Remember the Alamo!

Songbird, filling in for the Plague-ridden Alternate Historian...
All new entry's, don't expect to see any favorite timelines!
(although I may sneak *1* in..)

in 1997, Riots occurred when scientists announced they had succeeded in cloning an adult mammal, producing a lamb named "Dolly", despite laws prohibiting taking the works of God in vain. Enraged citizens converged on the location, and the scientists were summarily executed.

in 1455, An inventor named Johann Gutenberg who had re-invented a 'printing-press', originally from China, published his first book, a novel intended for the enjoyment of the lords. The novel was laughable, although the writing was good, there was none of the calligraphy, word spacing, or rich leathers expected by the lords, and the lessers had no need of such a volume. Gutenberg immediately went bankrupt, and his financier, Johann Fust, sold his equipment for a pittance.

in 1861, A Texas referendum was held to determine the legality of the proposed secession of Texas from the Union. It was determined that Secession was not to be Legal, and Texans stayed with the union, and assisted their northern brothers in the defeat of the south.

in 1836, Santa Anna reached the Alamo, a small mission in Texas, and besieged it. Knowing that reinforcements were unlikely to reach them on time, the men manning the mission surrendered to the general. Santa Anna had them all put to death, despite their surrender, and enslaved their women and children. This enraged the population of Texas, who declared independence from Mexico, and used the battle cry: "Remember the Alamo".

in 1836, Santa Anna reached the Alamo, a small mission in Texas. The mission had been razed to the ground by Sam Houston's order. El Camino Real had been left unguarded, and Santa Anna was able to attack the Texican settlements, and drive the insurgents across the Sabine, and Texas remained a Mexican State.

in 1836, Santa Anna reached the Alamo, a small mission in Texas, and besieged it. Knowing that reinforcements were unlikely to reach them on time, the men manning the mission surrendered to the general. Santa Anna released the youngest of the men, with the exhortation to spread the word of his generosity. The seeds of insurgency in Texas died without germination.

in 1836, Santa Anna reached the Alamo, a small mission in Texas, and besieged it. The defenders fought valiantly, but were slaughtered, all but 7 men. Seven men, under the protection of General Castrillón, were brought before General Santa Anna. Several of these men were American, among them Davy Crockett. General Castrillion had spared them in an attempt to avoid inciting war with the United States. Santa Anna was displeased by this, and summarily ordered the men's torture and execution. His officers were outraged by this order, and relieved him of command.

in 1896, Candy maker Leo Hirshfield released a candy he called the 'Tootsie Roll', which he had named after his daughter. Unlike his patrons from his homeland of Austria, New Yorkers did not appreciate the overly sweet and sticky candy.

in 1963, Peter Hicks was arrested for assault, after hooking up a cattle fence charger to his land rover in an effort to deter wardens from fining him for parking violations. Mr Hicks was given a £1,500 fine.

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Terms

The state of TIAH

May 17th, 2007

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Alternate Historian's Note: C'mon people! In 10 days, we'll hit TIAH's third anniversary. As before, that calls for a contest! Please send in your alternate versions of the Academy's beginnings (May 27th, 2004 was the date in this timeline). You can even use the fact that we lost the original day and had to restart on the 28th – whatever you can think of to provide a twist to our start. Send 'em in, and we'll print 'em! Be sure to tell us how you want your credit for the post to appear, as well as any links you want to be connected with your entry. Thanks for reading and get researching those alternate timelines!

