A Rather Unlucky Day

The state of TIAH

April 13th, 2007

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in 1891, the Farmers Council in Topeka informs former President Grover Cleveland that they cannot agree to his request that they surrender control of Kansas back to the former government. “This is the worst possible decision you could make,” Cleveland tells them. “We disagree,” Jerry 'Sockless' Simpson tells him. They issue a call for all able-bodied men of the state to stand ready to defend their homes against “the unjust attack by the false president, Benjamin Harrison.”

in 1998, Central European Imperial spies are brought to England and placed at the command of Prime Minister Oliver Pembroke. The Illuminati in Switzerland rejoice at this first move in suborning the legitimate government of England – after centuries of trying, they feel that they finally have the British right where they want them. Merl Myrddin, Arthur Pendrake's chief advisor and a former Illuminati himself, finds out about the British government's unexpected help and tells Arthur that this must become public knowledge quickly. He prepares the evidence he has and they arrange for a rally the next day.

Marten Von Bure..	In 1838 8th President of the United States Martin Van Buren convened an emergency meeting in the White House. Van Buren summoned all of his administrative experience from his previous appointments as 10th United States Secretary of State & 8th Vice President of the United States to put over his point with the maximum gravitas. ..
.. 'Gentleman, speaking from my many years in office ' he began ' I can tell you with complete candour that unless we act now, we face the prospect of a civil war right here in the United States. Secessionist pressures in the Southern States are threatening to dissolve the Union. And the rallying point will be this unconscionable extermination of the red Indian!'. Gasps of dismay were heard from prominent members of his cabinet. 'Yes its true!' said Van Buren slamming his fist against the table dramatically.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1972 the Universal Postal Union decided to recognize the Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative. This effectively expelled the People's Republic of China administering Taiwan and was vigorously protested by the exiled leaders on the island, including Mao Tse-tung and Chou Enlai. From Beijing, ..	Chiang Kai-shek
.. Chiang Kai-shek welcomed the decision; after the Kuomintang had defeated the Community insurgency, it was ridiculous for global institutions to maintain a two Chinas policy.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Titanic rudder ..	In 1912 owners of the near-bankrupt White Star Line braced themselves for the sinking of their 'unsinkable' flagship in three days time. However, the owners could not afford to let their pride get in the way because White Star Line was teetering on the verge of bankruptcy The owners were executing an insurance job they had ..
.. played out many times before, RMS Tayleur in 1854, RMS Atlantic in 1873, SS Naronic in 1893 and most recently RMS Republic in 1909. Trouble was that the cost-cutting had gone too far, the ship did not carry enough lifeboats for all her passengers and crew. The owners had dispatched a ship to the site of the collision beforehand with 3000 blankets on board for the survivors, they could only pray it arrived in good time.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1987 Portugal and the Republic of China signed an agreement in which the lease on Macau was extended a further 100 years to 2099. Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Republic of China was keen to maintain European sponsorship of the Kuomintang Government in Beijing, and was prepared to pay the price by allowing the Imperialists ..	Chiang Ching-ku..
.. to keep both Macau and Hong Kong – for now.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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The Dental Drill; Americans Boycott The Olympics

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January 26th, 2006

in 1000 Post-Creation, Lucifer meets with the Creator and demands human and angelic autonomy. Yahweh threatens to simply destroy all of them and start over again, but Lucifer counters this threat with, “You would not destroy these two innocents for crimes they have not committed. I pledge to You, Creator, that in granting this demand, Your creation will rise to heights we cannot even conceive.” Achazia, at the right hand of the Creator as always, urges Him to agree to the rebel demands. Yahweh considers.

in 47,372 BCE, hard winds drive Swikolay and her companions into the coast of India, far off course from the destination she desired. Since the storm shattered their boats, she decides to forsake the sea for the rest of the voyage and begins traveling west on land. “The Speaker would say that one needs to take what life gives and learn from it,” she told her descendants. “I learned to stay on dry land.”

in 1779, the ineffectiveness of Lord Weatherby's civilian militia is put on display when several of its members actively aid in a jail break, freeing several captive Canadian nationalists. King George himself recalls Lord Weatherby for an explanation of the incident; the militia is disbanded on his return from England.

in 1875, George F. Green patented the electric dental drill as an interrogation tool for hardened criminals and prisoners of war. It was later banned by the Geneva Conventions, and Dr. Green's name has become synonymous with pain.

