A Brief History On September 29, 1758 (New Style Calendar), one of the greatest naval heroes of all time was born, Horatio Nelson, the man that would become Vice Admiral and 1st Viscount Nelson, the hero of Trafalgar. Nelson’s career was one of consistent valor which cost him most of the sight in one eye and his right arm, before he was killed in action at Trafalgar, truly a masculine, “manly” man in the traditional sense. Digging Deeper Today, in the 21st Century, the thousands of years of human evolution to value strong, brave, “manly” men is being called “toxic…
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A Brief History On September 25, 1066, Harald III of Norway, aka Harald Hardrada, aka the “Thunderbolt of the North,” died a Viking’s death in battle at the Stamford Bridge in England, at the hands of the last Anglo-Saxon crowned King of England, Harold Godwinson. Digging Deeper As depicted in the semi-historical cable show, Vikings: Valhalla, the game of thrones played by the Vikings in Scandinavia, all around Europe, Britain, and as far as the Byzantine Empire was a violent exercise in subterfuge and betrayal, often resulting in violent death for those players who aspired after the various thrones. Harald…
A Brief History On September 21, 1809, the British government was rocked by a duel fought between Secretary of War Lord Castlereagh and Foreign Secretary George Canning. Neither aggrieved party was killed, although Canning was shot in the thigh. Digging Deeper Epic cases of one-on-one combat are found throughout history, sometimes formal affairs and sometimes matters of chance. Some of those epic battles include: A London duel between women, in 1782, pitted Lady Almeria Braddock against Mrs. Elphinstone who claimed the former was 30 years older than Braddock stated. When pistol shots proved errant, a sword fight ensued, with Elphinstone…
A Brief History On September 16, 2007, Americans and Iraqis found out just how dangerous it is when nations hire private “security,” basically mercenaries, during time of armed conflict. Agents of Blackwater Worldwide, a paramilitary “security” firm employed by the US in Iraq gunned down 17 Iraqi citizens, an event called “Nisour Square massacre.” Digging Deeper The incident brought international shame on the US, and only after seven years were the perpetrators tried, one convicted of murder and three of manslaughter. After finally saving some moral high ground with the convictions, in 2020 President Trump pardoned all four mercenaries! The…
A Brief History On September 14, 1999, three tiny countries were admitted to the United Nations, Kiribati, Nauru, and Tonga. The UN currently has 193 members. Digging Deeper Of these Pacific Island countries, Kiribati has 121,000 residents, most of whom live on the atoll of Tarawa, an island infamous from its World War II battle. With an area of only 313 square miles, Kiribati ranks 172nd in area of world countries and 192nd in population Nauru is the baby of the trio, with an area of only 8.1 square miles and a population of under 11,000, ranking 193rd and 227th…