The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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Two hundred years ago, the Erie Canal was finally completed, and to celebrate the achievement the Governor of New York and other local elected officials engaged in a progressive celebration. They sailed from Lake Erie to New York Harbor with stops at communities along the way. It was like a 10-day tailgate with parties, speeches and all-day public celebrations, and it culminated in a ceremonial “wedding of the waters” when water from Lake Erie was poured into New York Harbor. The completion of t...
October 10, 680 CE - Karbala, Iraq - On October 10, 680 A.D., one of the most defining and tragic events in Islamic history unfolded on the plains of Karbala, near the Euphrates River in present-day Iraq. The Battle of Karbala marked the martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and became a symbol of resistance against tyranny and injustice. His death is commemorated annually by Muslims around the world, particularly within the Shi'a tradition, as Aashurah-a day of...
October 10, 732 - Near POITIERS, FRANCE - On this day in 732, one of the most consequential battles in European history unfolded near the towns of Tours and Poitiers in west-central France. The Battle of Tours-also known as the Battle of Poitiers-pitted the Frankish forces under Charles Martel against a large army of Umayyad Muslims led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi, the governor of Córdoba. The outcome would shape the religious, cultural, and political trajectory of Western Europe for centuries....
On October 6, 1973, a coalition of Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a surprise, coordinated attack against Israel, marking the beginning of the Yom Kippur War-also known as the October War or the Ramadan War. This conflict, which lasted until October 25, 1973, dramatically altered the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East and left a lasting legacy on military strategy and international relations. Central to the war were the decisive actions and leadership of commanders on all sides,...
Anyone who studies the early years of George Washington notices that in his position of being a part of the Colonial Virginia gentry, but not of the same means as his class, he was born for his pivotal role in the annals of history in leading what would become the United States of America to victory against the British King George. It is this focus on the early years of George Washington during his time as a surveyor and soldier in the French American War that forms the plot of the forthcoming...
On October 4, 1943, a pivotal event unfolded in the Pacific Theater of World War II: the United States completed the capture of the Solomon Islands from Japanese forces. This victory marked a significant milestone in the Allied campaign against Japan, altering the strategic landscape of the war and paving the way for future offensives in the Pacific. On September 4, 1943, a pivotal event unfolded in the Pacific Theater of World War II: the United States completed the capture of the Solomon...
On October 8, 1480, the banks of the Ugra River bore silent witness to a momentous turning point in Eastern European history. What unfolded was not a bloody clash of armies, but a tense standoff - a strategic silence that echoed louder than cannon fire. This confrontation between Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow and Akhmat Khan of the Great Horde would ultimately sever the centuries-long Mongol yoke over Russian lands and usher in a new era of sovereignty. Background: The Mongol Grip on Rus Since...
Today, October 13, 2025, is Columbus Day. It is a federal and state holiday celebrating the achievements of the great Italian Admiral Christopher Columbus. Columbus, who was born in Genoa, Italy, is celebrated for his 1492 discovery of the Americas on behalf of the Spanish crown. Courthouses, banks, government offices, most schools, and some businesses are closed today in honor of Columbus and his discovery of North and South America. Sometimes Columbus is credited with proving that the Earth is...
On October 5, 2000, the streets of Belgrade, Serbia, became the epicenter of a historic political change. Mass demonstrations erupted against the regime of Slobodan Milošević, the long-standing Serbian strongman whose rule had shaped much of the Balkans' tumultuous 1990s. These events-culminating in the dramatic resignation of Milošević-are often called the "Bulldozer Revolution," signifying both the power of the people and the literal use of a bulldozer to break through police barricades. Backg...
In the autumn of 42 BC, the Roman Republic stood at a crossroads. The assassination of Julius Caesar two years earlier had plunged Rome into chaos, and the battle to determine its future reached a decisive moment on the plains near Philippi in Macedonia. On one side stood the forces of the Second Triumvirate-Mark Antony and Octavian-sworn to avenge Caesar's death. On the other, the armies of Brutus and Cassius, the leading conspirators in Caesar's assassination, who believed they were defending...
October 7, 105 BC, near the banks of the River Rhône in southern Gaul, the Roman Republic suffered one of the most devastating military defeats in its history. The Battle of Arausio, fought near the modern town of Orange, France, pitted two Roman armies against the migrating Cimbri, a Germanic tribe whose movements had already shaken the Roman frontier. The result was a catastrophic loss of life, a shattered Roman command structure, and a crisis that would ultimately reshape Roman military...
October 7, 1940 – A Strategic Blueprint for War - In the quiet corridors of Washington's naval intelligence offices, a memo was drafted on October 7, 1940, that would later ignite fierce debate among historians and conspiracy theorists alike. Known as the McCollum memo, this internal document outlined a provocative strategy: to counter Japanese expansion in East Asia by goading Japan into committing an "overt act of war"-an act that could justify American entry into World War II. What Was the M...
In the early hours of September 30, 1938, four European powers-Britain, France, Germany, and Italy-signed the Munich Agreement, a diplomatic accord that permitted Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland, a fortified and industrial region of western Czechoslovakia. The agreement, reached without Czechoslovakia's participation, was hailed by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain as a triumph of peace. Yet history would judge it as a catastrophic miscalculation that emboldened Adolf Hitler and...
