The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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On June 23, 1314, the fields south of Stirling Castle bore witness to the opening clash of the Battle of Bannockburn, a defining moment in the First War of Scottish Independence. Led by King Robert the Bruce, the Scottish forces confronted the might of King Edward II's English army, setting the stage for a confrontation that would shape the future of Scotland. The Road to Bannockburn The battle was precipitated by a siege: Stirling Castle, a key strategic stronghold, had been under Scottish...
June 30, 1936 – Geneva, Switzerland - In one of the most powerful and prophetic speeches of the 20th century, Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia stood before the League of Nations on this day in 1936 to plead for justice and international solidarity in the face of Italy's brutal invasion of his country. His address, delivered in Geneva to a packed assembly of diplomats and journalists, was not only a desperate appeal for aid but also a searing indictment of global inaction in the face of f...
On July 1, 1863, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia met the Union Amy of the Potomac at the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This was the second time that Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded the Northern states. Lee hoped to defeat the Union army on Northern soil, in hopes that it would force the Lincoln administration to negotiate for peace. President Abraham Lincoln (R) had replaced Major General Joseph Hooker with Major General George G. Meade in late June. It was also becoming...
July 2, 1853 - The waters of the Pruth River, meandering quietly between what is now Moldova and Romania, became the stage for a geopolitical drama whose reverberations would echo across Europe for decades. The crossing of the Russian Army into the Danubian Principalities-Moldavia and Wallachia-did not merely alter the fate of those lands, but became the spark that ignited the Crimean War, drawing in empires and powers from across the continent and beyond. Europe on the Brink: The Context of 185...
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights." These powerful words were made immortal when The Continental Congress officially adopted the final draft of The Declaration of Independence on July 04th, 1776. And while such words may ring pretty to the modern day ear, during the time they were penned, which was a time of empires, kings, and monarchs, it was daring to the point of high treason to...
July 3, 1898: The Decisive Naval Battle That Reshaped Two Nations On July 3, 1898, in the warm Caribbean waters off the coast of Santiago de Cuba, a pivotal moment in the Spanish-American War unfolded. The Spanish fleet, under the command of Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, faced off against the might of the United States Navy in a dramatic clash that would not only shape the outcome of the war, but also herald a new era in global power dynamics. The annihilation of Cervera's squadron marked...
On July 5, 1950, just two years after the founding of the State of Israel, the Knesset passed one of the most defining pieces of legislation in Israeli history: the Law of Return. This law granted every Jew the right to immigrate to Israel and receive immediate citizenship. It was not merely a legal measure-it was the embodiment of the Zionist dream and a direct response to centuries of Jewish exile and persecution. Historical Context: Zionism and the Jewish Homeland - Zionism, the political...
On a warm summer day-July 6, 1854-in the small town of Jackson, Michigan, a political revolution quietly took root beneath an oak tree. What began as a gathering of anti-slavery activists, former Whigs, Free Soilers, and disillusioned Democrats would soon blossom into one of the most influential political parties in American history: the Republican Party. The Setting: Jackson, Michigan Jackson was a modest but bustling town in southern Michigan, strategically located along the Michigan Central...
Introduction On the night of July 7, 1937, the ancient arches of the Marco Polo Bridge-known in China as Lugou Qiao-witnessed the outbreak of violence that would plunge China and Japan into one of the 20th century's most brutal and influential conflicts: the Second Sino-Japanese War. This seemingly isolated clash between Japanese and Chinese troops near Beijing did not just mark a skirmish between two armies; it became the catalyst for a full-scale war, forever altering the history of East Asia...
Introduction On this day in 1709, the fields outside the Ukrainian city of Poltava bore witness to a battle that would reshape the map of Europe and alter the fate of empires. The Battle of Poltava, a decisive moment in the Great Northern War, marked the end of Sweden's dominance as a major power and heralded the rise of the Russian Empire under Peter I, also known as Peter the Great. This turning point in history saw the ambitious Charles XII of Sweden suffer a devastating defeat, changing the...
From Baiae to Rome: The Death and Burial of a Philosopher-Emperor The Twilight of an Emperor Few names in Roman history evoke such a sense of grandeur tinged with introspection as Publius Aelius Hadrianus-Hadrian, emperor of Rome from 117 to 138 CE. His reign, marked by consolidation, peace, and a deep appreciation for art and philosophy, would draw to a close not on the marble floors of a palace in Rome, but in the sultry coastal villas of Baiae. There, in the waning light of his life, Hadrian...
n July 1854, the tranquil port town of Guaymas, nestled along the coast of Sonora, Mexico, became the stage for a dramatic showdown that tested the nation's resolve. At its center was General José María Yáñez, a seasoned Mexican commander, who faced a peculiar threat: an international incursion led not by a government—but by a rogue French nobleman seeking conquest. A Count's Colonial Ambition Count Gaston de Raousset-Boulbon, a French aristocrat with dreams of empire, had previously meddl...
On May 31, 1864 during the American Civil War the Overland Campaign: Battle of Cold Harbor began. The battle pitted the Confederal Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee with the Army of the Potomac under Ulysses S. Grant & George G. Meade. The Battle of Cold Harbor was one of the most significant and harrowing engagements of the American Civil War, marking a critical episode in the Overland Campaign. This brutal confrontation between the Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by Robert E....
