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Editor says, what if the Teutonic Order had prevailed at Świecino? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the September 2012 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1462, on this day the royal and municipal armed forces of Piotr Dunin's Polish Army were decisively beated by the Teutonic Knights at the Battle of Świecino.
Teutonic Knights triumph at the Battle of ŚwiecinoThe victorious commanders Fritz Raweneck and Kaspar Nostyc had led a force of two thousand seven hundred mercenaries gathered from the nearby castles Mewe (Gniew), Stargard (Starogard Gdański), Nowe, Skarszewy and Kiszewy.
Raweneck also had the supply chain (tabors), cannons and up to thirteen hundred auxiliary infantry of Pomeranian peasants, used mainly for fortification works. He took the brutal command decision to order the tabors to lead the charge, absorbing the very heavy fire from crossbows of the Polish infantry. Teuton units then savaged the Polish heavy cavalry under Pawel Jasieński and the battle was won.
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Alternate Historian, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Wikipedia Labels: Polish, Pole, Teutonic, Battle, Europe. Editor says, in authoring this post we have repurpose content from Wikipedia which reports ~ The direct result of the battle was that the city of Danzig and Pomerania were freed from Teutonic Order danger so that the royal and municipal armed forces could be used elsewhere in the war, mainly to protect the Vistula waterway and to capture the Teutonic held strongholds. This way that Teutonic forces in Prussia on the right bank of Vistula were cut off from the supplies form Western Europe. The psychological significance was that this was the first open field battle won by the royal forces, so it increased the morale of the Polish forces and lowered the morale of the Teutonic Knights. Many military historians say that the battle was the turning point of the Thirteen Years' War, leading to the final victory in 1466.
~ Would there be a Polish-speaking Poland?
~ Hard to say in the tumultuous history of Eastern Europe. Wonder who would win out between the Teutons and the rise of the Swedes and later Russians.
~ Because it was known in German as the Battle of Schwetz, I actually was tempted to call this article Teutonic Knights triumph at the Battle of Schwetz to make that hint [failure of Polish-speaking Poland to arise].
~ If Alexander Nevsky was halfway accurate, te Russians beat the Teutons...to the tune of Prokofiev's music. It was a great movie anyway.
~ The Teutonic knights eventually consolidated their state, went Lutheran, and their last master proclaimed himself Duke of Prussia. It is a really weird story how all of northern Germany became known as Prussia, even though the real Prussia was essentially inherited by Brandenburg and disappeared from the map. Someday I'll try to explain it.
Editor says, what if Trosky had succeeded Lenin? muses Christopher Orlet. Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
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In 2009, Christopher Orlet wrote ~ for decades, Western intellectuals have judged him the Good Marxist. His assassination by Joseph Stalin's agents was further proof -- if further proofs were needed -- of his honorable intentions. If only Leon Trotsky, rather than Stalin, had emerged as Vladimir Lenin's successor, how differently the history of the Soviet Union, indeed, the whole history of communism, might have read.
Blood Brother: If Trotsky had succeeded Lenin written by Christopher OrletHOW MIGHT HISTORY have looked had Trotsky succeeded Lenin?
"If ever Trotsky had been the paramount leader instead of Stalin, the risks of a bloodbath in Europe would have been drastically increased", writes Robert Service, for the simple reason that Trotsky, a believer in permanent revolution, would have taken more risks than Stalin in encouraging revolution in Germany and elsewhere. (While we are playing What If, former Trotskyite Christopher Hitchens has pointed out that Trotsky's German revolution would have preempted the Nazis coming to power, and thus not only World War II?, but the Holocaust as well).
Judging from his past deeds, Trotsky would have continued to act with savage ruthlessness, that meant forcing peasants onto collectivized farms -- as he vowed to do -- or ordering the execution of dissidents, crushing the Kronstadt worker and sailor rebellion in 1921 (they demanded, among other rights, freedom of speech and the press), or creating a system of hostage taking during the civil war -- all of which he did do.
The reason so many Western intellectuals, right and left, fell -- and continue to fall -- for Trotsky is they were charmed by his charisma, his intellect, and his literary skills ("His autobiography is magical to read," Service admits), as well as fooled by his obscurantism. What's more, they were desperate for any Soviet alternative to Stalin.
The idea that a humane communism could have come out of Trotskyism is pure romanticism, Service says. Yet, Trotskyites maintain even today that the tragedy of Soviet history lay in Trotsky's failure to win the battle of succession for leadership of the Soviet Union. Service's biography will not convince them otherwise. But for those with an open mind, Trotsky: A Biography shows that in the end, Stalin and Trotsky were blood brothers. Blood being the operative word.
This shortened article is an abbreviated form of the longer essay
Entry posted by
Christopher Orlet
© John Gittings, 2006.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Alternate Nations Source: Spectator Magazine Labels: Trotsky, Lenin, Stalin, Russia, USSR. Editor says, "Blood Brother" by Christopher Orlet published on 11.17.09 @ 6:06AM, a review of "Trotsky: A Biography" by Robert Service
~ Not alternat history. Needs a timeline.
~ Sounds like my "Trotsky's War" timeline. What the intellectuals didn't understand was that communists were communists---the enemies of all humanity.
~ The philosopher-king is indeed a dangerous leader. Imagine university profs in charge of the world...
Editor says, what if Byzantine Forces decided to quit Asia whilst they were still ahead of the curve? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the May 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1176, on this day in the mountain passes of Phrygia, the Army of Emperor Manuel I Komnenos recovered from an ambush at the hands of the Seljuk Turks. This spectacular victory enabled the Byzantine Empire to recover the interior of Anatolia which it had lost after the Battle of Manzikert a century before.
Miracle at MyriokephalonFor much of that time, a long peace with the Sultanate of Rûm had enabled the Empire to concentrate on the Western theatre, defeating Hungary and imposing Byzantine control over all the Balkans. Meanwhile the strongest Muslim ruler in Syria, Saladin was more concerned with Egypt and Palestine than the border territory.
The hard won victory at Myriokephalon created a strategic pause in which the Empire could consider its future natural borders more holistically. And a new possibility soon began to take shape in the minds of the Byzantine Leadership: to abandon Anatolia altogether and perhaps shift the Empire Westwards, relocating Constantinople out of Asia and back into Europe.
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Alternate Historian, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Wikipedia Labels: Myriokephalon, Byzantine, Byzantium, Seljuk Turks , Constantinople. Editor says, Wikipedia reports~ the Battle of Myriokephalon, also known as the Myriocephalum, or Miryakefalon Savas? in Turkish, was a battle between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Phrygia on September 17, 1176. The battle was a serious reverse for the Byzantine forces, who were ambushed when moving through a mountain pass. It was to be the final, unsuccessful effort by the Byzantines to recover the interior of Anatolia from the Seljuk Turks.