in 1891, just after the stroke of midnight, an exhausted Allan Duggan forces his stolen horse into Colonel Theodore Monteith's headquarters in Nebraska and begs to be taken to the Colonel immediately. Although cranky about being woken up, the colonel listens with horror to what the young scout has to tell him about the battle going on in Concordia, Kansas. “Put this man in my bed,” he orders his aides, “and then let's see about getting his friends some help.” Wasting little time, he puts together reinforcements for the embattled major fighting the Kansans in Concordia, and sets them on a speed march south. During the day's fighting at the Concordia fort, Major Mark Wainwright loses another 300 men, and flies a white flag to get the attention of the Kansan commander. When the commander comes forward, Major Wainwright asks him, “Sir, what are your terms for our surrender?” The rebel volunteer ponders for an hour with his staff, then returns to Wainwright and tells him, “You'll all lay down arms, abandon this fort, and be taken into custody. Your men will be imprisoned until this is all over, but you, sir, will be executed for crimes against the sovereign people of Kansas.” The Union soldiers cry out in indignation at this last term, but Wainwright holds up his hand to silence them. He asks, “May I have some time to consider these terms, sir?” The Kansan looks over the fort, looks back at his own men, then replies, “You may have until sunset, sir.” Wainwright's staff is utterly opposed to surrender, but the major tells them, “I am tired of being the cause of death for so many of my fellow soldiers and citizens. If it saves you, I am willing to let them execute me.” This causes another outburst from his aides, which he stills. “At sunset, I will accept their terms. Gentlemen, it has been an honor serving with you.” They all stand and salute him, then leave their makeshift office to prepare their men for captivity. Wainwright takes a walk about the fort, enjoying the late afternoon; it is a fine day, cool and sunny, and he smiles and speaks with each of the men as he passes them by. As the sun makes its way down the sky, he walks back to the wall of the fort and ascends to the top wall. The Kansan commander stands opposite him, waiting for an answer. Wainwright takes one last look at the horizon, smiling faintly at the setting sun, then looks down at the rebel leader, who asks him, “Sir, your answer?” The major looks over at his lieutenants, who look away dejectedly, then says, “Sir, my answer is...” Before he can finish the sentence, a cannon balls bursts into the Kansan ranks from behind. Wainwright looks beyond the teeming ranks of rebels and sees a huge column of Union soldiers driving towards the fort. Wainwright laughs wildly and shouts to the Kansan commander, “Nuts!” His men cheer loudly and begin firing as he throw the white flag away.

In 2032, Commander Albert Raft and his astronaut crew return to Earth after forty years to discover the 20th century ended with a bang. The population of the Earth was all but destroyed in the Collapse that followed the “Five Days” of the apocalypse. All that remains are a very few “Gone Timers” such as Commander Raft, and their clones, including a clone that was secretly prepared from Raft prior from his departure. And one other.

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

In 1972, Marvin Gaye warned duet singer Diana Ross about her excessive marijuana smoking which he believed endangered wife Tammi Terrell's unborn child, Marvin Junior. Ross was unrepentant, her excessive drinking had forced her out of the Supremes five years before and it was way too late to go back now.

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

Joseph McCarthy	In 1947, Senators Millard Tydings and Joseph McCarthy shared yet another late night drink together. Tail gunner Joe had been dropping rather indiscreet hints for most of the whole evening. As the bourbon started to take effect, the slurred hints were reducing in subtlety. A red faced Tydings whirled around knocking McCarthy's ..
.. vase of bourbon over and grabbed his collars. Wild with anger, Tydings screams in his face – 'Do you mean to tell me that you already know the perpetrators of this heinous crime?' 'Why yes', replies McCarthy ' and he has convicted himself by his own guilty countenance'. Tydings falls backwards towards the bar, gasping with shock.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1989, strikes are widespread throughout Europe and particularly in Great Britain. The armed crackdown has united the labour movement and the student's union with strong support from the general population. The House of Stuart is in serious trouble and it appears that more than a compromise is going to be required before the crisis is over.	Picketing
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Richard Nixon	In 1973, during the Watergate scandal, hearings began in the United States Senate and are televised. The conspiracy by President Robert F Kennedy's to fake the break-in at the Democrat Headquarters was unravelling fast. However, it was too late for Richard M Nixon who had the misfortune of having the Presidency stolen from ..
.. him by the Kennedys twice.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1902, between the islands of Kythera and Crete the archaeologist Spyridon Stais found the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer designed to calculate astronomical positions. The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project was established by Cardiff University, the National and Kapodistrian University ..	Antikythera mec..
.. of Athens, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, X-Tek Systems UK and Hewlett-Packard USA, funded by the Leverhulme Trust and supported by the Cultural Foundation of the National Bank of Greece. Their research demonstrated that the device accurately predicted the Syzygy, the alignment of all 10 planets on the same side of the Sun in 1982. For the first time, all of humanity could see the counter-earth postulated by Galileo through deductive logic in 1610 and obviously known about by the Ancient Greeks as evidenced by the Antikythera mechanism.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Consider His Ways

August 10th, 2007

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The Announcement

Alternate Historian's Bemusement: If you've been reading me for any length of time, you know that I'm a left-wing loony, and love me because/in spite of that. Well, in my perusal of one of those blogs we left-wingers are always going on about, I found this, and I felt that I had to comment upon his disparagement of alternate historians. Go read the article and defend our honor yourself!
We're recovering from or illness slowly but surely, and will hopefully be able to post tomorrow as normal. Till then, Steve will have the page, as usual – thanks, Steve! Oh, and don't forget our Birthday Contest – send in your alternate birthdays for me (August 14, 1965) and Steve (November 22, 1967) so we can have a special post on those days!

