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…

A Brief History On October 22, 1926, J. Gordon Whitehead dealt a potentially deadly sucker punch to magician Harry Houdini’s stomach. Digging Deeper Harry Houdini (born Erik Weisz in Budapest on March 24, 1874) is almost without any doubt the most famous magician and escape artist of all time, arguably surpassing the David Copperfields and Chris Angels of more recent years. From 1891 to 1926, Houdini dazzled audiences around the world with his many mind-boggling tricks.  He gradually acquired such memorable nicknames as “The King of Cards” and “The Handcuff King”.  For his many amazing abilities, he is accordingly ranked…

A Brief History On October 21, 1944, Japan began their notorious kamikaze attacks during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, first striking HMAS Australia. Digging Deeper By 1944, World War II in the Pacific Theater had been raging for several years.  While the European War is traditionally dated to have begun in 1939, the Pacific Theater arguably began two years earlier with Japan’s invasion of China.  Thus, Japan had been fighting against myriad enemies for nearly seven years by the autumn of 1944. During those seven years, Japan had rapidly established an impressive colonial empire that at its height seemed to…

A Brief History On October 20, 2011, the former King of Kings of Africa’s gruesome murder was recorded and posted all over the internet. Digging Deeper Muammar Gaddafi was once one of the longest “reigning” leaders in the world.  After a revolution overthrew Libya’s monarchy in 1969, Gaddafi seized power, holding a number of ever more lofty sounding titles.  From 1969 through 2011, he at various times referred to himself as the Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution in Libya, Prime Minister of Libya, Chairperson of the African Union, and yes, toward the end of his life, he even…

A Brief History October 19 marks the feast of Saint Frithuswith, also spelled Frideswide, who passed away on that date in 727 A.D., and for whom a king had died as he tried to force her into marriage! Digging Deeper Frithuswith was born as a princess in England, but became the first abbess of an Oxford double monastery.  As such, she is now the patron saint of Oxford. Before her canonization as a saint, young Princess Frithuswith founded St. Frideswide’s Priory.  As such, she became bound to celibacy.  Nevertheless, an English king named Algar wanted to marry her and despite her refusal,…