Thanks to Stan Brin for the original suggestion.
~ The trouble with abandoning Anatolia is not only that it had once provided many of the Empire's best soldiers, but without it, the enemy was a hop, skip and jump from the walls of The City. Thats what I mean sir, abandon the city as well, relocate it in Southeastern Europe
~ They'd better have a heck of a shore defense; it's going to be constantly raided.
~ Constantinople is far too defensible and has far too much of an entrenched government/bureaucracy to ditch at this point. Abandoning Anatolia to solidify control of the Balkans _might_ work (esp. with a secondary capital), but pulling out of The City could cost Manuel his throne and would make little sense with an intact navy (the Turks developed one worth the name in OTL only after hiring sailors demobilized by Andronicus II).
Editor says, what if Calvin & Hobbes had ended its newspaper run in 1995? muses Jeff Provine on the This Day in Alternate History web site. Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the February 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1995, the highly successful animated series Garfield and Friends had run the majority of its course and would ultimately be approved for seven seasons.
Calvin & Hobbes Animated Series Premiers On the lookout for something new on the CBS Saturday morning lineup, producers approached Bill Waterson, creator of the acclaimed Calvin & Hobbes comic strip. Waterson was wrapping up his series, saying, "It's always better to leave the party early". Despite the cries from newspapers and readers alike, he refused the risk of running his creation into the ground.
While he had anticipated retiring to paint, the idea of a cartoon fascinated him. Waterson had always admired the artistry of animation, saying in a 1989 interview with The Comics Journal, "If you look at the old cartoons by Tex Avery and Chuck Jones, you'll see that there are a lot of things single drawings just can't do. Animators can get away with incredible distortion and exaggeration". Since he had won his freedom on Sunday comics pages with his sabbatical in 1991, he decided he could use this as a chance to experiment artistically again.
A new post by Jeff ProvineCalvin & Hobbes would end its newspaper run on December 31, 1995, and fans eagerly awaited the first episode of the animated series the next September as kids went back to school. After months of hangups working with Waterson's perfectionism and him being reportedly "very scared" to choose voice actors, the show aired to critical acclaim. Waterson's writing and initial sketches combined with new flexibility and background music to bring Calvin alive. Sequences of riding wagons and sleds down hills were applauded, as were the leaps in computer technology to incorporate the backgrounds Waterson imagined. Subject matter and Calvin's famous intelligence merited the series the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Animated Program twice, beating out the incumbent Animaniacs.
Despite the success of the series, Waterson would stand by his principles in licensing. Producers were furious that they could not capitalize on the audience with Hobbes dolls, G.R.O.S.S. memorabilia, or action figures of Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man, and other personae of Calvin's creation. After only two seasons, the show would be cut off to be replaced by a cheaper, wholly educational lineup.
Waterson headed into retirement and refused to answer any questions about a possible Calvin & Hobbes film.
Entry posted by
Jeff Provine
© Jeff Provine, 2010-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Jeff Provine Blog Source: Jeff Provine’s Blog Labels: Garfield, Calvin, Hobbes, Cartoon, America. ~ This would have been pretty good. I always did think Watterson was a self-righteous ass, though, with his stance on licencing C+H. It's not like you can't get/find C+H stuff...those idiotic "Calvin peeing/Calvin praying" stickers, forex.
Editor says, what if America needed an Emperor to steady the ship of state? muses Jeff Provine on This Day in Alternate History Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the October 2010 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1859, on this day Joshua Abraham Norton began his reign as Emperor out of necessity to cure problems that had plagued the young nation during its republic. Norton himself was English, born in London and spending most of his life in South Africa before coming to San Francisco as a businessman.
Norton Proclaims Himself Emperor of these United States In a deal gone wrong where a dealer had misled him on the quality of his rice and the justice system denied his rights during his lawsuit to void his contract, leaving Norton financially destroyed in 1858 at age 39. He left the city in self-imposed exile, returning with his political dream in 1859.
The United States surely had its troubles if a hard working man such as Norton could be destroyed, and the system had to be fixed. He delivered a notice to the newspapers stating, "At the peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton... declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these U. S". On February 1, representatives of each state were to meet him at the Music Hall in San Francisco "and there to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring, and thereby cause confidence to exist".
A new story by Jeff ProvineSeveral editors published the notice as humorous, and a few newspapers back East picked it up as well. On October 12, he released another notice, dissolving the United States Congress in stating that the "universal suffrage, as now existing through the Union, is abused; that fraud and corruption prevent a fair and proper expression of the public voice; that open violation of the laws are constantly occurring, caused by mobs, parties, factions and undue influence of political sects; that the citizen has not that protection of person and property which he is entitled to by paying his pro rata of the expense of Government". While Congress did not immediately disband, the notion of reform was picked up by several Midwesterners who had also been overtaxed and under-supported by the government. Though voted as a lark, the state legislature of Indiana decided to send James Herriman, a businessman who was going to San Francisco anyway, as representative. Upon word that Norton had been taken semi-seriously, South Carolina sent a delegation of representatives, hoping that their political maneuver would show the Union that they could do as they pleased under states' rights.
More states for various reasons began plans to send representatives to San Francisco. Proposals of every kind were put on the ballot for elections, and, by November, eighteen states planned to attend. The idea spread that it would be a kind of convention, perhaps even ground to discuss an end to the slavery question as well as trade and tariff disputes. In January, Norton released an edict to "hereby Order and Direct Major-General Scott, the Command-in-Chief of our Armies, immediately upon receipt of this, our Decree, to proceed with a suitable force and clear the Halls of Congress". Winfield Scott did not move the Army, nor did he make action to arrest the Emperor on grounds of treason.
At the 1860 February San Francisco Convention, Mayor Henry F. Teschemacher gave Norton permission to use the Music Hall, impressed with the publicity and income San Francisco was having with the arrival of politics and journalists. Presiding over the convention, Norton addressed each issue tirelessly, repeatedly overturning calls for recess. Economic, judicial, domestic, and international policies were closely examined, appropriated into committee, and then voted upon under the emperor's direction. By the end of the month, newspapers began to address Norton as "emperor" not out of humor but genuine honor from his efforts to support the common man. The convention ended with the writing of a Constitution, which, like the previous US Constitution, required ratification by two-thirds of the states.
The Constitution was largely ignored by the political powers that were, holding their own elections in later 1860 with Abraham Lincoln winning the office of presidency. The South went up in arms over the North's perceived aggression, and talk of secession began. Norton sent another edict, saying that there was no need for a War Between the States over matters of a derelict Congress. States simply needed to appoint representatives to his National Parliament as described in his Constitution. He ended with a reminder General Scott that he was overdue in his elimination of Congress. This time, Scott gave the notice more thought, finally approaching Lincoln, who refused to give up Republicanism to a tyrant.
