ALTERNATE HISTORIAN'S NOTE: One of today's entries has something a little different, a link to a longer document which gives more space to the entry. Please let us know if you like that by leaving a comment or emailing us.
December 3rd, 2005
in 1469, Piero de Medici, vampire lord of Florence, was staked by Venetian vampire hunters Luciano Roma and Giuseppe Scamardo. His long, undead reign of the city was ended, and the still-living citizens of Florence joined the vampire hunting pair in eradicating Medici’s spawn. It was a bright new day in Italy.
in 1776, after the devastation of New Jersey by British troops unchecked by rebel General George Washington, the Continental Congress voted to surrender to the British. They could no longer withstand the horrors that the redcoats were subjecting the colonies to, and decided that it was time to spare their fellow countrymen from further British atrocities. Many rebels headed west to escape British justice, and continued to harass the colonies for years after.
in 1829, George McClellan, Union general and United States President, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a general, McClellan opposed using overwhelming force against the rebellious Confederacy, and as President, he brought them to the peace table to negotiate the division of the country. His containment of the south in their original 11 states let the United States expand to the west; and now, while the Confederacy is barely even a third world nation, the U.S. has the respect of the world.
in 1901, young Teddy Roosevelt, bare months after taking over from deceased President William McKinley, lays out a tepid anti-trust strategy to the House of Representatives, urging that they keep their trust laws “within reasonable limits.” It was exactly this sort of timidity in office that led the Congress to run roughshod over his presidency, and doomed him to the footnotes of history.
in 1944, a civil war erupts in Greece, just freed from Nazi rule by partisans and Allied forces. Communists of the National Liberation Front, who controlled most of the country, ousted their former allies, the Democratic National Army, whose hope of British support went unfulfilled. After a brief struggle, the DNA surrendered and Greece became the first of many independent communist nations in Europe.
in 1962, a confidential report from the Pentagon informs Comrade President Hall of the unexpected strength of the Guerrillo reactionaries in South Chile. If Soviet American forces are pulled out of North Chile, the Pentagon warned, it would fall to the capitalists within a year. Comrade Hall, in spite of his desire to reduce American troop commitments outside of the country, reluctantly agrees to increase support to the weak North Chilean Communists.
in 1984, a huge disaster was narrowly averted in Bhopal, India, when Union Carbide personnel noticed a leak developing in their plant and quickly rushed to plug it. An investigation by Indian officials determined that all of Bhopal, a city of 1 million people, would have been at risk if the leak had continued. New safety regulations were forced on all chemical plants in the country after this near-disaster.
in 1999, comedic great Madeline Wolfson died in New York City of ovarian cancer, which she had been battling for some months. The hilarious actress was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress twice in one year, for her roles in Paper Moon and in Blazing Saddles. She is missed by all who loved classy, beautiful, funny women.
in 2002, the hyper-dimensional drive on the spacecraft being flown by Dr. Courtney cuts out. The ship begins to drift. While they still have momentum and are moving forward, they are unable to make any course corrections. They still have some power, but, for all intents and purposes, have been turned into a ghost ship.
in 2004, Chelsea Perkins visits the Council of Wisdom.
Christmas Day Contest! ONLY 17 DAYS LEFT!! 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!
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