in 1904, the embassy ship from the Congress of Nations was met by a fleet before entering the Mlosh home system. After an initial scan revealed no weapons in the fleet, the C.N. ambassador allowed them to tow the embassy ship the rest of the way into the system, very much against the express wishes of the ship’s captain.

in 4613, architect Ieoh Ming Pei was born in Suzhou. A visionary of profound talent, Ieoh created the masterful Chou Administration building on the lunar colony, as well as Chengzu’s Mausoleum in Beijing. While most of his work was on a grand scale, he also created modest homes for the poor in Beijing’s slums, helping house people who could not afford to enter some of his public creations.

in 1918, Mikhail von Heflin and Velma Porter, having spent more than enough time on a beach to satisfy themselves, decide to book passage on a ship to the mainland. The Baron actually has a bank account in America, with money in it, at this time, so he contacts his bank and has them transfer money to Bermuda. “Ah, the virtues of being immortal,” he whispers to his wife.

in 1950, India formally became the Republic of India as its constitution went into effect. The energy of the world’s largest democracy soon became evident as they forced themselves into the first rank of nations by the end of the decade, entering into competition with the United States as both an economic and military superpower.

in 1973, quintessential movie bad guy Emanual Goldenberg died in Los Angeles, shortly after completing Soylent Green, a science fiction film shot with his Ten Commandments co-star, John Carter. Goldenberg earned a posthumous Oscar nomination for his wonderful portrayal of the aged police researcher Sol in the movie.

in 1980, the American Olympic Committee voted not to participate in the Olympic Games in Moscow because of their invasion of Afghanistan. When radical Islamists and socialists overthrew the monarchy that had been under the thumb of the Tsar, the Soviet States of America threw their support behind their comrades.

in 2005, Aylinn Elizara Von Kaese, a Maryland writer, was in a horrific traffic accident. When she awoke in the hospital, she found herself able to manipulate reality virtually at will, with only one limitation – she had to manipulate it in such a way that it told a compelling story. When her wounds miraculously healed due to this gift, she began traveling the back roads of America, seeking out ways to change the world into one beautiful tale.

Timelines in today's post: the Fall, the Speaker, the Mlosh, Canadian Independence, von Heflin, the Chinese Empire, and Communist America.

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! Or, here's a new one - win 5 "Six Degrees of Star Trek" challenges from me, and I'll put you in the alternate history of your choice. We now have a couple of winners, each with one of the 2 challenges so far. Here's today's challenge - in honor of his appearance above, connect Edward G. Robinson to Star Trek. Place your answers in the comments! For more on 6 degrees games, click here.

The Forum lives again! My esteemed Co-Historian has brought the forum back to life, and in spite of the issues we've had with the forum in the past, we think that this time, it'll stay 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

Help the Alternate Historian get a better day job!
My email address for contacting me with your good news, or for more direct goodness, go to the web site and leave a comment, buy a book, or leave a Paypal donation! Remember, it's only 6 degrees of separation between you and anyone else - and thanks again!

Galileo Executed; Zhou Enlai Dies

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January 8th, 2006

in 47,385 BCE, a local Australian tribe finds Telka the Speaker and the members of her family that have crossed over from Asia. The Speaker teaches them her tongue as she recovers from the long journey, and joins the tribe by becoming the mate of the tribe’s chief.

in 1634, Galilieo Galilei is executed by the Inquisition for heresy, months after being found guilty. The Church had originally granted the blasphemer leniency, but after he continued to publish his “scientific” papers, they took action to silence his heliocentric fallacies forever.

in 1790, Canadian Prime Minister Joseph Brant, newly elected in the first elections in free Canada, addresses the Canadian Parliament in the first of his annual State of Canada speeches. In a direct dig at the monarch they have defeated, the Mohawk leader said, “I bow to no man, for I am considered a prince among my own people.”

in 12-13-2-1-5, the great Sioux military leader, Tashunca-uitco, fought his final battle against the superior forces of the Oueztecan Empire. Knowing they were hopelessly outnumbered, Tashunca-uitco and his warriors bravely held off the Oueztec long enough to give their Cheyenne allies, led by Tatanka Iyotake, time to escape.