The South began to send delegates, as did California, formally turning away from the government in Washington. More states followed, and, in April, South Carolina fired upon Union troops at Fort Sumter. Upon hearing the news, Norton immediately called for the arrest of the men who had tried to begin a war. Forgiveness was begged, and Norton called Lincoln and his increasingly illegal government to meet with him in San Francisco before things grew worse. Lincoln, willing to try anything to avoid a bloody war and the separation of the states, agreed to go. After a month-long conference, Norton persuaded Lincoln to surrender Washington and join the National Parliament.
Although there would be uprisings in various parts of the country, Norton would be swift in controlling issues and meeting with rebel commanders, usually persuading them to join him in the new empire. With a civil war avoided, the problems of slavery were solved by Norton's program of freeing skilled slaves with financial compensation to their former masters and installing mandated education programs to free yet more. Education, as well as simple steadfastness in what was right, cured many of the racial ills of the US. During the anti-Chinese riots of the 1870s, Norton stepped around his bodyguards and placed himself between the rioters and their intended victims, bowing his head and reciting the Lord's Prayer until the embarrassed rioters fled or formally apologized. Rumors stated that he planned to marry Queen Victoria of Britain, but Norton never seemed to find the time with such activities as personal inspections of the city's cable car system.
Much of Norton's reign was spent on improvements, such as the suspension bridge between Oakland and San Francisco as well as the long-term project of a tunnel under the bay. While San Francisco was given special consideration as the new capital, numerous projects were carried out throughout the country, like the transcontinental railroad completed in 1864. Late in his reign, Norton turned to international diplomacy, as he had when he had become Protector of Mexico in using the US Army to fight imperialistic advances on Mexico from France. In 1871, Norton called for an Assembly of Nations to meet and discuss issues in a convention he would preside. By 1877, the Assembly of Nations was a continuous facility that would soon outlaw the use of war in diplomacy.
Emperor Norton died in 1880 on his way to give a charity lecture at the California Academy of Sciences. Norton had not appointed a successor, instead leaving a detailed will for power to return to the hands of the Parliament, but forever banning political parties and an unbalanced budget (except in the case of military emergency). Thirty thousand San Franciscans attended his funeral, and the country remained in mourning for a month, though many can say that we are still in mourning of the lost Emperor. His legacy has even continued internationally, such as the Assembly of Nations' diffusing of the Sarajevo Affair in which the assassination of the Archduke may well have led to war.
Entry posted by
Jeff Provine
© Jeff Provine, 2010-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Jeff Provine Blog Source: Jeff Provine’s Blog Labels: Joshua Abraham Norton, Emperor, United States, Civil War, Abraham Lincoln. Editor says, in reality Norton was one of many of San Francisco's eccentrics, perhaps the most loved. He was given a uniform by troops at the Presidio and later the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and he used self-issued notes as repayment for debts that were stable enough that many businesses accepted them as currency. Thirty thousand people really did attend his funeral.
~ I can't quite make out whether this was written seriously or with tongue in cheek.
I suspect the South, which screamed itself purple in the face over Lincoln's alleged arrogation of imperial powers to himself and then took up arms, wouldn't have been any better disposed toward Norton. And the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern states were unlikely to support an actual emperor, either, just eighty years after the Revolution.
~ The country wouldn't have been happy over an English-born monarch...there were still a few Revolutionary vets left around (the last one died IIRC in 1867 or thenabouts) and the schools pounded home "Americans good---England bad, monarchy bad" real hard.
Comment from Mike McIlvain on Facebook: Where do I click unlike? An emperor -- that could have invited another revolution, knowing the kind of mindset in the colonies at the time.
Comment from Jeffrey Bryson on Facebook: What a wonderful tribute to one of California's greats.
Editor says, what if the foresight of two lesser known Founding Fathers, Patrick Henry and George Clinton had prevented the American Civil War? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
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In 1787, on this day the foundation and source of the legal authority underlying the existence of both the Union and the federal government was adopted by the Constitutional Convention and later ratified at a local level in the name of "We, the States".
A future-proofed US ConstitutionThe leader of the Virginia delegatation, Patrick Henry had originally refused to attend the Federal Convention, planning to use the power of his rhetoric to defeat the Constitution when it was later presented at the State Ratifying Convention. Persuaded to attend, he convinced the other delegates that the draft preamble smacked of consolidated government rather than confederation. "We, the People" was both improper and illegal because "the people had no right to enter into leagues, alliances or confederations. States and foreign powers are the only proper agents for his kind of government".
Evidence of the success of Henry's gambit soon followed. The Governor of New York, George Clinton issued a "Neutrality Proclamation" after President George Washington had done so at a federal level. And the heads of both Clinton and Henry' would be sculptured at Mount Rushmore, symbolizing their critical involvement in the protection of States Rights at the birth of the Republic.
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Founding Fathers by Brion McClanahan (2009)Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Alternate Nations Source: Wikipedia Labels: Patrick Henry, US Constitution, America, States Rights, Philadelphia. ~ I'm not sure how this would have changed things, but changed they would be.
~ It mitght have given added force in the nineteenth century and later to John Calhoun's argument that the Union was a "compact" or treaty among sovereign states, making secession appear more legitimate.
~ It would have made little difference. the Preamble has always been
considered a statement of ideals, not of government or of law.
At any rate, the various states were considered sovereign.
By the way, I suggest looking at the whole, proper name of the
Articles of Confederation, and after your double take, applying
it to the right of secession -- it couldn't have existed.
~ A constitution is only as good as the national government or the nation's people are willing to enforce it. The Tenth Ammendment is even more solid in the status of the states yet that has not detered the Federal government's grab for power.
~ Preventing federal tyranny at the cost of abetting local tyrannies. Not a net benefit, but then I am biased.
~ Well said, Griffin. With a much weakened federal government, the question of succession would have arisen seriously before the Civil War with bids by the Northeast at the Hartford Convention, plus South Carolina, as well as the legitimacy of Rhode Island. Maybe there wouldn't be a Civil War since America had already broken up into a loose military/economic confederation.
Editor says, what if Americans had been awarded the "historic rights of Englishment" for their loyalty during the Seven Years War? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
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In 1777, on this day in upstate New York, loyalist forces under the command of General George Washington triumphed at the Battle of Saratoga. And the revolt against the bicameral American Parliament led by the turncoat Benedict Arnold effectively ended with the crushing of his republican army.
