The Truth Begins Publication

ALTERNATE HISTORIAN'S NOTE: we have our second anniversary coming up on May 27th, and we would like to have another contest. For our second anniversary, send us up to three of your own alternate histories, and we will publish the best - no limit on how many will end up on the final page! We would like to see as many of you enter this as possible, so please - think 'em up, write 'em down, and send 'em on to us at rat4cat@gmail.com! Help us celebrate our 2nd year of existence in style! Oh, and if you're like Sean and we owe you an appearance in TIAH - email us!

May 5th, 2006

in 1821, Napoleon Buonaparte, the Italian Emperor who very nearly conquered all of Europe, died in exile in his home of Corsica. The rest of Europe breathed a sigh of relief at the passing of The Little Roman. The Italian nation honored him with a tomb in the Forum, where Italians still flock to see his remains and dream of the empire that was.

in 1852, the Communist Party newspaper Truth started publication in New Hampshire. It had a circulation of 200 people with its first issue; today, it reaches almost 200 million, and delivers the officially sanctioned news to the population of the Soviet States of America.

in 1862, overwhelming French force swept through the Puebla de Los Angeles, and the Mexicans under Benito Juarez were forced to bow to French authority again. Mexico became nothing more than a French vassal state for the next century, when revolutionaries were finally able to cast off the French yoke.

in 12-13-2-7-2, the Sioux chief Tantanka Yotanka left Oueztecan territory in an effort to prevent retaliations against his people because of his military victory at the Montana. He joined with the Kree people to the north and blended in with them for a few years before the call of his own nation forced him and his warriors to the south again.

in 1915, Dr. Argus McCloud and his small team of volunteers find that the neural neutralizers he had devised are beginning to lose their effectiveness. The team takes their shuttle off the Kainku world before they begin to break down, and the doctor works on refining his device. “There's got to be a way to make it last,” he told his troubled crew.

in 1961, America launched its best astronaut, John Glenn, into space, making him the first American to leave the earth. Some had speculated that Glenn might not be the first, but public and political pressures forced NASA to put him up. Glenn was overshadowed by the later astronauts, though, especially Alan Shephard, whose heat shield nearly failed during reentry.

in 1985, Chelsea Perkins and Debra Morris find out from the family in a farm house they pass that they have been sent back in time 20 years. Miss Morris is confident that the Council of Wisdom will be able to send them back to their proper time, and she and Chelsea set off for London. She is puzzled as to why it happened, though; they are both confident that neither of them flubbed the transportation spell.

in 1985, First Lady Nancy Reagan cancels President Ronald Reagan's trip to the Bitburg War Cemetery in Germany. Although the visit had been scheduled to show support for Germany, Mrs. Reagan thinks that it might be seen by the President's opponents as a pro-Nazi gesture. While mildly criticized by conservatives in America and Germany, the cancellation is given virtually no coverage at all.

in 1986, after an initially strong bid by Cleveland, Ohio, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was awarded to Los Angeles, California. I mean, come on - Cleveland?!?

Timelines in today's post: Italian Napoleon, the Oueztecan timeline, the Mlosh, Communist America and the Chelsea Perkins timeline

Today's "Six Degrees of Star Trek" challenge: Connect The Right Stuff to Star Trek. Place your answers in the comments and see the Forum for previous results. For more on 6 degrees games, click here.

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Good long fiction from the AH. See a review of Warp at Universe Pathways Magazine

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