in 1891, Walter Bothe, a German physicist and Nobel Prize winner who was briefly involved with Richard Tolman’s parallel universe cult, was born in Oranienburg, Germany. Bothe left Tolman’s company after only a few months because “the implications of what they were doing, quite frankly, scared me. I didn’t want to live in a universe as chaotic as the one they were showing me.”

in 1935, the blond King of Rock and Roll, Jesse Garon Presley, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Jesse, as he was known to fans around the world, shocked and rocked the 50’s with his blend of black and white southern music, and became the most famous singer in the world – no one else even comes close to his fame and ability to sell records. After his death in the 1970’s, there have even been fans who have started a church in his name, sometimes referred to as the Jesse-its.

in 1940, Italian Fascisti leader Benito Mussolini questions the tactics of the German Underground in the ongoing war against the Greater Zionist Resistance; he is particularly resistant to the idea of slaughtering large portions of the Italian population for some concept of “racial purity” that he does not agree with. The neo-Nazi time travelers who control the G.U. send assassins to take out Il Duce for his disagreement.

in 1973, the Caracoan Peace Talks resume between the Soviet States, North Chile and South Chile. Comrade President Salvador Allende of North Chile led the negotiations to find a reasonable settlement of the conflict with the reactionaries. Manuel Cartojas and his mentor, Augusto Pinochet, represented the South Chilean reactionaries.

in 4672, Imperial Counselor Zhou Enlai, one of the most instrumental figures in the Chinese Empire’s movement towards democracy, died at his home in Beijing. To demonstrate his solidarity with the common people of China, he had moved from the Forbidden City after the first Council elections into the bustling heart of Beijing, where he had a large base of support. The entire empire, from one end of the solar system to the other, mourned his passing.

in 1992, during a tour of Japan, President George Bush became ill at a dinner banquet. Although he dismissed it as a sour stomach, in his hotel room later that evening, he suffered a fatal stroke. His death brought an end to the Republican Party’s dream of another 4 years in the White House, as newly-elevated President Dan Quayle was crushed in the November election, 74 to 21 percent, by Democrat Bill Clinton of Arkansas.

Timelines in today's post: the Speaker, Canadian Independence, the Oueztecan timeline, the Tolman timeline, the Chinese Empire, the GZR, and Communist America.

Yet another AHN - today's post has something a little different about it. There are links to the real timeline source of 5 alternate entries, and at the bottom of the post you will find links to the ongoing timelines that are written about in this post. This is extraordinarily time-consuming, so give us some comments about it to let us know if you would like us to continue doing that.

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! And don't forget to nominate us for a Bloggie.

The Forum lives again! My esteemed Co-Historian has brought the forum back to life, and in spite of the issues we've had with the forum in the past, we think that this time, it'll stay 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

Help the Alternate Historian get a better day job!
My email address for contacting me with your good news, or for more direct goodness, go to the web site and leave a comment, buy a book, or leave a Paypal donation! Remember, it's only 6 degrees of separation between you and anyone else - and thanks again!

Horrible Torture Device Created; Death Leaves Dallas

January 26th, 2005

in 47,372 BCE, hard winds drive Swikolay and her companions into the coast of India, far off course from the destination she desired. Since the storm shattered their boats, she decides to forsake the sea for the rest of the voyage and begins traveling west on land. “The Speaker would say that one needs to take what life gives and learn from it,” she told her descendants. “I learned to stay on dry land.”

in 1875, George F. Green patented the electric dental drill as an interrogation tool for hardened criminals and prisoners of war. It was later banned by the Geneva Conventions.

in 1904, the embassy ship from the Congress of Nations was met by a fleet before entering the Mlosh home system. After an initial scan revealed no weapons in the fleet, the C.N. ambassador allowed them to tow the embassy ship the rest of the way into the system, very much against the express wishes of the ship’s captain.

in 4613, architect Ieoh Ming Pei was born in Suzhou. A visionary of profound talent, Ieoh created the masterful Chou Administration building on the lunar colony, as well as Chengzu’s Mausoleum in Beijing. While most of his work was on a grand scale, he also created modest homes for the poor in Beijing’s slums, helping house people who could not afford to enter some of his public creations.

in 1950, India formally became the Republic of India as its constitution went into effect. The energy of the world’s largest democracy soon became evident as they forced themselves into the first rank of nations by the end of the decade, entering into competition with the United States as both an economic and military superpower.