Republican Revolt crushed at SaratogaAlong with many of his peers, Washington had fought in the Seven Years War. And at the climax, the cash-strapped British Government had wisely reinforced the "historic rights of Englishmen" by offering representation alongside the necessary taxation to refill her Majesty's Coffers.
Arnold however had fallen under the influence of Thomas Paine, an extremist who argued that nothing less than full independence was due to Americans. Bizarrely, Paine was an atheist who used religious metaphors to express his republican view that "Government by kings was first introduced into the world by the Heathens ... It was the most prosperous invention the Devil ever set foot for the promotion of idolatry".
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Today in Alternate History, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Alternate Nations Source: Wikipedia Labels: Saratoga, Washington, Arnold, 1776, Loyalist. Editor says, thanks to David Atwell for his contribution to the development of this story.
~ Near absurd. Had the London government of 1775-77 been willing to deal intelligently with Loyalists and with those whigs willing to bargain there would never have been a revolution outside of Boston.
~ Part of the problem was that large numbers of Englishmen in England were not represented in Parliament---this was the time of "rotten boroughs," after all. Also, getting MPs to and from the UK would be a non-trivial problem.
Editor says, what if Aaron Burr was guilty of treason as charged? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
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In 1806, Aaron Burr is accused of conspiring to steal Louisiana Purchase lands away from the United States and crown himself a king or emperor in a new country, or to declare an illegal war against Spanish possessions in Mexico for the same purpose.
Louisiana Theft by Guest Historian Eric Lipps
There is more than a little truth to the accusations. Politically ruined in the United States following his fatal duel with President Alexander Hamilton in 1804, Burr has grown increasingly alienated from the young republic.
It does not help, either, that Thomas Jefferson is now President: Burr is still bitter over the manner in which Hamilton kept his eventual slayer from gaining even the vice-presidency in 1800 by urging electors to vote for the Virginian over him if they could not support Hamilton himself. In the two years since the duel, he has persuaded himself that he deserves to rule, and he is tempted by the prospect of leading a second revolution.
Entry posted by
Eric Lipps
© Eric Lipps,2007-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Lifeterm Source: Wikipedia Labels: Aaron Burr, Louisiana Purchase, Union, America, Alexander Hamilton. ~ How much of a following did he honestly have?
~ Trail is fairly muddied but he appeared to have a decent base of support among the leadership of Trans-Appalachian US. People such as Andy Jackson.
~ "I've always thought that Burr was more-or-less a puppet and fall-guy for James Wilkinson. All his life, Burr was fatally susceptible to con-men, and Wilkinson was generally known by the end of his life to be "from the bark to the core a villain." Leading Burr down the primrose path would be all in a day's conniving for Wilkinson, the only general who never won a battle nor lost a court-martial."
| Mexico City | In 1951, a devastating tropical storm ravaged Mexico City, killing half a million people. The storm was a consequence of the climate changes wrought by the Bellus-Zyra disaster. |
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| City of Palaces |
Variant entry posted by
Chris Oakley
original content has been repurposed to celebrate the author's genius © "When World's Collide" (1932), Philip Gordon Wylie and Edwin BalmerStory Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Worlds Collide Source: Wikipedia Labels: Worlds Collide, Mexico City, Horror, America, Disaster.On this day in 1944, the Western Allies launched Operation Toadstool, an airborne offensive aimed at liberating Belgium and Luxembourg from Nazi occupation. | |
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Chris Oakley
© Chris Oakley,2008-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Valkyrie Source: Wikipedia Labels: July 20th Plot, Valkyrie, Adolf Hitler, Goering, Germany.In 1960, on this day the Jewish-American women's philanthropic organization Hadassah started a fundraising drive to collect money to help New York's Jewish community rebuild synagogues that had been wrecked by the Jamaica Bay hurricane. | |
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Entry posted by
Chris Oakley
© Chris Oakley,2008-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Jamaica Bay Source: Wikipedia Labels: New York, Hurricane, America, 1948, Disaster.On this day in 1972, the Dallas Cowboys opened the 1972 season and their quest to regain the Super Bowl championship with a 28-6 thrashing of the Philadelphia Eagles at the Cotton Bowl. | |
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Entry posted by
Chris Oakley
© Chris Oakley,2008-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Ice Bowl Source: Wikipedia Labels: Dallas Cowboys, NFL, Kansas City Chiefs, America, Touchdown.On this day in 1941, with Wehrmacht and SS divisions less than 40 miles from the outskirts of Moscow, Adolf Hitler inexplicably ordered a halt to the German advance in Russia. This would turn out to be as great a tactical mistake for the Third Reich on the Eastern Front as the four-day suspension of ground operations near Dunkirk in June 1940 had been on the Western Front. | |
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| Adolf Hitler |
Entry posted by
Chris Oakley
© Chris Oakley,2008-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Barbarossa41 Source: Wikipedia Labels: World War 2, Operation Barbarossa, Fascism, Europe of the Dictators, Axis Powers.On this day in 1981, 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair beat Tommy Rich at a live NWA card in Charleston, South Carolina to win his first NWA world title. However, the new champion had little time to celebrate; moments after the match ended Rich, driven to a psychotic rage by bitterness over the defeat and by the stress of his war with Terry Funk, went ballistic and attacked Flair with a trash can, touching off a post-match brawl that ended only with the intervention of arena security. | Nature Boy |
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| Ric Flair |
Entry posted by
Chris Oakley
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: The Tommy Rich Story Source: Wikipedia Labels: Tommy Rich, Wildfire, Wrestling, NWA, Boxing.Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Winston Churchill, 'Thus Perished Operation Sea Lion Mark I'
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: #REF! Source: Wikipedia General Agwai will lead the biggest peacekeeping operation in the world with 200,000 troops and 6,000 police under his command.
The general told BBC News that building a peacekeeping force of that size from scratch would take time, and he warned against high expectations, saying without peace his troops would be in a 'in a very uncomfortable position'.
The former head of Nigeria's armed forces is courteous and softly-spoken. He told me his military heroes are General George Patton and General Ariel Sharon. Asked if his new job is a poisoned chalice, his response is characteristically low-key.
'When I was accepting this job I did it with all sincerity,' he said, 'believing that somebody has to do the job and if somebody has to do it, why not me.'
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Meggido Source: Wikipedia Labels: Battle of Meggido, End of the World, Battle of Armgaddeon, Book of Revelations, Lawrence of Arabia.September 16
Editor says, what if Jacobite victory on the Boyne? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the September 2012 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1701, on this day the Roman Catholic monarch, James Stuart, King of Ireland died in his official residence at Dublin Castle.