John Wyndham	In 1959, the author John Wyndham received experimental antipsychotic medication. This was part of the course of treatments required by voluntary mental health care which followed an episode of schizophrenia at a book signing ceremony in London England.
Author

This triggered a series of events which Wyndham later described in the auto-biographical account Consider His Ways and others. Wyndham woke up to discover that he is a father of some description, in a bloated body that he believes is not his own. After some confusing experiences his memory gradually returns and he recalls that he was treated with a drug that has the unpredictable consequence of out-of-body experiences. It seems that the drug has worked far better than anyone could have anticipated: he has been cast into the future. He also realises that he is in a society consisting entirely of men, organised into castes, most of whom have never heard of women. Wyndham meets a historian. It seems that the narrator is in a society around 100-150 years after his own time (this is not explicitly stated but it can be deduced from one comment in the account). Shortly after his own time a Dr Perrigan carried out scientific experiments that unintentionally created a virus that killed all the women in the world, leaving only men. After a very difficult period of famine and breakdown the small number of educated men, found mainly in the medical profession, took control and embarked on a crash programme of research to enable men to fertilize eggs and then incubate without females. The men also decided to follow the advice of the Bible: "Go to the ant thou sluggard, consider his ways", and created a caste-based society. The drug wears off. Wyndham returns to his own time and decides to stop Dr Perrigan. However, the next steps suggest that it is Wyndham's own actions that will lead to the catastrophe he hopes to prevent.

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

In 1999, James P Hoffa was elected to the Presidency of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He had been an attorney for the Teamsters from 1968 to 1993. A member of the Teamsters since his 18th birthday (1959), he ran for president in 1996, losing to Ron Carey. He became president of the Teamsters on March 19, 1999, after Carey was barred from running for his role in Teamstergate.
Jimmy Hoffa	The news was running in the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The waitress had long since left. Back in 1975 she had discovered a napkin tucked in the leather upholstery of a dining booth with the cryptic message "THEY RULE" written upon it.
She'd died of a stomach ulcer, caused by worry about the note. A baseless fear that had come to nothing. And so it goes. Still matters had moved forwarded for America in a big way. The White House and their allies had moved way passed Unionised labour. Crushing international terrorism was the order of the day. The stakes in the great game had been raised considerably, and the pot was so much bigger.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1974, following the tragic death of Bruce Lee, the TV networks presented a surprise proposal to the actor David Carradine. For the forthcoming series of Kung Fu, Carradine could take the lead part which the late Bruce Lee had vacated. Having been turned down before, Carradine seized the opportunity but the series was axed after just four episodes due to appalling viewing figures. American audiences might be more comfortable with the anglophile Carradine, but the show lacked dramatic irony.

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

Glubb Pasha	"[British Commander of the Arab Legion, General John Bagot] Glubb (“Glubb Pasha”) should be imprisoned for serving in a foreign army without the King's permission" ~ British MP
British Agent

In 1939, Glubb succeeded Frederick G. Peake as the commander of the Arab Legion. During this period, he transformed the legion into the best trained force in the Arab world. Glubb served his home country all through his years in the Middle East, making him immensely popular in the end. Arab nationalists believed that he had been the force behind pressure that made King Hussein I of Jordan join the Baghdad Pact. Glubb served different high positions in the Arab Legion, the army of Transjordan. During the World War II he led attacks on Arab leaders in Iraq, as well as the Vichy regime which was present in Lebanon and Syria. In 1948, the British Government was humiliated by the actions of British officers employed in the Arab Legion during the Zionist Insurgency that followed the declaration of the State of Palestine two days before. Regular British officers, including a brigade commander, were instructed to leave the Arab Legion and return to Transjordan. This led to the bizarre spectacle of British officers leaving their units to return to Transjordan before sneaking back across the border to rejoin the Arab Legion. A British MP demanded that the British Command of the Arab Legion, General John Bagot Glubb (“Glubb Pasha”) be imprisoned for serving in a foreign army without the King's permission. 'The internecine struggles of the Arabs,' reported Glubb, 'are more in the minds of Arab politicians than the struggle against the Jews. Azzam Pasha, the mufti and the Syrian government would sooner see the Jews get the whole of Palestine than that King Abdullah should benefit.' Neither was the British government humiliated, nor was he a traitor – his job was to stop the internecine struggles of the Arabs. By suppressing the Zionist Insurgency Glubb Pasha began a new phase of covert operations in the Middle East. Henceforth, British Foreign Policy goals would be achieved by stealth, famously described as neo-colonialism - exerting control over other nations through indirect means. Any means necessary.