in 1952, Mikhail von Heflin leaves the city of Dallas and heads south to see if he can locate Willard Thompson, the descendant he had been told in a vision to watch over. He hitchhikes for most of the journey, observing how to drive from the people who give him rides. He then steals a car and uses it to travel around the Texas hill country on his quest.

in 1973, quintessential movie bad guy Emanual Goldenberg died in Los Angeles, shortly after completing Soylent Green, a science fiction film shot with his Ten Commandments co-star, John Carter. Goldenberg earned a posthumous Oscar nomination for his wonderful portrayal of the aged police researcher Sol in the movie.

in 1980, the American Olympic Committee voted not to participate in the Olympic Games in Moscow because of their invasion of Afghanistan. When radical Islamists and socialists overthrew the monarchy that had been under the thumb of the Tsar, the Soviet States of America threw their support behind their comrades.


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A King Is Born

January 8th, 2005

in 47,385 BCE, a local Australian tribe finds Telka the Speaker and the members of her family that have crossed over from Asia. The Speaker teaches them her tongue as she recovers from the long journey, and joins the tribe by becoming the mate of the tribe’s chief.

in 1634, Galilieo Galilei is executed by the Inquisition for heresy, months after being found guilty. The Church had originally granted the blasphemer leniency, but after he continued to publish his “scientific” papers, they took action to silence his heliocentric fallacies forever.

in 12-13-2-1-5, the great Sioux military leader, Tashunca-uitco, fought his final battle against the superior forces of the Oueztecan Empire. Knowing they were hopelessly outnumbered, Tashunca-uitco and his warriors bravely held off the Oueztec long enough to give their Cheyenne allies, led by Tatanka Iyotake, time to escape.

in 1891, Walter Bothe, a German physicist and Nobel Prize winner who was briefly involved with Richard Tolman’s parallel universe cult, was born in Oranienburg, Germany. Bothe left Tolman’s company after only a few months because “the implications of what they were doing, quite frankly, scared me. I didn’t want to live in a universe as chaotic as the one they were showing me.”

in 1935, the blond King of Rock and Roll, Jesse Garon Presley, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Jesse, as he was known to fans around the world, shocked and rocked the 50’s with his blend of black and white southern music, and became the most famous singer in the world – no one else even comes close to his fame and ability to sell records. After his death in the 1970’s, there have even been fans who have started a church in his name, sometimes referred to as the Jesse-its.

in 1973, the Caracoan Peace Talks resume between the Soviet States, North Chile and South Chile. Comrade President Salvador Allende of North Chile led the negotiations to find a reasonable settlement of the conflict with the reactionaries. Manuel Cartojas and his mentor, Augusto Pinochet, represented the South Chilean reactionaries.

in 4672, Imperial Counselor Zhou Enlai, one of the most instrumental figures in the Chinese Empire’s movement towards democracy, died at his home in Beijing. To demonstrate his solidarity with the common people of China, he had moved from the Forbidden City after the first Council elections into the bustling heart of Beijing, where he had a large base of support. The entire empire, from one end of the solar system to the other, mourned his passing.

in 1992, during a tour of Japan, President George Bush became ill at a dinner banquet. Although he dismissed it as a sour stomach, in his hotel room later that evening, he suffered a fatal stroke. His death brought an end to the Republican Party’s dream of another 4 years in the White House, as newly-elevated President Dan Quayle was crushed in the November election, 74 to 21 percent, by Democrat Bill Clinton of Arkansas.


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A Funeral, A Death

July 22nd, 2007

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The Announcement

Alternate Historian grudgingly taking time out from reading: Who could possibly be expected to do anything other than read Deathly Hallows? Lucky for us, Steve writes ahead – enjoy his entry today, and read yesterday's Harry Potter fan fic below – before you read the real thing!

In 2007, A. BREEG wrote ~ using ancient european grimoires my visitor from Romania had released the demon within Benjamin Breeg. 666 days later has was reincarnated as Eddie. As I said, it was a strange meeting. Of course Eddie required some form of subterfuge to conceal his identity when he was not letting rip with the British Heavy Metal Band Iron Maiden.
Reincarnation of B BREEG	I must say the journal was profoundly shocking. However, I can't say I'm not pleased to have my diary returned to me - it really takes me back.

CD Cover

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the genius of Iron Maiden's "The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg".