The Great PretenderHe was succeeded by his thirteen year old son James Francis Edward Stuart who also became the Jacobite claimant to the thrones of England and Scotland. And just six months later, the usurper William of Orange was killed by a Velvet Coated Assassin, thrown from his favourite horse Sorrel when he stumbled into a mole's burrow at Windsor Park. This misfortune brought his sister-in-law and cousin Anne Stuart to the throne, because William's wife, and her sister, Mary II had died in 1694.
Anne's turbulent rule lasted but a dozen years, and upon her death, George I, Elector of Hanover looked set to inherit the British Crown pursuant to the Act of Settlement 1701. It was then that her half-brother James Francis Edward Stuart made his dramatic bid for power.
Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
© Alternate Historian, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Politicians Source: Wikipedia Labels: Stuart, James II, William and Mary, William of Orange, Restoration. Editor says, in authoring this post we have repurpose content from Wikipedia. In reality, her half-brother was pretender's in the French court, and he was overlooked by the British authorities.
~ I certainly hope he made it...even though this would leave the world without Bonnie Prince Charlies revolt. Alas, it was not successful...but as I have so often said before, it began the modern war of national liberation as well as the women's movement, not to mention all those romantic songs and stories. So I would have to have mixed feelings about his coming uneventfully to the throne.
~ Every Scottish folk group just got robbed of half their concert material. :-D But what's the "dramatic bid for power"?
~ Would any government in Great Britain have tolerated a hostile power controlling Ireland? Look at a map sometime. Ireland has the dreadful luck of being strategically vital to the defense of Britain.
~ But, Eric, on the other hand, as Brendan Behan put it..."Oh the sea, the sea, God bless the bounding sea...long may it roll between England and me. God help the poor Scotsmen, they'll never be free...but we're entirely surrounded by wa-ter." And the Irish folk groups have lots of concert material too, as a result.
~ With more of a power base the Stuarts may be able to take London. To rule the English heartland in the long term would take diplomacy (and probably a willingness to give up on restoring the Holy Mother Church)
~ More wars at home mean much less expansion abroad. Could be a very different world as Britain finally gets settled enough to colonize.
~ A Jacobite Ireland would probably have meant that Scotland and Wales would always be restless hotbeds of Jacobite activity. Whether that would work out to Ireland's favor or England's favor depends on a few circumstances.
~ Another scenario: The Scots and English revolt against the restored Stuarts, since they had supported the Jacobites based on their misguided belief that the Royal Family woud give them their independence.
~ Re Eric, the Williamite campaign was expensive. If William is killed at Boyne, there maybe a short window, in which the Jacobites accept the throne in Dublin, as a lesser kingdom allied to Westminister. Dublin is not worth the French. So if William dies, and the Jacobites manage to hold on. The Stuarts will want to be kings of England after all. My guess is London is worth more than a mass. However it simply may be too much, to have an English monarch who was raised by a paptist among the Wild irish
Editor says, what if the earlier collapse of Communism transformed US-Cuba relations? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
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In 1988, the United States announced it would resume full diplomatic relations with Cuba in January, ending a break of more than 28 years between Washington and Havana; with the Soviet Union having dissolved and economic assistance negotiations with France having been stalled since 1986, there was considerable sentiment on both ends of the Florida Straits in favor of resuming formal U.S.-Cuban diplomatic ties.
Elián González SurfacesWhile the announcement drew vehement protests from Florida's Cuban exile communuity, most other Americans welcomed the end of the U.S.-Cuba estrangement. One sector of American society was especially happy with the decision -- the re-opening of Cuba's borders paved the way for Major League Baseball to bring a huge new influx of Cuban players into the United States, and that influx would have a dramatic impact on MLB pennant races in the next two-plus decades.
The newly restored bonds between the United States and Cuba would be further solidified in 1999 when a joint U.S.-Cuban naval search & rescue mission retrieved the survivors of a shipwreck; one of those survivors, a six-year-old boy named Elián González (pictured), would later grow up to become a pivotal figure in the movement to end one-party rule in Cuba.
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Chris Oakley
© Chris Oakley,2008-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Necessary Evil Source: New Statesman Magazine Labels: Elian Gonzalez, Cuba, Great Britain, Seventies, Labour. ~ IIRC we had a Republican president in '88...maybe, just like "Only Nixon could go to China," only a Republican could end the Cuba situation.
~ I wish Gerald Ford had ended it in 1976 following in Nixon's China footsteps so to speak. We don't have to be best buddies but we are and have always been neighbors.
~ Actually, Kennedy established the embargo to pacify the political right, which was foaming at the mouth after JFK's refusal to launch a full-scale invasion of Cuba in support of the exile army which landed at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961.
Kennedy had been suckered by Eisenhpower-era holdovers among his advisera, who hasd told him limited support would be enough only to change their tune the instant the exiles came under fire from a Cuban army which turned out not to be, after all, willing to throw down its arms at the first opportunity. The same people who had told the President limited support would be sufficient now were saying they had always expected that a full U.S. invasion would be needed and warning that Kennedy would be impeached if he didn't go along. The Bay of Pigs operation itself had been planned under Eisenhpower by a working group chaired by Vice-President Richard Nixon, whose own ties to Cuban exiles would come into public view during Watergate.
The embargo was a compromise intended to punish the Castro regime and encourage popular opposition to it while pacifying those in Congress who thought Kennedy was "soft" on Castro.
~ Would that it were. If we picked up post-communism relations while the Soviet Union fell, the world would be a much prettier place.
Editor says, what if the Galleanists blew up Wall Street? muses Jeff Provine on This Day in Alternate History Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the October 2010 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1920, a little after noon, while crowds of businessmen were leaving their offices for lunch all along Wall Street, an unassuming horse and wagon exploded just outside the Morgan Building. Later analysis proved the bomb to be set with a timer and loaded with iron weights as shrapnel. Thirty-eight people were killed and hundreds more injured.
Bomb Blast in New York Sparks War on Terror The attack was a tragedy, but the overall desire was to return to "business as usual". With a bombing so close to the stock exchange, leaders were fearful of a panic, and so the damage was cleaned overnight. The board of governors for the stock exchange opened on the 17th without a problem. Rumors circulated that the explosion had been an accident. Soon, however, the Bureau of Investigation released flyers discovered in a nearby post office box with the cryptic message, "Remember. We will not tolerate any longer. Free the political prisoners or it will be death for all of you. American Anarchist Fighters!"
As the investigation continued quietly, people assumed it may have been an attack in reaction to the Sacco and Vanzetti, who had been arrested for murder in Massachusetts. People rallied behind the market in face of these "reds", and the celebration for Constitution Day continued at the same spot. Despite police surveillance, a package bomb exploded from a garbage bin, killing an additional seven. In Boston at the Farmer's Market, Washington, D.C., outside the Capitol, and San Francisco near the Mint, similar explosions followed.
