rawles of SurvivalRealty.com has just announced a February Book Bundle Giveaway. By signing up to receive his weekly e-newsletter, you’ll be entered to win this drawing for four great books. This special promotion ends on February 19, 2024.
And speaking of SurvivalRealty.com, there is a new listing that caught my eye. Consider it your own Private Idaho — in Tennessee! This very private 19-acre wooded property with two houses and a shop near the town of Franklin is shaped a lot like the boundaries of Idaho.
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Today we present a review that was written by Pat Cascio, our Field Gear Editor Emeritus. Pat has been in poor health in recent months and I’m sure that he would appreciate your prayers.
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We are now seeking entries for Round 111 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. More than $875,000 worth of prizes have been awarded since we started running this contest. In 2023, we polled blog readers, asking for suggested article topics. Refer to that poll if you haven’t yet chosen an article topic. Round 111 ends on March 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.