In 1969, on this day a funeral for Mary Jo Kopechne was held at St. Vincent's Roman Catholic Church in Plymouth, Pennsylvania, attended by Ted Kennedy. She was buried in the parish cemetery on the side of Larksville Mountain. The Senator wore a neck brace, idea an ill-conceived by his cousin Joseph Gargan in order to conceal the teeth marks on his neck. The only reason why Kennedy was warm and breathing himself was that the vampires had been unable to feed on the Senator due to the high level of alcohol and narcotics in his bloodstream.

~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 2009, TV networks ran episode thirteen of So What If?. The Burma Road is re-opened and supplies begin to reach the Republic of China just in the nick of time to save Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek from encircling Communist forces led by Mao Tse-Tung. Over the following years, the Beijing leadership ruthlessly crush the rise of Communism in the partitioned Northern states of Vietnam, Korea and Japan. The Soviet Union is drawn into the regional conflict as the Cold War turns hot.

~ variant from Steve Payne: extensive use of original content has been made to celebrate the author's genius.

Gazi Mustafa Kemal	In 1914, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pashai, Governor-general of al-Andalus was assassinated in Paris by Frankish anarchists. During the subsequent August days, a diplomatic crisis escalated from al-Andalus demands to send detectives into Frankish territory. The uneasy peace that has lasted for centuries between Arabs and Europeans ..
.. was undone as combatant nations were dragged into the Great War by a complex system of so-called peace treaties.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1946, the Zionist Menacham Begin detonated an Irgun bomb at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, headquarters of the British civil and military administration, killing 90. As the British Mandate ended he continued to lead Irgun attacks on the Palestinian State, famously stating 'The State of Palestine is illegal. It will ..	King David Hotel
.. never be recognized .... Jerusalem was and will for ever be our capital. Eretz Israel will be restored to the people of Israel. All of it. And for ever. '. However his organisation was eclipsed by the Israeli Liberation Organisation which became the stand-bearer for Zionist efforts to establish the State of Israel, a goal which was unachieved by the time of Begin's death. The importance of Menachem Begin in Israel's national identity cannot be contested since in 2005 a poll conducted showed him gaining the highest result as the leader that Israelis missed the most, out polling even David Ben-Gurion and Yitzhak Rabin.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Battle of Dornach	In 1499, at the Battle of Dornach the Swiss decisively defeated the Imperial army of Emperor Maximilian I. Swiss militarism was to unbalance Europe until the twentieth century. Two World Wars ended in the warrior state being partitioned by the four nation alliance of America, Russia, Britain and France.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1977, Chinese Communists under leader Deng Xiaoping were restored to power in Beijing following twenty years in exile inside the Soviet Union. Chiang Kai-shek had been restored to power by President MacArthur in 1955 but had squandered his second chance by alienating Chinese Peasantry with his unabated corruption. Also, ..	Deng Xiaoping
.. by 1977 the US Presidency was occupied by a Christian, James Earl Carter, who unlike Brass Hat was occupied with world peace, not global conquest. Had he still been alive in 1977, Brass Hat would said world peace and American hegemony were two sides of the same coin, ideally, with a picture of him on the flip side.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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The Edge

	In 1972, the Soviet unmanned spaceship Luna 20 lands on the Moon. Luna 20 (Ye-8-5 series) was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 20. Luna 20 was placed in an intermediate Earth parking orbit and from this orbit was sent towards the Moon. It entered lunar orbit on February 18, 1972. On February 21, 1972, Luna 20 soft landed on the Moon in a mountainous area known as the Apollonius highlands near Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fertility), 120 km from where Luna 16 had landed.
Luna 20

While on the lunar surface, the panoramic television system was operated. Lunar samples were obtained by means of an extendable drilling apparatus. The ascent stage of Luna 20 was launched from the lunar surface on 22 February 1972 carrying 30 grams of collected lunar samples in a sealed capsule. It landed in the Soviet Union on 25 February 1972. The lunar samples were recovered the following day. Pulsating green in colour, the samples proved beyond any doubt what many had already suspected - that the 1969 landing by NASA had been faked.