The press seized the news, and the populace began to demand action. Wilson's term in office was nearly over, and the extremely ill president did not seem able to confront the issue of safety. Quoting the Washington Post, presidential hopeful Warren G. Harding said, "This is an 'act of war', and if it's war they want, it's war they'll get!" His words were dangerous in a world so soon after the Great War, but the gamble paid off, and he was elected in the largest majority since Washington. Immediately, Harding and his cabinet set upon establishing Security for Our Homeland. To prevent further plots, security checkpoints were set up at all train stations with passengers and baggage checked as well as bags being searched at important facilities such as museums, libraries, and public offices. Immigration came into heavy suspicion, especially as alcohol was run across the Canadian border, prompting many to call for a wall to be built.
Investigations pointed to Galleanists conducting the plot. All known accomplices were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy and spirited to federal penitentiaries. The leader, Luigi Galleani (pictured), had been deported to Italy, where he had been further exiled to an island and watched by government officials. Harding demanded that Galleani return for trial on conspiracy to commit murder. When the Italian government did not move quickly enough, he sent Marines to collect the anarchist personally. Foreign reporters described the action as an "invasion", but Harding refused to acknowledge that he had done anything beyond justice.
As his term progressed, Harding approached the League of Nations with evidence (which many critics said was scant at best) that the Bolsheviks of Russia had been responsible and were preparing more "actions of mass destruction". He encouraged other nations to redouble their support in the Russian Civil War, but if they refused, America would "do it alone". The Russian War, as it was called but never officially since Congress did not declare war, simply funded the American Expeditionary Force for Freedom. Many suspected Harding's administration of corruption, but most vocal opinions were drowned out by cries of patriotism.
Through the 1920s, the sense of panic would gradually subside in America while the war in Russia continued in a dogged fight against urban and guerrilla warfare. Many would call for a withdrawal of American soldiers by letting the Russian Republican Army defend the country itself, but neither Harding, Coolidge, nor Hoover fulfilled the promise to establish a timetable. The economy made a swift downturn in 1929, and Democrat Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 began the steady withdraw. America was ready for a time of isolationism, but the world dragged them back to action as the 1940s began the Second World War. Hitler's Fascists stormed Russia in 1941, citing the same principles of security Harding had and conquering it within a matter of months. Though over a million German troops would be caught up in the bloody occupation of Russia, further Germans would storm the beaches of Britain. Faced with overwhelming odds, the Allies would fight at tremendous losses until the tide of the war changed with the Atomic Bomb.
Beleaguered, economically depressed, and bringing up a generation calling for renewed isolationism, America would spend the rest of the twentieth century as something of an unwilling patron, constantly at guard for another attack by terror in a post-colonial world.
Entry posted by
Jeff Provine
© Jeff Provine, 2010-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Jeff Provine Blog Source: Jeff Provine’s Blog Labels: Galleanists, Wall Street, Terrorism, 1920, Luigi Galleani. Editor says, in reality though suspected, the Galleanists were never proven the source of the Wall Street bombing. Bombings were periodic, but hardly often. Rather than searching for conspiracies, the American populace endured radicals while being suspicious of immigrants in a "Red Scare" that was frightening but never fully terror.
~ The "Red Scare" of 1920 was prosecuted ny Atornet General A. Mitchel Palmer with more zeal than competence. Its influence would persist, however, for it would bring to prominence a young J. Edgar Hoover, who in 1924 would be named director of the then poorly-respected Federal Bureau of Investigation primarily on the strength of his own anti-leftist zealotry during the Scare. Hoover, of course, would remain FBI Director for nearly fifty years, until his death during the Nixon presidency.
~ I think that if the US was sufficiently motivated, we could have gone into Russia and done the Bolsheviks some serious damage, if not overthrown the regime completely. By the early 1920s, a lot of Russians were already bitterly regretting the revolution.
~ Good twists.
Editor says, what if the Russian Steamroller delivered on the Eastern Front in September 1914? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
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In 1914, two Russian armies (1st and 2nd) smashed the German 8th Army at the Battle of Allenstein, thus realizing the worst fears of the German General Staff - a stalemate in the West, and a Slavic steamroller in the East.
Battle of Allenstein by Zach TimmonsAlthough the French had been pressing the Russians to speed up their mobilization in order to take pressure off of the Allies on the Western Front, the Russians stuck doggedly to their pre-war schedules, with the 1st Army advancing east from Vilnius, and the 2nd Army marching north from Warsaw, with their objective being either to destroy the German army or drive it into the defenses of Königsberg, rendering it useless. The 8th Army had no intention of fighting, however; their orders were to fall back towards the Vistula River, in order to avoid being flanked and wiped out.
After a defeat at the battle of Gumbinnen, the commander of the 8th, General von Prittwitz ordered the retreat; however either through miscommunication or deliberate inaction by their commander, his I Corps never fell back, and was annihilated at the Battle of Insterburg, with the remnants retreating into Königsberg. This, combined with a drive around the German right flank by the 2nd Army, enabled a brilliant pincer move by the Russians at Allenstein, leaving almost the whole of East Prussia defenseless. The German 9th Army raced east as a stopgap; this, combined with reinforcements from the Western Front, allowed the Germans to hold the line of the Vistula.
Along with the decisive victory in the battle of Lemberg, Russian morale soared, and although the Eastern Front would essentially remain on the Vistula-Carpathian line until the war's end in 1917, Russians wholeheartedly supported the conflict. A move by Germany late in the war to foment political unrest in Russia failed badly when their agent, V.I. Ulyanov, received little support and was quickly arrested and executed on arrival. At the Treaty of Krakow in 1918, Germany and Austria-Hungary were forced to cede large sections of their Polish territories, which the Russians used to create an independent Polish buffer state. By war's end, Russia's industrial base was one of the largest in the world, and it only continued to grow; by the time of the outbreak of the 2nd Russo-Japanese War it had surpassed the United States for industrial supremacy.
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Zach Timmons
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Alternate Nations Source: Wikipedia Labels: Tannenberg, Russia, Great War, Imperial Germany, World War 1. ~ It would pretty much spell defeat for Imperial Germany.
~ Indeed.
~ Very interesting scenario actually, but why would the Eastern Front become "stagnate" give the huge Russian victory? Even with German reinforcements rushing to the east, they may not get there in time, not to mention the Western Front is severely weakened just when the Allies, namely the British, launch their major Flanders offensive in October 1914
~ This is interesting and unusual, but it would require a lot more competence on the part of the Russians---among other things, they didn't have enough cryptography guys, and often sent messages in clear, much to the astonishment and delight of the Germans. Maybe Rennenkampf and Samsonov were replaced with people who knew what they were doing, and the Tsar basically told the French to get stuffed?
