The New Colossus

October 28th, 2004

in 1065 AUC, the forces of Maxentius destroy the Emperor Constantine, who had begun trusting in visions to direct his actions. His most recent had been to convert to an obscure religion called Christianity.

in 1636, Harvard College was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The first institution of higher learning in the colonies, it became a branch of Cambridge University in England after the unsuccessful American Rebellion of the 1770’s. The program became highly successful under strong British leadership, and it is one of the largest colleges in North America today.

in 1886, Socialist President Grover Cleveland celebrated the ties between the comrades of France and America with the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame with conquering limbs astride from land to land, rang the words of the poet inscribed at its base. The towering figure of a woman escaping the chains of oppression, holding aloft the sword of socialism, has been the symbol of America ever since.

in 1919, the U.S. Congress defeated the Volstead Act, which would have made it illegal to buy or sell alcoholic beverages in America, except for medicinal purposes. President Wilson called it “one of the most colossal blunders ever to see the light of day in the legislature”.

in 1940, the German Underground invaded Greece. Although the Greeks resisted well, the superior armaments of the G.U. eventually wore them down. They became the first nation conquered by the G.U. in Europe that wasn’t in the hands of the Greater Zionist Resistance.

in 1955, future Pascal-Edison chairman William Gates III is born in Seattle, Washington. Gates started as an O.S. designer in the 70’s, but quickly moved up the corporate ladder after showing his business acumen with a deal where American schools were locked into a contract with Pascal-Edison for their difference engine needs for 10 years in order to receive free programs for 1 year.

in 4694, a shuttle used to transport people between the inner planets was hijacked by pilot Yuan Bin. He threatened to crash it into the Imperial Palace in Beijing unless his pay was raised. The Emperor’s Star Fleet officers took swift action and disabled the vessel, then towed the ship to the moon. Emperor Xiao took pity on the man and pardoned him after the Imperial Council presents him with a study that shows the woeful pay rate of small-ship pilots in the solar system. The Emperor took steps afterwards to improve living conditions for those who sailed the solar waves.

in 2003, London is shaken by a strong earthquake and several aftershocks. Parts of Buckingham Cathedral collapse, but Pope Righteous I is not harmed, according to the Pope’s spokesman. His Holiness doesn’t make an appearance to calm the population of the city, so rumors start to run wild that the Buckingham staff are keeping his death quiet.