November 30th, 2005
in 723 AUC, the alliance of Rome and Egypt ended the rebellion of Marcus Antonius, who had ruled in a triumvirate with Octavian and Marcus Lepidus, but had attempted to seize power for himself in 721. Cleopatra VII, ruler of Egypt, had flirted briefly with the idea of allying with Antonius before a personal plea from Octavian brought her back into Rome’s camp.
in 1667, future Bishop Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland. Bishop Swift arose to his position by his harsh treatment of his native countrymen; during a particularly terrible famine in Ireland, he even suggested to Pope William that the Irish could use their young as a source of food. Of all the Archbishops the Holy British Empire appointed to oversee Dublin and Ireland, none was hated more than Bishop Swift.
in 1835, riverboat captain Samuel Clemens is born in Florida, Missouri. Clemens was a legendary figure among the men who plied the Mississippi in the 19th century, known for his wit and eccentricity, and his boat was always crowded with passengers seeking a few moments with the famous Old Man of the River.
in 1939, the Communist-led United States of America attacks the Canadian province of British Columbia. Although British aid helps the Canadians fend off any further American advances into their territory, British Columbia remains American until they join the People's Republic of America in the civil war of 2000.
in 1947, Jewish and Muslim settlements in Madagascar were attacked by New Reich marine forces. The soldiers of the island nation fought bravely, as did the settlers themselves, but the threat of nuclear weapons that the New Reich levied against them forced Madagascar to surrender their Semitic population. Some managed to escape, but most of the 24,000 Semites on the island were put to the death.
in 1947, playwright David Mamet was born in Chicago, Illinois. Mamet was famous for his family-friendly plays and movie scripts. He was known to remark, “if you have to swear to say something, it really wasn’t worth saying, was it?”
in 1954, the course of human evolution was altered when Mrs. Elizabeth Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama, was struck by a meteorite. The powerful energies contained in the rock from outer space transformed her into the being known today as Astro-Woman. Seemingly immortal, this crime-fighting Alabaman has been foiling evil ever since, and along with her children, Astro-boy and Comet-girl, and their dog Shooting Star, she has kept the American south safe for two generations.
in 1988, after executives at RJR Nabisco accepted a buy-out offer from a friendly consortium that was lower than the bid from Shearson Lehman and Salomon Inc, an investigation into the company led to a first for the 20th century – the corporate death penalty. RJR Nabisco was stripped of its corporate license and its parts sold off. The move by the usually very business-friendly SEC of the Reagan-Bush era served notice to other corporations, and their behavior improved measurably.
in 2002, Dr. Courtney and his crew land on the alien planet they have been escorted to. With much trepidation, they disembark and are taken prisoner. Their sick personnel, Professor Thomas and Captain Laughlin, and the aliens who were also comatose, are taken off the ship and placed in a quarantined medical area. Dr. Courtney is separated from his Air Force crew and brought before the local authorities.
in 2004, Chelsea Perkins contacts an Old One, a being of power from the days before the One God came. He attempts to seduce her into performing a freedom ritual for him, and tells her the secret of the 7 Ingredients. Before she can begin the ritual that will let him loose, Alma May Watson discovers her and snaps her out of his spell.
Christmas Day Contest! Following up on our Halloween contest, you can enter our next contest, which will be alternate histories for Christmas Day, December 25th, 2005. The same rules will apply, the top ten entries will be posted on that day, and by entering, you grant TIAH the right to electronically print your writing on October 31st, 2005, maintain your writing in our archives, and reprint your entry should we decide to reuse it in the future. TIAH only maintains full copyright over material it has originated that has been used by contestants in writing their own entries. Enter early and often - entries must be received by December 20th, 2005! Email us up to 3 entries of your best alternate Christmas Days!
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
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3 comments:
I just thought I'd tell you that people are still reading you blog. I'm still reading.
Personally, I think you should try making a few short stories and sending them out into the magazines. That may help.
I'm thinking along those lines, too. Thanks for the support!
Nice History ^^
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