August 28th, 2005
in @3000 B.C., Dr. Melvin Courtney and Professor Malcolm Thomas witness the crash of the object from Edwards Air Force base crash into the New Mexican desert. Most of the creatures inside are killed by the crash; the two witnesses find themselves following one survivor of the crash through the object as it sends off a distress signal and then locates the Chimanimani object and fires at it one last time. It then seems to die.
in 1249, Caliph Amal bin-Yusuph convenes the Conference of Cairo to recodify Sharia law in Islam. bin-Yusuph favors a more liberal interpretation of the Koran, and hopes to change the Sharia to reflect this.
in 1879, King Cetshwayo of the Zulu allows himself to be captured in a daring ruse that allows his warriors to fall on and decimate a company of British soldiers. He continues to be a thorn in the side of the British occupation of southern Africa for several years more.
in 1938, Northwestern University awards an honorary degree to Edgar Bergen’s dummy Charlie McCarthy. The jocular mood of the occasion is broken when the “dummy” comes to life and flees the stage, leaving a dead Edgar Bergen behind.
in 1959, having left China behind, Li Huang-Sen and Huan Yue journey through Japan, avoiding any place where they might be asked for official documents of Huan Yue’s citizenship. Li speaks fluent Japanese, and is able to pass Huan Yue off as a young bride, too shy to speak.
in 1961, Robert A. Heinlein’s novel Stranger in a Strange Land becomes the first science fiction novel to reach the top of the New York Times’ bestseller list. Literary critics begin reexamining a genre that they had disdained for many years and the field experienced a renaissance in popularity, both critical and commercial.
in 1963, Martin Luther King, chairman of the Semitic-African Resistance organization in America, gave his stirring I have a dream speech in Washington, D.C. As he called for the nation not to fall under the sway of the European New Reich at the end of the speech, Chairman King was arrested.
in 1963, President Kennedy himself made a surprise visit to Martin Luther King’s rally on the Washington Mall, and is so deeply moved by Dr. King’s speech that he immediately runs up to the podium and embraces the reverend before the gathered multitudes. Promising that he will do more for American blacks, he introduces the Civil Rights Act of 1963 before Congress as soon as they come back from their summer recess.
in 1996, Prince Charles of England reconciles with his estranged wife, Princess Diana, before their divorce can be finalized. In what has been repeated in countless recreations of the moment, he met her at the entrance to a subway station, and while both were in disguise, rode a train for 3 hours while they talked out their differences.
in 4697, contact between the Chinese Empire and its Yang Gao colony in the Tchou star system is lost. Imperial officials press for a fleet to be sent to the system to see what has happened to Yang Gao, and Emperor Xiao Yang authorizes his Star Fleet to send one out with all possible speed.
in 2004, searching for the power signature of the Elders on earth, the ELS-3 picks up a very strong signature in China. This one doesn’t fade out. They alert the other two ships patrolling the outer system, ELS-1 and ELS-2, and the captain of the ELS-1, Jeffrey Bainbridge, uses one of his old school contacts, a senator from Idaho, to inform President Gore that their lines have already been breached by the Elders.
TIAH HALLOWEEN CONTEST
In order to provide for the upkeep of our new historian, Today In Alternate History is sponsoring its first contest - make a donation at our Paypal link, then email us up to 3 alternate history entries for October 31st, 2005. The best 10 entries will make up the entire content of the post on October 31st, Halloween day. Boring contest information is available on our Forum link below. Enter early and often!
Also, we still have our standard offer - everybody who donates $10 or more through our Paypal link will become alternate history entries on the site. When you donate, I will email you asking your preference for a day & timeline; if you don't reply to me, I'll place you in a day that seems to fit your name :) Thanks for your continued support!
Forum Link - Boring legal info on the TIAH Halloween Contest!
Fresh New Poll - Shall we use future dates in our entries?
Warp and Protocols still available; also, see the script I submitted for Bravo's Situation: Comedy
Still wishing...
As your humble alternate historian enters the downhill slope of the 40's, he still has his birthday wish - a contract with a publishing company like Workman Publishing to produce a page-a-day calendar of TIAH. If you are an editor for such a company, or can place us in touch with one, please fulfill this belated birthday wish!
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