Hurricane Coming - weekend posting may be delayed
Although the Alternate History Academy is 150 miles inland, a hurricane due to hit the coast of Texas this weekend is probably going to at least cause power outages here. Posting this weekend may be delayed while that is going on, but never fear - the Academy will return.
September 24th, 2005
in 1375 AUC, the religious leader Muhammed fled from his home in Mecca before Roman troops could break up his cult. The local governor had been concerned, as this “prophet” had been teaching that all other gods were false, and such intolerance didn’t sit well with official Roman policy. Unfortunately, the attack only made him more popular among the people of Arabia, and the governor was officially reprimanded by Rome.
in 1789, the standardized electronic mailing system is born in North America, when Mlosh messaging technology is married to the human postal system. Electric Letters, or ELs, become a common part of life throughout North America, and the system reaches around the world by the end of the 18th century.
in 1890, the Church of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons as they are popularly known, refuses to give up its practice of polygamy just to gain statehood for Utah. The federal government responds by sending troops in to take over Mormon temples, and the Mormon War officially begins.
in 1896, war hero F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He volunteered for the Army during World War I, and was sent to France in 1916, where he single-handedly held off a German battalion and a German tank while his own unit was cut down around him. Although he was wounded mortally, he refused attention until the rest of his men were treated; a fatal mistake, but one that earned him the Medal of Honor, posthumously.
in 1946, Albert Einstein, noted scientist, published an article in the New York Times about supposed incidents where people from parallel universes had allegedly appeared in ours. “While theoretically possible, there is no proof of parallel universes, in spite of the insistence of the Tolman crowd,” Einstein wrote, dismissively. In spite of this high-level dismissal, many of the followers of Richard Tolman’s parallel universe theories continued to watch for breaks in the universal fabric.
in 1953, Secretary of State Comrade David Rossovich announces that the Soviet States of America “will not cringe or become panicky” in the face of the newly-developed European nuclear weapons. This showed the world that the policy of capitalist containment that the S.S.A. had begun in South America would continue, unabated.
in 1955, President Eisenhower suffers a near-fatal heart attack while on vacation in Denver, and a minor constitutional crisis ensues. Vice-President Nixon insists that he should be given presidential authority until Ike recovers, but Congress says that nothing in the Constitution provides for that contingency; the confusion casts a cloud over Eisenhower’s presidency, and even though he recovers from the heart attack, he is defeated by Adlai Stevenson the next year in the presidential election.
in 4697, within the asteroid belt, Star Fleet ships find a veritable Y’T’T’li colony; hundreds of ships and strange metal beings have been created from the raw material of the belt. Most of them are not of a military nature, and the Fleet destroys them quickly. After this initial success, though, they encountered the Y’T’T’li military vessels, and the worst battle in the Fleet’s history begins.
in 2002, the base commander at Edwards recognizes the two men, in spite of the hair covering most of their faces; they are Dr. Melvin Courtney and Professor Malcolm Thomas. He asks them where they’ve been for the past few years, but they refuse to answer that question. Instead, they bring him into the object and tell him that he should begin instructing pilots in the use of this machine. He immediately orders one in and they begin training him.
in 2004, muted celebrations break out across earth after the Elders leave. Dr. Emilio Carrera, drinking champaigne with the captain of the ELS-1, says, “Perhaps this is why the Lalandians never heard from a race that successfully fought them off – the Elders extracted this type of bargain from each race able to fight them off.”
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. Speaking of which, the winning writers have been announced; not the ones I voted for, but you can see the one I did at http://www.marktreitel.com
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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