~ Author here - my point of divergence is that the military reforms instituted after the Russo-Japanese War actually have an effect on the Russian military establishment, such as clearing out incompetent generals, assuring sufficient supplies of food and ammo, and enough telegraph wires and cryptographers.
John - You're probably right. I'll fix it.
David - The German soldier on the defensive was still powerfully effective. Even with the armies in the west being weakened, I think they'd still hold their own. The first battle of Ypres accomplished little for the Allies. Mainly that's why I had the war end in 1917; by then I think the Allies would've pushed the Germans back enough (combined with the Russian occupation of East Prussia) that morale would simply collapse.
~ Sorry but it does not play out this way. Both Russian armies were out of supply very shortly after crossing the frontier so a steamroller is out. You wind up with 2nd Army stopped before Danzig while 1st is besieging the fortress of Koningsburg. Ninth Army can easily handle 2nd as 9th will be in supply and 2nd will not. Losing East Prussia is a morale problem but scarcely a major defeat to Germany.
~ Rennenkampf and Sampsonov weren't incompetent, they just didn't get along. The real person to blame for the loss at the Battle of Tannenberg is General Jilinksy, who restrained Rennenkampf when he should have advanced, and pushed Samsonov forward when he should have waited.
Editor says, what if the America Legion had seized power? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).
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In 1919, the American Legion was founded. The patriotic organization would play a crucial role in the so-called "Red Scare" of 1919-20, operating as a quasi-official arm of the U.S. government with the approval of Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer and conducting raids, often violent in nature, against suspected "subversive" individuals and groups.
Birth of the American Legion by Eric LippsThrough the 1920s. the Legion would swell in size and power. After the stock-market crash of October 1929, however, it would come into its own as the armed wing of a new right-wing party, the American Party. In 1932, in a bitterly contested three-way race, American Party candidate Ralph T. O'Neill, an admirer of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, would win the U.S. presidency, defeating both the discredited Republican incumbent Herbert Hoover and his Democratic challenger, New York's Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt, in the Electoral College.
President O'Neill would emulate many of the policies of Mussolini, including his regime's official persecution of Jews, whom O'Neill considered "un-American". In 1935, he would join with Mussolini, Germany's Adolf Hitler, and Japan's Hideki Tojo in forming the so-called "Anti-Comintern Pact". This alliance would prove decisive when, in 1939, Soviet Russia invaded Poland, claiming a need for a buffer against invasion. The Second World War which followed would end in the fall of 1941 with Pact tanks rolling through the rubble of Moscow.
By then, President O'Neill, who had been re-elected in 1936 and, citing "wartime emergency", had suspended the 1940 election, had effectively negated the U.S. Constitution. Dissent was officially illegal, and government critics risked deportation to "correction camps" in Alaska and the Florida Everglades. The Legion's original patriotism had morphed into something much darker which cast a shadow not only over the former "land of the free" but over the rest of the world as well.
Entry posted by
Eric Lipps
© Eric Lipps,2007-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Beasts Source: Wikipedia Labels: American Legion, Red Scare, Twenties, Thirties, America. ~ Point of order, Mussolini and his regeim had little against the Jews and did little to them until Hitler strongarmed him (not likely across the Atlantic). In general though, this sounds quite dystopic.
~ Why would they bother? To the degree they had a cuase Harding fulfilled enough of it and he was easily elected."
~ So in this AH WWII, what happens to Britain & France?
~ This sort of thing is less likely to happen, if only because the US won WWI, and was much less harmed by the experience of the war than the European combatant nations.
~ Well, the Japanese won World War I too (they fought on the Allied side that time), and were not particularly harmed by the fighting, but that didn't keep them from going fascist.
As for the Legion's platform, I'm assuming that it grew more radical in the twenties, perhaps in respose to a greater perceived threat from leftist radicals. Suppose, for example, the post-World War I German revolution had ended in the founding not of the familiar Weimar Republic but of an enduring left-wing regime?
~ The real trick for the Legion would have been holding on to power.
In 2001, President Gore praises Shaykh Abdul Aziz al-Ashaikh (Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Senior Ulama) for his formal response to the downing of Flight 93. Respect by Eric Lipps
Delivered the previous day, al-Ashaikh's statement was a blistering condemnation of the attack: "Hijacking planes, terrorizing innocent people and shedding blood constitute a form of injustice that can not be tolerated by Islam, which views them as gross crimes and sinful acts. "
"In these words," the President says, "we hear the answer to those who say that Islam is always and forever an enemy to the West, always and forever a religion of violence. Shocked as we are at the cruel act committed against defenseless people on September 11, we must remember these words when we are tempted to blame all Muslims for the acts of fanatics. " Gore is excoriated by conservative critics in America and in Israel for his "naive" view of Islam in the wake of the Flight 93 attack. His words are much better received, ironically, in Saudi Arabia, home of the leader of Al Qaeda, where his praise for a highly respected religious figure is appreciated.
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Eric Lipps
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Gore Wins Source: Wikipedia Labels: Al Gore, Grand Mufti, Chairman of the Senior Ulama, September 11, War on Terror.
In 2009, (UPI-London) published the following feature article dated Sept. 16 ~ Scottish Villages to be Abandoned in Wake of Millipede Invasion. Britain's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced today that the villages of Droman, Balchrick and Blairmore will be abandoned at least temporarily following the failure of efforts to thwart the invasion of resident's homes by swarms of millipedes.Black Millipede strikes by Eric LippsThe failure of insecticides, barriers and even a wartime-style blackout (millipedes are attracted by light) to stop the insect incursions has left locals desperate for a solution. National authorities are said to be considering a range of solutions, from introducing insectivorous animals known to prey on them to the mass spraying of he affected communities with caustic chemicals to, as a last resort, "dusting" the affected area with highly radioactive isotopes.
Scottish Villages to be Abandoned in Wake of Millipede InvasionThe chemical and radiological options are opposed by the local villagers because contamination would render the area uninhabitable for humans for many years and would sterilise the soil, ruining it for agriculture even after the contaminants themselves decayed to harmlessness or were removed. Residents fear their communities might become permanent ghost towns, as was the fate of many towns and even some cities surrounding the former Soviet Union's nuclear facility at Chernobyl following the 1986 disaster there.
A government spokesman announced that residents will be provided with temporary housing at government expense, and that if it proves impossible to render their homes fit for them to return, compensation will be provided to allow them to purchase new residences elsewhere. A fund for this purpose is to be established by order of Parliament. The intended size of this fund was not revealed. Some citizens' groups warn that the government's offer should be viewed with caution; they point to the unhappy outcome of a similar disaster relief effort in the United States following the devastation of New Orleans and other communities by Hurricane Katrina several years ago.