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Ross Perot	In 1992, Ross Perot was assassinated by agents of the profiteering military-industrial complex after announcing his intention to run in the 1992 U.S. presidential election on CNN's Larry King Live. His promise to get under the hood and fix the engine would have been an end to their racket and they had firmly warned Perot that such an announcement would shorten his lifespan considerably.
Assassinated

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	In 1965, at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City agents of the Nation of Islam including Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson attempt to assassinate Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz formerly known by the various names Malcolm Little, Detroit Red and Malcolm X. They fail, and Brother Malcolm developed the new strategy of inclusiveness he had embarked upon since the Hajj in April 1964. The trip proved to be life-altering. Malcolm met many devout Muslims of a number of different races, whose faith and practice of Islam he came to respect. He believed that racial barriers could potentially be overcome, and that Islam was the one religion that conceivably could erase all racial problems. Today America is no longer a country at war with itself, mostly due to the giant known as Little.

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Malcolm X	In 1965, on this day in Manhattan's Audubon Ballroom, Malcolm X had just begun delivering a speech when a disturbance broke out in the crowd of 400. A man yelled, 'Get your hand outta my pocket! Don't be messin' with my pockets!'. As Malcolm and his bodyguards moved to quiet the disturbance, a man rushed forward with a sawed-off shotgun. Malcolm shot the man dead using a concealed weapon. Ever since the famous rifle picture in 1964, he had after all announced his intention to defend himself against the frequent death threats he was receiving.
Self-defence

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In 1173, Pope Henry II canonizes former Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket. Ironically, Pope Henry probably had the Archbishop killed because of his independence from Henry's dictates.

	In 1965, the notorious gangster 'Detroit Red' (real name Malcolm Little) was shot and killed whilst attempting a break-in at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City. Pro-accountability 'types' suggested the crime wave was a reaction to childhood traumas. Three of his father Earl Little's brothers died violently at the hands of white men, and one of his uncles had been lynched. The family relocated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1926, and then to Lansing, Michigan, shortly thereafter.

In 1931, Malcolm's father was found dead, having been run over by a streetcar in Lansing. Authorities ruled his death a suicide. Malcolm claimed that this cause of death was disputed by the black community at the time, and he later disputed it himself, saying that his family had frequently found themselves the target of harassment by the Black Legion, a white supremacist group his father accused of burning down their home in 1929. Malcolm wondered how his father could bash himself in the head and then lay down across street tracks to get run over

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	In 1972, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America, sets down in Air Force One on the tarmac of the Beijing Airport. Denounced by his opponents back home as a campaign stunt, the trip resulted in little real progress between the two giant nations because of the intransigence of the two ideological leaders - Mao refused to even entertain the notion of rapprochement with the US, and Nixon wouldn't bend without some kind of economic reform in China. Nixon came back to the US without any agreements, and privately lamented that the trip had been a failure. He lost the presidential election in the fall, and wags made up a new phrase about the trip: 'Nixon can't go to China.'

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In 1996, Harry Turtledove published the counter-history novel East of Eden in which he posed the Suez Question - what would have happened if British Prime Minister Anthony Eden had weakened in the face of US opposition to the occupation of the Canal Zone? The outcome would be the loss of Anglo-French authority in the Middle East at a crucial time for the Western World as it sought to maintain a grip on oil supplies.

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In 1997, the three men known as the 'Bridgewater Three' were freed from jail 18 years after the murder of 13-year-old paper boy Carl Bridgewater. They were released after their convictions are ruled unsafe. This was one of many high profile cases that destroyed public confidence. The Criminal Justice system, it was now realised was little more than a pressure point for locking up often innocent people. Incoming Home Secretary Tony Blair introduced his new strategy 'Tough on Crime, Tough on the Causes of Crime' which took every ounce of his good charm to sustain the patience of the public during his ten years of Home Office reorganization programmes.

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28 Days Later	In 2001, the European Commission banned all British milk, meat and livestock exports following the UK's first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease for 20 years. The ban - which will run indefinately - follows yesterday's revelation of a foot-and-mouth outbreak at an abattoir near Brentwood, Essex. A routine inspection at Cheale Meats abattoir in Essex diagnosed 'the Rage' in 28 pigs.
The Rage

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Jimmy Swaggart	In 1988, Jimmy Swaggart, America's leading television evangelist, resigned from his ministry after revelations he had been consorting with a prostitute. In front of a congregation of 7,000 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he sobbed and confessed to 'moral failure' actually going into way too much detail.
Confession

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	In 1386, the great prophet Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz was taken from us. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see Alaha.

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