The Victorious Armada; Mayday!

July 29th, 2005

in 1588, in spite of brilliant tactics from the British commanders Lord Howard and Sir Francis Drake, the Spanish Armada defeated the Brits off the coast of Gravelines, France. The superior discipline of the Spaniards had kept them from panicking when the British had sailed 8 burning ships at them in the Calais harbor, and after that, the battle never turned in favor of Britain.

in 1871, Gregory Efimovich, better known as Rasputin, was born. He rose to power as advisor to the reactionary Czar Nicholas II and his wife. When the communists revolted against the Czar, Rasputin advised allowing Prime Minister Kerensky to withdraw from the Great War, and this quelled the rioting, allowing the Czar to stay in power. Some say that Rasputin was protected by magic; but he died, as every man does, in 1954, in service to Czar Pyotr III.

in 1890, Vincent Van Gogh recovered from a self-inflicted blaster wound to the chest. Fortunately, a hospital had been nearby in Auvers, France, when he did it, and his brother Theo took him there. The Mlosh doctor treated Van Gogh, and then counseled his brother to seek psychiatric assistance for the artist. Thanks to that doctor, Van Gogh recovered from his depression, and painted many great works until his death in 1947.

in 1944, the German Underground, and organization that had been entirely armed and supplied by neo-Nazi time travelers, pushes the Greater Zionist resistance completely out of German territory. Figurehead leader of the Underground, Adolf Hitler, proclaims a New Reich for the new world order, and names himself the grandiose title of Reichsfuehrer.

in 1965, the Pete Best movie Mayday! opens in London, with Queen Elizabeth herself in attendance. It’s another smash triumph for Best’s career.

in 1972, actor Wil Wheaton was born in Burbank, California. Oscar nominee for his role in Valmont, Wheaton was also briefly associated with the Star Trek franchise, appearing in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wheaton left the series to pursue a movie career, and became one of the few Trek actors to make the transition from the series to more mainstream work. He and Patrick Stewart later reunited in the blockbuster film X-Men when Wheaton was given the part of Cyclops.

in 1974, Cass Elliot of The Mamas & The Papas has a near-death experience as she has a heart attack in London. Discovered by a friend, she is rushed to a hospital and given immediate treatment. The experience changes Elliot’s life; she gives up alcohol, slims down somewhat, and starts therapy. Her successful solo career begins after this period, in 1976, with the release of the album Gonna Fly Away.

in 1996, 3 men dressed in black suits pay a visit to the London flat of Dr. Melvin Courtney as he is working on his paper about the Chimanimani object in Zimbabwe. Speaking rather cryptically, they warn him not to publish his account, “unless you like the thought of being a special correspondent for the Weekly World News the rest of your life.” After they leave, Courtney visits the local pub to deliberate over a few pints.

in 2000, Velma Porter captures one of the strange bald men that have been following her and her husband, Mikhail von Heflin, since they boarded a plane for Las Vegas to get married. While the Baron keeps watch, she interrogates him, but learns little except that his name is Bozidar, which von Heflin recognizes as a Czech name.

in 2001, NASA and SETI researchers meet with President Gore to discuss the signal from Lalande 25372. Most of the spacecraft designs that the Lalandians have included in their signal are adaptable to human technology, and Gore promises them that he will provide the funds for their construction. But, he wants special attention paid to the defenses that the Lalandians include, as well, saying, “Let’s adapt these, first. We don’t want to be caught by these Elders unprepared.”

in 2002, Pope Righteous I orders that a statue of him be placed in every city in the Holy British Empire; these statues are robotic, and networked together so that, when Righteous gives a speech, they all speak at the same time.


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