~ quotation by Co-Historian Steve Payne from Counter-history – You're the Judge!

A well I bless my soul what's wrong with me? I'm itching like a man on a fuzzy tree My friends say I'm actin' wild as a bug
Elvis Presley	I'm in love I'm all shook up Mm mm oh, oh, yeah, yeah! ~ Lyrics to “All Shook Up” - Click to Watch Sample
Charged with Rape

In February 1972 an hysterical Priscilla Presley brought rape charges against her husband Elvis Presley at a Las Vegas Police Station. During the investigation, Priscilla admitted that she had two affairs of her own and their up and down marriage was irreparably broken down by 1972. She alleged that the last straw came when Elvis, possibly having learned of the second affair with her karate instructor, forced himself on her in his Las Vegas hotel room, telling her, "This is how a real man makes love to a woman." Whilst the charges have never been proven, the existence of the allegations have been reported in a number of places including Wikipedia to the great dismay of Elvis fans everywhere. The lyrics are available at at Lyricsdir

~ entry by Co-Historian Steve Payne with absolutely no offence to Elvis Fans (of whom I am one).

In 1979, the movie Apocalypse Now played out the conflict in south-east Asia which hurtled towards catastrophe and tragedy. Since his father's death in April 1964, the demon General-san had transferred to his son, who continued to run China without any respect for the rule of law or human decency. Yet Captain Willard was to discover a great deal of sympathy for General-san Arthur MacArthur.

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

Elimina Castle	In 1482, to pass the long night of six hundred years at St. George El Mina Castle, Kwame’s brother spoke to him of African Poetry. ”make room in your inn for me .. even your ports, recalling report how the mayflower moved ..
.. in to deflower at night the virgin land of the red indians jesus christ it seems and judas did not make it america you are a funny girl…everybody dreams of kissing you.”
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 955, on this day the forces of Otto the Great, King of the Germans were defeated at the Battle of Lechfeld. Perhaps the best opportunity for holding off the incursions of the Magyars into Central Europe was lost.	Magyars
This defining event in European history was a decisive victory for the Magyar leaders, namely the harka (military leader) Bulcsú and the chieftains Lél (Lehel) and Súr who continued to rage unchecked across the continent.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Lloyd George	In 1914, European diplomacy entered a critical phase as the August Days continued in the build up to War. In Caerdydd (Cardiff) First Minister David Lloyd George confirmed the nation's policy of neutrality. This statement was to have two very unexpected outcomes on the threat and opportunity scale.
In Berlin, the Younger Bismarck as he was known studied the text of the speech in his office at the Chancellery. If the Welsh were not to mobilize, he figured, nothing was stopping a Prussian landing in South Wales. They could be in London inside of a week.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1995, Richard M. Langworth combined fiction and fact in his publication “If Chamberlain had lost the Battle of Norway”. In this somewhat far fetched scenario, when Germany invaded Norway in April 1940, an expeditionary force was sent to counter ..	Neville Chamber..
.. them, but the campaign proved difficult, and the force had to be withdrawn. The naval aspect of the campaign in particular proved controversial and was to have repercussions in Westminster leading to Chamberlain's replacement by Lord Halifax, who immediately sued for a Carthaginian peace.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Redemption

Jesus	In 1843, an old and bitter miser encountered Ignorance and Want. And something else too. Redemption.
Is Love

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Lo Pan

In 1949, the Chinese Civil War approached a decision as the People's Liberation Army begins its siege of Chengdu, the last Kuomintang-held city in mainland China. President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek and his government push the doomsday button. The great warrior Lo Pan was temporarily granted a decrepit body in order to fight the PLA.