September 29, 480 BC marked one of the most decisive naval battles in ancient history-the Battle of Salamis. In the narrow straits between the island of Salamis and the Greek mainland, a vastly outnumbered Greek fleet led by the cunning Athenian general Themistocles defeated the mighty Persian armada commanded by King Xerxes I. This victory not only saved Greece from conquest but reshaped the trajectory of Western civilization. Prelude to Battle: Greece on the Brink The Persian invasion of...
Jane Bolin, the first Black American woman graduate of Yale Law School and the first Black American woman judge in the United States. Bettmann // Getty Images 19 Black historical figures you probably didn't learn about in class For many years, school curricula have limited their scope to the same Black figures throughout history. While lectures on the legacies of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman remain crucial, some educators and students are eager to learn about...
Introduction In the annals of English history, few years are as pivotal as 1066. This was the year when William, Duke of Normandy-known in his own time as William the Bastard-crossed the English Channel and began the Norman Conquest. His invasion not only transformed the political landscape of England but also left a profound and lasting legacy on the country's society, language, and culture. This article explores the context, events, and consequences of William's historic campaign. The...
On September 27, 489, the fate of Italy tilted dramatically as two rival kings-Odoacer and Theodoric-clashed near Verona in a decisive battle that would shape the future of the peninsula and the legacy of the Western Roman Empire. The confrontation, known as the Battle of Verona, marked the second major defeat for Odoacer at the hands of Theodoric and signaled the beginning of the Ostrogothic ascendancy in Italy. Background: The Collapse of Roman Authority By the late 5th century, the Western...
On October 1, 1800, a quiet diplomatic agreement in Europe reshaped the future of North America. Through the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso, Spain ceded the vast Louisiana Territory back to France, setting the stage for one of the most consequential land transfers in American history. A Secret Deal with Global Ripples Negotiated between Spain's King Charles IV and France's First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte, the treaty was part of a broader European power shuffle. Spain, weakened by war and...
October 2, 1941 - Eastern Front, World War II - In the early hours of October 2, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation Typhoon, a massive military campaign aimed at capturing Moscow and delivering a decisive blow to the Soviet Union. The offensive marked the final phase of Germany's summer campaign on the Eastern Front and represented Adolf Hitler's belief that seizing the Soviet capital would collapse Soviet resistance and end the war in the east. 🔹 Strategic Ambitions Operation Typhoon was de...
September 24, 2025 - WEST POINT, NY - Few moments in American history have resonated with the sense of betrayal as deeply as the flight of Benedict Arnold to the British Army lines following the exposure of his plot to surrender the fortress at West Point. The arrest of British Major John André was the linchpin that revealed the treacherous scheme and sent Arnold fleeing to safety behind enemy lines. This episode not only shifted the course of the Revolutionary War but also carved Arnold's...
September 23, 1803 - THe Battle of Assaye was fought paving the way for English rule of India. Introduction The early nineteenth century in India was a time of profound upheaval, marked by the collision of indigenous empires and foreign colonial powers. Within this crucible, the Battle of Assaye, fought on September 23, 1803, emerged as a pivotal moment in the Second Anglo-Maratha War. This fierce engagement between the British East India Company and the Maratha Empire not only showcased the tac...
On September 20, 1979, a swift and bloodless coup d'état dismantled one of Africa's most extravagant and controversial regimes. Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa I, ruler of the Central African Empire, was overthrown in a French-backed operation that restored republican governance and ended a three-year imperial experiment that had alienated citizens and international allies alike. From President to Emperor: Bokassa's Rise Jean-Bédel Bokassa, a former captain in the French Colonial Army, seized po...
On September 21, 1860, the Anglo-French alliance delivered a crushing defeat to Qing Dynasty forces at the Battle of Palikao, a turning point in the Second Opium War that paved the way for the fall of Beijing and the imposition of humiliating terms on China. Fought at the bridge of Baliqiao (Palikao), just east of the imperial capital, the battle showcased the stark military disparity between Western powers and the Qing Empire, and marked the climax of a conflict rooted in trade, sovereignty,...
In the early hours of September 16, 1812, a blaze erupted in Moscow that would become one of the most devastating urban fires in European history. Within days, three-quarters of the city lay in ruins, consumed by flames that raged from September 14 to 18 during Napoleon Bonaparte's ill-fated Russian campaign. A City Abandoned, a Fire Unleashed The fire began shortly after Napoleon's Grande Armée entered Moscow on September 14, following the brutal Battle of Borodino. Russian forces, under...
September 22, 1866 - Curupaity, Paraguay - Conflict: War of the Triple Alliance (1864–1870) Strategic Context By late 1866, the War of the Triple Alliance-pitting Paraguay against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay-had devolved into a brutal campaign of attrition. The Allies had made bloody gains toward the Paraguayan fortress of Humaitá, but their momentum stalled at Curupaity, where Paraguayan General José Eduvigis Díaz had fortified a 2,000-yard trench line with 49 cannons and Congreve rock...
