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    General Piccolomini

    The Austrian General who Destroyed the city of Skopje to Prevent the Spread of Cholera

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    By on Military, October 26

    A Brief History On October 26, 1689, Austrian General Piccolomini burned down the Macedonian city of Skopje to prevent the spread of cholera. Digging Deeper In the aftermath of the Ottoman Empire’s failed assault on Vienna in 1683, the Austrians retaliated by launching their own offenses into Ottoman territory in Europe.  These campaigns continued late in that decade. One of the commanders of such expeditions was Enea Silvio Piccolomini, a nobleman from Italy (his ancestors included TWO popes!) fighting in Austria’s service.  His campaign was intended to capture Bosnia, Kosovo, and Macedonia from the Ottoman Empire.  Although his army was…

    The Near Suicidal Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War

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    By on Military, October 25

    A Brief History On October 25, 1854, the United Kingdom, the Ottoman Empire, and the French Empire fought against Russia in the Battle of Balaclava, which included the famous (and disastrous) “Charge of the Light Brigade”. Digging Deeper The Crimean War (October 1853 – February 1856) was an absolutely massive war, easily one of the most significant wars fought between Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815 and the onset of World War I in 1914.  An Alliance of France, the Ottoman Empire, Britain, and the Kingdom of Sardinia challenged the Russian Empire and Bulgaria.  The Franco-British-Ottoman alliance enjoyed a strength of…

    Talk about a Birthday Bash! The First Person to go Over Niagara Falls in a Barrel

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    By on October 24, The Bizarre, Travel

    A Brief History On October 24, 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first confirmed person to go over Niagra Falls in a barrel on her 63rd birthday! Digging Deeper Annie Edson Taylor was born on October 24, 1838.  She worked as a school teacher before traveling around searching for other employment opportunities.  In her later life, the future “Queen of the Mist” eventually decided to become the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, earning her a ranking of seventh on a list of “Top 10 Daredevils”. To prepare for her short journey, she designed a special…

    October 23, 1739: The War Started over A Severed Ear

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    By on Military, October 23, Politics, The Bizarre

    A Brief History On October 23, 1739, the War of Jenkins’ Ear began when British Prime Minister Robert Walpole declared war on Spain following the exhibition in Parliament of the severed ear of a British captain allegedly maimed by Spaniards. Digging Deeper In 1731, a British captain named Robert Jenkins captained a British brig sailing off of Florida’s coast.  When a Spanish patrol boat boarded Jenkins’s brig, the Spanish commander cut off Jenkins’s left ear, accusing the British captain of smuggling.  The ear-severing Spaniard then taunted Jenkins, daring him to “tell your King that I will do the same, if…

    The Insane Man Who Nearly Overthrew Napoleon

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    By on Crime, October 23, Politics

    A Brief History On October 23, 1812, the mad General Malet seized control of the police of Paris and attempted a coup d’état against Napoleon’s Empire. Digging Deeper During the summer of 1812, Napoleon led his army on campaign against Russia, traveling deeper into enemy territory than he intended and eventually reaching Moscow.  Napoleon and his ministers back in Paris were used to receiving messages from each other on a daily basis, even if the messages took a few weeks to reach their destination.  Due to the distance covered, the routes between Napoleon and his capital of Paris were not…