The Sword Of Socialism Is Raised

October 28th, 2005

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, the first institution of higher learning in the colonies, Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, opens its doors. Although the colonial elite enjoyed sending their children to an institution that promised exclusivity, there were not enough of them to make the College a going concern, and it closed in 1702.

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 1890, with rebel Mormon Charles Brigman in custody, Colonel Beauregard T. Jackson spreads the word around Salt Lake City that attacks had better stop, or Brigman will pay the price. The Latter-Day Saint is defiant though, practically daring Jackson to kill him.

in 1919, the U.S. Congress passes the Volstead Act, which makes it illegal to buy or sell anything of an intoxicating nature in the United States. This makes tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, and many forms of medicine illegal. President Wilson called it “one of the most colossal blunders ever to see the light of day in the legislature,” and wisely vetoed it.

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, William Gates III is born in Seattle, Washington. As the son of a millionaire attorney, Gates had few worries in life, and dropped out of Harvard to push the small hobbyist computer community into excepting what he was calling open software, computer programs that people could share and even change without paying for it. Open software made computing become so transparent that today, everything from refrigerators to paper is a computing instrument.

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 2002, after a few frustrating trips through the city send them into various small cells, Professor Thomas, Dr. Courtney and their Air Force detachment go inside a building in the alien city. The scientists seem very excited at getting into this building, and pull out a device to scan it. Dr. Courtney tells the group, “This is where they keep much of their knowledge. Don't trust most of what you may see.” True enough, the group starts experiencing delusions shortly afterwards.

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.


We need to hear from some of the winners, (Mike S, your email gave us a delivery failure - please email us again!), but as soon as we do, we will announce the winners for the Halloween Contest! And remember - even though the Halloween Contest is over, 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 not working for now - Forum has been hacked! We're working on getting it back, and will let you know once it's back up.
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!