Winston Churchill

In 1941, on this day Prime minister Winston Churchill gave a radio broadcast to the nation following the disaster at Pearl Harbour. “The Battle for the Pacific was over”, said Churchill, "and the Battle for Australia and New Zealand was just about to begin”.

In 2046, just before 3pm local time surgeons held a press conference at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The world's first child of dual planetary heritage was out of danger, and they were confident that Y'Skakir-R was going to make it. With the surgery over, post-event concerns now surfaced. The lead surgeon was a deeply troubled man, he had awoken in the middle of the night to be sick over and over again. He could not get the words of Coleridge's poem Christabel out of his mind from his undergraduate days.	Y'Skakir-R
But yet for her dear lady's sake I stooped, methought, the dove to take, When lo ! I saw a bright green snake Coiled around its wings and neck. He was now suffering the most severe misgivings, perhaps mankind was the dove. And Y'Skakir-R the snake.

X-20 Dyna-Soar	In 1963, the United States Air Force's X-20 Dyna-Soar spaceplane program was confirmed by Robert McNamara. Dyna-Soar was far more advanced in concept than the other human spaceflight missions of the period. It had military missions other than simply placing one or two men into space, involved in space defense missions against the Soviet designed Buran.

In 2008, Wanda's of Montreal teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. The once profitable restaurant chain had received complaints from customer regarding abusive messages on the company's web site. "B*rfed, totally thux" was widely reported by customers as the most offensive comment. This unauthorised content on the site was a result of a rogue database update by a disgruntled employee.

In 2005, deep sleeper of the government of (censored) understand that upwards of 200,000 people in the south-west eat a thick variant of toasted bread, lightly buttered. Lines of inquiry following the lead for Texas Toast go cold. There are just too many men who used to work in a bakery.	Rat

In 1941, the Royal Navy capital ships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are sunk by torpedo bombers in the South China Sea. Their loss to land-based bombers is one of the events that led to the end of the battleship being considered the predominant class in naval warfare. The engagement illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks against naval forces that were not protected by air cover and the resulting importance of including an aircraft carrier in any major fleet action. The Admiralty responded with a massive aircraft carrier rebuilding program that ensured victory against the Chinese and the continue dominance of the Royal Navy around the world. Historians now agree this was a brief blip in Britannia Ruling the Waves.

.

In 1817, the Chippewa people joined the North American Confederation, extending the great nation halfway across the continent. With the addition of the Mississippi River to their lands, the N.A.C. had millions of acres of good farm land, and this marked the beginning of their rise as a great power in the world.

"Men must be born and reborn to belong. Their bodies must be formed of the dust of their forefather's bones."

- Luther Standing Bear, Lakota

In 1869, Wyoming becomes the first state to grant men the right to vote. President Victoria Woodhull calls it a mistake, noting that “the savage nature of our beloved men little lends itself to the careful consideration that politics requires.”

In 1963, a tragic scenario played out as the worlds of crime and entertainment mixed. Frank Sinatra, Jr., son of the celebrated singer, was kidnapped at gunpoint as he was staying at Harrah’s Casino, and driven to California. The elder Sinatra received the call from the kidnappers, and offered to pay them the $250,000 they were asking. Unfortunately, once the money changed hands, the kidnappers shot father and son, ending the life of the legend and reducing the younger Sinatra to a paraplegic.

In 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr., in an attempt to make the majority of Americans realize the plight being faced by African and Semitic people across the globe, leads the march of hundreds of thousands of people on Washington, D.C. Although entirely peaceful, President Strom Thurmond has the National Guard keep its guns trained on the march throughout the long, cold day.

In 1977, during Internation Human Rights Day, Comrade President John Anderson orders the arrest of counter-revolutionary dissidents who had staged a sit-in protest in the Washington Mall. The move is a black eye for the Soviet States in world opinion.

Too Late For Gold?