June 3, 1989 – BEIJING, CHINA - The government of China sent in troops to force pro-democracy protesters out of Tiananmen Square after seven weeks of occupation. The peaceful protestors had believed that the rapidly modernizing country was ripe for much overdue political and economic reform and were protesting in Tiananmen Square demanding elections. The extremely brutal Chinese Communist Party has never shared power and has never been shy about using deadly force against its own people. Instead...
On June 6, 1944, the shores of Normandy bore witness to an unparalleled display of courage and sacrifice. The Greatest Generation, forged in the crucible of the Great Depression and steeled by the fires of World War II, embarked on an endeavor that would alter the course of history. These brave souls, hailing from towns and cities across the globe, stormed the beaches of D-Day with unwavering resolve and a fierce determination to defend the ideals of freedom and democracy. In the face of...
People participate in a Juneteenth celebration in Fort Greene park. Stephanie Keith // Getty Images The history and significance of Juneteenth Juneteenth—also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, or the country's second Independence Day—stands as an enduring symbol of Black American freedom. When Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and fellow federal soldiers arrived in Galveston, a coastal town on Texas' Galveston Island, on June 19, 1865, it was to issue orders for the emancipation of enslaved peo...
On June 4, 1942, one of the most decisive battles of World War II was fought. One of the largest naval battles of all time saw pilots from the United States battle pilots of the Navy of the Empire of Japan. On December 7, 1941 the Japanese Navy launched a carrier-based attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor. The United States was taken completely by surprise and much of the U.S. Pacific fleet was sunk. While the U.S. battleships were destroyed, by sheer luck there were no U.S. aircraft car...
The Sinking of the German Battleship Bismarck On May 27, 1940, the formidable German battleship Bismarck met its tragic fate in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. The sinking of the Bismarck marked a pivotal moment in the naval warfare of World War II, resulting in the loss of nearly 2,100 men. This event not only showcased the brutal realities of war but also demonstrated the relentless pursuit by the Allied forces to cripple the Nazi war machine. The Mighty Bismarck The Bismarck was a symb...
Second Lieutenant Walter Sidlowski on Omaha Beach, Normandy, after helping to rescue a group of soldiers after their landing craft sank on D-Day. Walter Rosenblum/U.S. Army Signal Corps/Galerie Bilderwelt // Getty Images 50 facts and figures about D-Day Five years into World War II, the Allies were squeezing the Nazis from two sides. In Western Europe, Allied forces had managed to slow Adolf Hitler's ruthless expansion across the continent. Meanwhile, to the East, the Russians had successfully...
Monday is a state holiday in Alabama as the state honors the legacy of the President of the Confederate States of America. State offices, county court houses, and most schools will be closed for the official state. Federal offices, post offices, and most banks will be open. Davis was inaugurated in Montgomery – the first capital of the Confederacy. The first White House of the Confederacy, where President Davis and his family lived is maintained across the street from the historic 1859 C...
That great standard of liberty, the Magna Carta, is 810 years old this month. Historians and political scientists have examined its provisions extensively, carefully allocating each clause to various rights and freedoms we now take for granted. Indeed, it is a fascinating inquiry to consider that so many centuries ago, various rights now considered standard and common were first tested in the body politic. Many refer to the United States as an experiment because our Constitution created a form...
June 1, 1648: The Roundheads' Triumph Over the Cavaliers The Battle of Maidstone, fought on June 1, 1648, is a significant episode in the turbulent era of the Second English Civil War. This decisive confrontation marked a crucial turning point in the struggle between the Parliamentarian forces, known as the Roundheads, and the Royalists, known as the Cavaliers. The battle demonstrated the strategic brilliance and resilience of the Roundheads, solidifying their dominance while signaling a...
June 2, 455 AD, marked one of the most pivotal and devastating events in the history of the Roman Empire-the sacking of Rome by the Vandals. Over a span of two weeks, the invaders plundered the city, leaving behind a legacy of destruction and chaos. This event underscored the waning power of the Western Roman Empire and has become a symbol of the empire's vulnerability during its twilight years. The Background: A Fragmenting Empire By the 5th century AD, the Roman Empire was already a shadow of...
On June 9, 68 A.D. the Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus - better known simply as Nero - committed suicide, after quoting Homer's Iliad. Nero was the last emperor with family ties to Julius Caesar and Octavian Caesar. thus ending the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and starting the civil year known as the Year of the Four Emperors. Perhaps not so coincidentally, June 9 was his wedding anniversary. Nero wed Claudia Octavia in 53 A.D. He later had her executed on June 9, 62 A.D. along...
On June 10, 1938, Nationalist Chinese forces intentionally flooded the Yellow River to stop advancing Japanese forces in the Second Sino-Japanese War. The civilian Chinese deaths were devastating. In the midst of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945), China faced an existential threat as Japanese forces rapidly advanced into its heartland. With the fall of major cities like Nanjing and Wuhan looming, the Chinese Nationalist government led by Chiang Kai-shek resorted to extreme measures to hal...
