This date in history

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1776: American Revolution: "A British fleet under Sir Guy Carleton defeats 15 American gunboats under the command of Brigadier General Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain, New York. Although nearly all of Arnold's 15 gunboats were destroyed, it took more than two days for the British, with 12 prefabricated heavily armed vessels to destroy the American Flotilla force, delaying Carleton's campaign and giving the Rebel ground forces adequate time to prepare a crucial defense of New York. One of the British vessels, 180 ton-18 twelve pounder armed sloop, HMS Inflexible, alone, out-gunned Arnold's entire fleet of smaller, often single-gun oared gondolas and gunboats. Superior firepower notwithstanding, Carleton was forced to reconsider his plans. Weather conditions quickly deteriorating, Carleton had no other choice but to retreat back into Canada to his winter quarters, effectively ending the British threat from the north until at least the spring of 1777. Benedict Arnold, a skilled soldier (and a good admiral), whose reputation would forever be sullied by his later actions, had constructed the first American naval fleet. While Valcour Island resulted in a tactical victory for the British, the battle proved to be a strategic victory for the Americans. For the cost of 80 men dead, 120 captured, and the destruction of 11 his fleet, Arnold disrupted the British invasion timetable from Canada. Causing the British to postpone their plans until next spring, Arnold bought the rebels time to gather strength and resources that would be utilized at the Battle of Saratoga, the turning point in the War of Independence. One hundred years later, Alfred Thayer Mahan, the great Naval theorist himself, observed: “the little American navy was wiped out, but never had any force lived to better purpose.”" https://armyhistory.org/buying-time-the-battle-of-valcour-island/ USS? Philadelphia: The oldest American fighting vessel in existence raised in 1935. A model of the armed Gundelow Philadelphia>

[BossMark]

1492-Christopher Columbus lands in the Bahamas and is credited as the first European to reach the Americas.

1899-Boer forces invade Natal and Cape Colony, South Africa, igniting the Second Boer War with Britain.

1915-British nurse Edith Cavell is shot by the Germans for aiding the escape of Allied prisoners of war.

[Jimbuna]

1999 - The Day of Six Billion: the proclaimed 6 billionth living human in the world is born.

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1812: the War of 1812, British and Indian forces, 300 fearsome Mohawks, under Sir Isaac Brock defeat Americans under General Stephen Van Rensselaer at the Battle of Queenstown Heights, on the Niagara frontier in Ontario, Canada. The British victory, effectively ended any further U.S. invasion of Canada. Sir Isaac Brock, Britain's most talented general in the war, was killed during the battle. The American amphibious operation across the Niagra River ended badly: 100 killed and 900 captured-Canada would remain British! LT COL Winfield Scott: later victor of the Mexican War (Governor of Mexico City!) and Commanding General of the Army and architect of the Civil War's Anaconda plan, participated; was captured-and presumably learned something of the 'art of War'...if only what not to do! If ya can't kick butt to the North...go South??!the Civil War's Big Plan

[Jimbuna]

1066 - Battle of Hastings, Duke William of Normandy and Norman army defeat English forces of Harold II

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The heavy cavalry charge vs the shield-wall of fearsome axe wielding Huscarles=no joy for horse or man!The fighting, even by the standard of the time, WAS BRUTAl! Rumors of Duke William's death caused a momentary panic, and he uncovered his helmet to show his face and demonstrate he was still alive and so continue the all day battle A stringent follower of Christ??! and to look good in the tapestry, William's half-brother Bishop ODO--later the riche$t man in English history from his vast new fiefdom winnings fought with a club "so as not to draw blood" in keeping with his churchman's vows; commendable morality I tell ya! The battle ends with the death of Harold II with an arrow in the eye at nightfall (although this has been disputed)-a moral end to a man who according to the political document that the Bayeux Tapestry essentially is, had broken his his knight's oath to William and so came to a bad end. Conversely, the tapestry, a Norman creation, is unique inasmuch as it gives great credit to both Norman and Saxon courage and chivalrous valor instead of the customary propaganda against a defeated opponent. Good PR??! BOTTOM LINE: history's most successful amphibious operation in terms of swift enduring results....NO IMHO about it!

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1890: Dwight D. Eisenhower, the guy responsible for the amphibious operation in the opposite direction; ie the Normandy Invasion 878 years later, is born in Denison Texas! And suitably portrayed in the Overlord Tapestry in his own right!. LESSON # 1: if you're Amphibing the Channel-one way or t'other- have a good embroiderer! $$ say's they're discussing 'splicing the mainbrace'! Except GEN Montgomery:"The Montgomery cocktail is a martini mixed at a ratio of 15:1, facetiously named that because Montgomery supposedly refused to go into battle unless his numerical advantage was at least that high. Ironically, following severe internal injuries received in the First World War, Montgomery himself could neither smoke nor drink." Ike certainly studied his tapestries and famously showed his face to the troops also! 6/5/44: The majority of the men in this photo, Co E 502 Paratroop Regiment, were killed or wounded in battle a few hours later.

[Jimbuna]

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte arrives on island of St Helena to begin his exile.

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Originally Posted by Jimbuna

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte arrives on island of St Helena to begin his exile.