The state of TIAH

May 14th, 2007

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Alternate Historian's Note: In 13 days, we'll hit TIAH's third anniversary. As before, that calls for a contest! Please send in your alternate versions of the Academy's beginnings (May 27th, 2004 was the date in this timeline). You can even use the fact that we lost the original day and had to restart on the 28th – whatever you can think of to provide a twist to our start. Send 'em in, and we'll print 'em! Be sure to tell us how you want your credit for the post to appear, as well as any links you want to be connected with your entry. Thanks for reading and get researching those alternate timelines!

in 1891, with 3000 men at his back, Major Mark Wainwright marches on the fort at Concordia, Kansas, only to find much stiffer resistance than he had expected. Wainwright's plan had been to take the fort with a few hours of fighting, and use it as a staging ground for further forays deeper into Kansas. Instead, he and his men are bogged down in Concordia, as more reinforcements for the Kansans move towards the fort. As night falls and he pulls his men back unsuccessfully from the fort, the major receives a scout's report that Kansans are blocking their retreat back to Nebraska. Feeling the noose about his neck, Major Wainwright sends 4 scouts on fast horses to slip past the Kansan lines and try to get help from Nebraska, then tells his men, “Get ready. We either take this fort or they'll surround us and chop us to bits.”

in 1999, Sir Lance du Lac implores King Arthur II to show mercy to his queen. “They may have come at an unfortunate time, sire, but her distractions were simply to give you respite from the pressures of the war. She is no traitor.” Arthur allows himself to be moved by du Lac's pleas, and pardons Queen Gwen. When she is brought before him, he says to her, “My queen, forgive me for my suspicions; these are hard times, and the loss of my oldest friend struck me harder than I thought it had.” Gwen bows before him and says, “My lord, my heart, as ever, is yours.” The king smiles, but as the queen rises from her bow, her eyes are locked on Sir Lance.

In 2367, in an attempt to prevent the destruction of humanity, African UN delegates explain to the wess'har that the extreme measures on Bezer'ej were taken unilaterally by aggressive Europeans. The argument cuts no ice. The wess'har logic of culpability is simple; if personal responsibility is not taken, all must accept justice. Also the species divide is a fiction; the Europeans themselves originate from the “cradle of humanity” in Africa.

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

In 1972, at the launch of the Diana & Marvin Project, fans were thrilled to witness legends Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross enter the recordings studio together. Behind the scenes, however, life was not the untroubled rhythm of the sweet duets that these two giants of Motown were about to record.

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

Hamelin	In 1947, on this day at the Tydings Committee, the Democrat Senator for Maryland connected the Nazi Leadership with the location in Western Germany of the town of Hamelin. He asked two seemingly rhetorical questions. Firstly, was theirs the equivalent of the child left behind? And second, was it too late to pay the gold? The ..
.. room explodes with noise as the speculation starts : what rationale explanation can be made for this event? The disappearance of an invasion force, and the mysterious transmission : 'Caves of Ice'?
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1989, the British Royal household held its collective breath following the decisive action of the day before. The original protest at Hyde Park had been smashed and the Goddess of Democracy seized. This surely was the key moment when the protest would falter.	Protesters give..
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Palestine	In 1948, as the British Mandate ends, Palestine is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established. Immediately after the declaration, Palestine was attacked by Jewish insurgents.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1970, the Red Army Faction (RAF) was established in Germany by Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, Ulrike Meinhof, Irmgard Möller and others. RAF committing numerous crimes, especially in the autumn of 1977, which led to a national crisis that became known as "German Autumn" a set of events revolving around ..	Red Army Factio..
.. the kidnapping of Hanns-Martin Schleyer and the hijacking of the Lufthansa air plane Landshut. After political negotiations with the Somali leader Siad Barre, the German government was granted permission to assault the plane. This was carried out on October 18 by the special task force GSG 9, which had been formed after the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis. All hostages were freed without injuries; of the terrorists only Souhaila Andrawes survived. In response, Hanns-Martin Schleyer – taken to Belgium through the Netherlands – was shot and killed by his kidnappers. His body was found on October 19, 1977 in the trunk of a car in Mulhouse, France. Two tiny punctures were visible on his neck.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Cleveland Speaks To The Farmers