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Eric Lipps
© Eric Lipps,2007-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Disasters Source: Wikipedia Labels: Millipede, Infestation, Insects, Scotland, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.| Emperor Hirohito | In 2001, Emperor Hirohito visited New York City to pay his respects to the victims and survivors of the 9/11 attacks. |
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| of Japan |
This visit reciprocated a similar journey former US President Bill Clinton had made to Japan six years earlier following the Tokyo subway gas attack. |
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Chris Oakley
original content has been repurposed to celebrate the author's genius © Chris Oakley,2008-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Hirohito Centennial Source: Wikipedia Labels: Emperor Hirohito, Japan, Tokyo, Asia, 2001.On this day in 1919, American League president Ban Johnson announced that if the White Sox and Tigers were still tied for first in the AL standings at the end of the regular season, a special one-game playoff would be held in Chicago on October 2nd to break the tie. | |
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| Ban Johnson |
Entry posted by
Chris Oakley
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: white sox Source: Wikipedia Labels: Ban Johnson , Chicago White Sox, 1919, Sports, Baseball.On this day in 1944, Allied troops in Italy occupied the tiny enclave of the Republic of San Marino. | |
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Chris Oakley
© Chris Oakley,2008-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: France44 Source: Wikipedia Labels: San Marino, Allies, America, Adolf Hitler, Europe.In 1788, New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the new U.S. Constitution, placing it into effect. Congress schedules the presidential election for the first Tuesday in November. President of the Congress Cyrus Griffin will serve as acting president until the first Constitutional president is sworn in, which is expected to be sometime in the first week in March (Congress has not specified an exact date) to allow time for the new administration to be assembled and for its members to travel to New York, which is serving as a temporary capital. | |
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| US Congress |
It is generally expected that George Washington will be chosen president. That expectation proves true, as Washington receives a unanimous vote in the electoral college. Under the lifetime tenure provision of the Constitution, he will remain in office until his deaath in 1799. |
Entry posted by
Eric Lipps
© Eric Lipps,2007-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Lifeterm Source: Wikipedia Labels: US Congress, America, Constitution , Bill of Rights, US.In 1970, a demonstration against the Vietnam War and in favor of emergency aid to North Vietnam at Ohio State University's main campus in Columbus, Ohio swells to several thousand people. After several incidents in which demonstrators yell obscenities at campus and local police called in to "maintain order", Columbus's mayor Maynard E. Sensenbrenner calls for the assistance of the National Guard. | |
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The following day, tensions at OSU-Columbus escalate when, just prior to the arrival of National Guard troops requested by Mayor Sensenbrenner, the campus Reserve Officer Training Corps erupts in flames. Attempts to put out the blaze are hampered by demonstrators, who throw rocks and bottles at police and firemen trying to extinguish it. When the Guard troops arrive, they set up headquarters on campus and make numerous arrests, employing tear gas and bayonets on the crowd. One student is injured by a bayonet. |
Entry posted by
Eric Lipps
© Eric Lipps,2007-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Cuba War Source: Wikipedia Labels: Richard Nixon, 1968, Presidency, Presidential Election, Vietnam War.On this day in 1917, former RMS Titanic lookout Frederick Fleet committed suicide in Manchester, England. Fleet, riddled with guilt because he was convinced he was responsible for the ocean liner's sinking by a German U-boat, had lapsed into alcoholism after the ship was sunk; he blew his brains out with a .38 revolver. | |
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Entry posted by
Chris Oakley
© Chris Oakley,2008-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Titanic13 Source: Wikipedia Labels: Titanic, Unrestricted Submarine warfare, World War 1, RMS Titanic, Central Powers.In 1810, political dissidents in Mexico proclaim the colony's independence from Spain. | |
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Entry posted by
Eric Lipps
© Eric Lipps,2007-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Slavery Source: Wikipedia Labels: Mexican Independence, Complicity, Independentistas, Spain, British Empire.On 7 September 1977 Bolan scheduled the final episode of Marc, a long-awaited performance with his old friend David Bowie. As they begin their duet at the show's finale, Bolan tripped and fell off the stage. Bowie smiled and the credits abruptly rolled whilst Bolan was taken to a West London hospital with a broken hip.
Jones died two weeks before his 30th birthday. Bolan had never learned to drive a car, and was known to fear them for he had visions all his life of dying in a car crash (references to which appear in some of his lyrics, notably 1972's 'Solid Gold Easy Action').
In a radio interview with Nicky Horne in 1973, Horne asked, 'Where does Marc Bolan hope to be in five years time?' Bolan replied, 'I hope to be alive still, that's all I can say'. Bolan is reported to have told Gloria Jones he didn't expect to see 30 or his son's second birthday. However, it is also widely accepted he was planning to marry Jones in early 1978. The rock star once described himself as a 'gypsy explorer' in the lyrics to Dandy in the Underworld. The site of Jones's fatal accident is between Rocks Lane and Gypsy Lane. A copy of the NME found in Bolan's wrecked Mini car was open at an interview with Pete Townshend, the headline on the interview reading, 'Hope I don't Die Before I Get Old'.Story Chunk 2
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: 1916 Year of Peace Source: Althistory Wikia Labels: World War 1, 1914, Belgium, Flemish, Walloon.Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Soviet America Source: Robbie Taylors Blog Labels: Joel Rosenberg, Robbie A. Taylor, Comrade, Soviet States of America, Communism.
Later that afternoon with the Germans already in Trafalgar Square and advancing down Whitehall to take their position in the rear, the enemy unit advancing across St. James 'Park made their final charge. Several of those in the Downing Street position were already dead... and at last the Bren ceased its chatter, its last magazine emptied. Churchill reluctantly abandoned the machine-gun, drew his pistol and with great satisfaction, for it was a notoriously inaccurate weapon, shot dead the first German to reach the foot of the steps. As two more rushed forward, covered by a third in the distance, Winston Churchill moved out of the shelter of the sandbags. as if personally to bar the way up Downing Street. A German NCO, running up to find the cause of the unexpected hold-up, recognised him and shouted to the soldiers not to shoot, but he was too late. A burst of bullets from a machine-carbine caught the Prime Minister in the chest. He died instantly, his back to Downing Street, his face toward the enemy, his pistol still in his hand.
~ How Britain Fell by Norman Longmate
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Winston Churchill Web Site Labels: Winston Churchill, World War 2, Britain, Operation Sealion, Hitler Triumphant. ~ Died like a man he did. Churchill probably wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Crises Source: BBC Labels: Black Wednesday, European Exchange Rate Mechanism, Norman Lamont, Paddy Ashdown, Britain.Entry posted by Todayinah Editor
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© Today in Alternate History, 2013-. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