Putting paid to the palindrôme "Able was I ere' I saw Elba!" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palindrome

1860: 11 year-old Grace Bedell writes a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln suggesting he could improve his rugged appearance by growing a beard....the rest is history!! Grace: Oct/15/1960: "Hon A B Lincoln...Dear Sir My father has just home from the fair and brought home your picture and Mr. Hamlin's. I am a little girl only 11 years old, but want you should be President of the United States very much so I hope you wont think me very bold to write to such a great man as you are. Have you any little girls about as large as I am if so give them my love and tell her to write to me if you cannot answer this letter. I have yet got four brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin. All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President. My father is going to vote for you and if I was a man I would vote for you to but I will try to get every one to vote for you that I can I think that rail fence around your picture makes it look very pretty I have got a little baby sister she is nine weeks old and is just as cunning as can be. When you direct your letter direct to Grace Bedell Westfield Chautauqua County New York.I must not write any more answer this letter right off Good bye; Grace Bedell" Lincoln's swift response('right off'): Oct/19/1860: "Springfield, Ill Oct 19,1860 Miss Grace Bedell My dear little Miss; Your very agreeable letter of the 15th is received. I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughters. I have three sons – one seventeen, one nine, and one seven, years of age. They, with their mother, constitute my whole family. As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would call it a silly affection if I were to begin it now?Your very sincere well wisher, A. Lincoln" FEB/1861: VOILA! <4 months later enroute to his inauguration, a transformed Lincoln met the young lady on the train station platform amid thousands who had turned out. Recalled Ms Bedell:"" He climbed down and sat down with me on the edge of the station platform," "'Gracie,' he said, 'look at my whiskers. I have been growing them for you.' Then he kissed me. I never saw him again."

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1859: Abolitionist John Brown, fresh from 'bleeding Kansas', leads a small group raid against a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia attempting to start an armed slave revolt and destroy the institution of slavery. A company of U.S. marines, led by Colonel Robert E. Lee, on the morning of October 19, overran Brown and his followers. Ten of his men including two of his sons, were killed. The wounded Brown was tried by the state of Virginia for treason and murder. As he went to the gallows on December 2, he handed a note to his guard: "I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood." It was a prophetic statement. His abolitionist martyrdom lent itself to the marching tune of soldiers with the stanza: "John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave, His soul is marching on! He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord," which morphed into "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". Black Union troops, marching to it, with perhaps better insight into the true nature of the struggle, particularly favored the tune. RULE #1 of warfare: Never create a martyr your oppressed slaves (with muskets) are gonna sing about! The photo captures it all IMHO: the prophetic ferver is self-evident...and stayed with him till the trapdoor opened, and the first trampling of 'the vintage where the grapes of wrath were stored'....was set unflinchingly in motion. Talk about leading from the front!

[Jimbuna]

1813 - Battle of Leipzig, largest battle in Europe prior to WWI, Napoleon's forces defeated by Prussia, Austria & Russia.

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1906: Wilhelm Voigt, a 57-year-old German shoemaker, impersonates an army officer and misleads an entire squad of soldiers to help him steal 4,000 marks from the mayor's office in Köpenick. Voigt, who had a long criminal record, humiliated the German army by exploiting their blind obedience to authority and getting them to assist in his audacious robbery. The public was positively amused by the daring of the culprit. Although he served two years in prison, he became a volkhero as The Captain of Köpenick , a play, and was pardoned by Kaiser Wilhelm II. His book: How I became the Captain of Köpenick, made him well-off. Wearing the captain's uniform, he posed for pictures for years. He' still doing it> A statue of Wilhelm Voigt as the Captain of Köpenick at Köpenick city Hall where the caper took place.

[Jimbuna]

539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost 70 years of exile and making the first Human Rights Declaration.

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1814: In the London parish of St Giles, then a tenement slum, an huge vat belonging to the Meux and Company Horse Shoe Brewery stood, close to the corner of Great Russell Street and Tottenham Court Road. "Large ageing vats were built as matter of prestige amid competing breweries. Late in the afternoon at the Horse Shoe, an 800lb iron restraining hoop fell off one of the 7 meter high vats, which was full to the brim with 3,550 barrels (more than a million pints) of finest 10-month-old Meux’s aging Porter. About an hour later the wooden staves of the vat burst asunder. The resulting flood of beer, weighing close to 600 tons, plus wood and metal from the vat knocked out the wall of the brewery and gushed into the street, destroying more vessels which were holding about another 1200 barrels of beer. The 'suds sunami', flooded the cellars of surrounding houses, and even some street-level rooms up to ceiling height. It’s said that wave of beer was 15 feet high. A 14-year-old barmaid in a next door tavern, and seven other people died as a direct result of the accident. The deaths of five mourners occurred at a wake being held in a nearby cellar, including the mother of the deceased." Talk about BYOB here "At the subsequent investigation, the jury verdict was: that the unfortunate neighbours had met their deaths ‘casually, accidentally and by misfortune’. In short, this was deemed an act of God for which nobody was to blame. Meux brewery suffered great financial loss from the tragedy. An estimated £23,000 of beer had gone to waste. However, the company successfully claimed back the £7,000 excise duty on the lost beer, which had already been paid." Priorities I tell YA! http://zythophile.wordpress.com/2010/10/17/so-what-really-happened-on-october-17-1814/

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1813-The Allies defeat Napoleon Bonaparte at Leipzig.

1867- The Alaska territory is formally transferred to the U.S. from Russian control.

1883-The weather station at the top of Ben Nevis, Scotland, the highest mountain in Britain, is declared open. Weather stations were set up on the tops of mountains all over Europe and the Eastern United States in order to gather information for the new weather forecasts.