The state of TIAH

April 11th, 2007

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in 1891, Major Mark Wainwright and his small band of soldiers reach Kansas City and slip through, thanks to the general chaos in the city. Wainwright sends a telegram back east to Washington to let his superiors know that former President Cleveland has been taken captive, as have the majority of the major's men. He adds that he will proceed on into Missouri and wait for orders at the nearest telegraph office. Meanwhile, President Cleveland is given an audience with the Farmer's Council that, with 'Sockless' Jerry Simpson at its head, has assumed control of Kansas. “Gentlemen,” he says to them, “I understand your grievances and desire for redress. I, myself, have felt the cold sting of injustice within recent years, as you well know. But, within our nation's democratic institutions, we have the means for addressing your concerns. This unlawful usurpation of state government will not end well, gentlemen. In fact, given the great power of the nation surrounding you, it can only end in your arrest or death. I implore you, therefore, to surrender the government back to the men who were duly elected to it, and give up before more blood is shed in this useless endeavor.” Although most of the council is moved by Cleveland's words, Simpson stands to answer him. “Mr. President, although you have spoken eloquently of our great institutions and their ability to right wrongs, your own history gives the lie to that. Your office was stolen out from under you by men who place the pursuit of power and their own personal greed higher than the good of the nation. We saw such men in control here in Kansas. Now they are not.” Addressing the rest of the council, he concludes, “I would recommend our methods to take care of Washington, rather than Washington's methods to take care of us.”

in 1998, the Saturday before Easter Sunday, Great Britain braces for the kingdom's decision. Catholic churches are guarded by Pendrake's followers, and the Church of England has military watching its doors. Prime Minister Pembroke pleads, “This is the Lord's day. Please do not use it as an excuse for violence.” Arthur Pendrake, for his part, lets those who would see him as king know that they must not initiate aggression, but they should not hesitate to respond to it.

First Nations	In 2058 and 1492 the First Nation indigenes who have entered the Bering Strait tunnel on their return to Asia have been transported back to the Turtle Island known as America c1492. The Mesh has brought them home safely, and now they can participate in the First Nation consciousness linking the Turtle Island to the Dream ..
.. time. The Mesh will ensure that they will not be troubled.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1824 the Bureau of Indian Affairs opened for business, one month after the United States War Department created the agency. The 8th President of the United States, Martin Van Buren used the Bureau as a stratagem to prevent the War of the States. By 1837 the economic tension between the Union and the Southern states had ..	Martin Van Bure..
.. narrowed in focus to the issue of the genocide of the American indigenes and the War of the States was about to break out.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Washington Loca..	In 1867 opponents of the Alaska Purchase criticise the Treaty as Seward's folly, Seward's icebox, and Andrew Johnson's polar bear garden, because it was believed foolhardy to spend so much money on the remote region. In 1945 a future US President Harry S Truman would also describe the detractors as being both completely ..
.. right and absolutely wrong.
~ entry by Steve Payne from counter history in context - you're the judge!

In 1921 the Emirate of Transjordan was created. In 1948 territory was ceded to the State of Palestine when the nation adopted the current name of the Kingdom of Jordan.	The British Man..
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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Last Chance To Contribute To Our Anniversary Tomorrow!

The state of TIAH

May 26th, 2007

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Alternate Historian's Note: This is it - our 3rd anniversary is tomorrow! Today, you have your last chance to send in your alternate versions of the Academy's beginnings (May 27th, 2004 was the date in this timeline) to appear on the anniversary celebration page. You can use everything you know about us - even the fact that we lost the original day and had to restart on the 28th – whatever you can think of to provide a twist to our start. Send 'em in, and we'll print 'em! Be sure to tell us how you want your credit for the post to appear, as well as any links you want to be connected with your entry. Thanks for reading and get researching those alternate timelines! And, here's an update – we've gotten some entries, but if we don't get any more, we're going to consider printing some of our more interesting emails and comments...

in 1891, more trains pull into Hebron, Nebraska, full of troops to fight the war in Kansas. A few Kansan sympathizers make note of how many troops are being moved west, and send a telegraph to Topeka. The Farmers Council convenes to discuss what to do about this new development. “From what the telegraph said, they might have 20,000 men or more by next month,” Councilor Stephen Zamachowski said. “All massing at the border in Hebron, with a straight shot down to Concordia at that damned fort.” 'Sockless' Jerry Simpson, leader of the council, dismisses Zamachowski's fears. “We've got 5 times that number armed and ready to fight. These boys they've sent down haven't even gotten through the most basic training. They're of no concern.” Councilor Thaddeus Elridge, who had opposed Simpson before, saw an opportunity here to score some points against the 'Socrates of the plains'. “Mr. Simpson is right that we got 100,000 men ready to defend the state, and the men they got ain't exactly battle-hardened. But, our 100,000 men are spread all over Kansas, and those 20,000 are right where they can make a run for us, here, in Topeka. Plus, they're being trained by a man whose got a personal grudge against us and who has managed to defeat us in the past. We need to start pulling our volunteers away from the other borders and bring them here, to defend Topeka.” While many of the councilors are afraid that action will leave their borders ill-defended, Elridge's plan receives approval, and word is sent to all corners of Kansas to begin troop movements to Topeka.

in 1999, Prime Minister Kay Ector of Great Britain meets with success after success as he tours across the former vassal states of the Central European Empire, securing pledges from their governments to cease hostilities against the British, and turn over CEE war criminals. King Arthur II is relieved to hear of the cessation of fighting in many of the hot spots of the war, and Sir Lance, his chief general, turns to rooting out the CEE elite who had been responsible for prosecuting the war against Great Britain.

in 2004, the gaming blog RPGs-a-plenty gets mentioned on the news aggregate sites Metafilter and BoingBoing, causing thousands of people to begin reading the upstart blog in only its first week. The rush of readers to this site causes the site's writer, Robbie Taylor, to forgo the plans he had to create a blog about alternate history. Who would've read that, anyway?

In 1940, UK War Leader Winston Churchill delivered his final radio broadcast before fleeing to the Falkland Islands with the remnants of the British Navy. His last words to the defeated British nation were a fragment of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner The Sun's rim dips ; the stars rush out : At one stride comes the dark ;.. Fear at my heart, as at a cup, My life-blood seemed to sip ! One after one, by the star-dogged Moon,Too quick for groan or sigh, Each turned his face with a ghastly pang, And cursed me with his eye.

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

In 1919, Uncle Alf wrote - My very dear Angela, You will have seen, I am sure, from the stamp and the postmark that I am now in a field hospital in Pomerania. My circumstances are confused. You can write to me at the address on this envelope. I hope all goes well for you, and that you never have to trouble your lovely little head about the schemes of these degenerates who threaten me. I send you many kisses, and wish I could give them to you in person. With much love, I remain your Uncle Alf.

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

Guderian	In 1947, General Hans Guderian addressed the final session of the Tydings Committee. Yes, it was still possible to pay the Pied Piper. And yes, it was possible to release the eight divisions of the Allied Expeditionary Force from the Caves of Hamelin. But to what benefit? The troops would be in the middle of hostile of North ..
.. West Germany? General Sir Bernard Montgomery leans over to General Dwight David Eisenhower and whispers in his ear 'Are you think what I am thinking?' Says Monty, to which Ike says a simple affirmative: Yes.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1989, on this day the Grand Hotel, Brighton bomb went off at 2.54 am. The British Royal household and key advisers who had planned to meet with Peter Tatchell and members of the Republication protest leadership were decimated. The King was still awake at the time, said to be working on his compromise speech. It shredded ..	Grand Hotel Bri..
.. through his bathroom barely two minutes after he had entered it; killing him instantly. The UIRA claimed responsibility the next day; their statement famously included the words: 'Today we were lucky'. Security Forces claimed the bombing was 'an attempt to cripple Her Majesty's Government'; it had succeeded.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

Queen of Sheeba..	In 2001, the note he was expecting was pushed under the door of his room at the Queen of Sheen Hilton Hotel in Eilat. It would be an emissary of course, a small child perhaps on a five dollar task. There was no point darting out into the corridor. He opened the note and read the few words carefully. Pouring himself a gin ..
.. and tonic from the mini-bar, he realised he was very excited he was. Tomorrow evening his search would be over.
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

In 1828, a mysterious feral child Kaspar Hauser is discovered wandering the streets of Nuremberg. He was wearing peasant clothing and could barely talk. The only identifying material carried by the boy was a letter addressed to the captain of the 4th squadron of the 6th cavalry regiment, in which the author asked the captain ..	Kaspar Hauser
.. to take the boy in or hang him, and another piece of paper which appeared to be from his mother to his prior caretaker. Hauser said that he had spent most of his life in a darkened 2×1×1.5 metre cell with only a straw bed to sleep on and a horse carved out of wood for a toy. He was given nothing but bread and water, and was periodically drugged so that his clothes could be changed and his hair cut. The first human being he ever had contact with was a mysterious man who visited him on occasion, always taking great care not to reveal his face to Kaspar, and from whom the boy acquired his limited spoken vocabulary and learned to write his name. The stranger eventually released Kaspar from his cell and deposited him outside, where he fainted. His next memory was of wandering the streets of Nuremberg. He had not seen the last of the mysterious man..
~ entry by Steve Payne from Counter History in Context - You're the Judge!

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